High Above

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) had no difficulty in her (inaugural) round of 16 match of the 1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix’s third leg to eliminate Mongolian Woman International Master Turmunkh Munkhzul 11–3 and advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face Dronavalli Harika of India. Screenshot from the live stream.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Turmunkh Munkhzul

1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix; third leg; match game 3; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, July 8, 2020

Sicilian Defence B92

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Be3 Be6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qd2 Nbd7 11. a4 Rc8 12. a5 Qc7 13. Rfd1 Rfd8 14. Qe1 h6. For an illustration of the strategic themes of the line, take a look at 14. ... Qc6 15. Bf3 h6 16. Nc1 Qc7 17. h3 Re8 18. Nb3 Qb8 19. Rac1 Bd8 20. Ra1 Rc4 21. Nd2 Rc6 22. Nf1 Qc8 23. Rd2 b5 24. axb6 Nxb6 25. Rd3 Nc4 26. Bc1 Ba5 27. Qd1 Nxb2 28. Bxb2 Bxc3 29. Rxc3 Rxc3 30. Bxc3 Qxc3 31. Rxa6 Rc8 32. Rxd6 Qxc2 33. Rd8+ Kh7 34. Rxc8 Qxc8 35. Ne3 Qc5 36. h4 g6 37. g3 Kg7 38. Bg2 Qb4 39. Qa1 Qc5 40. Qd1 Qb4 41. Qa1 Qc5 42. Qd1 Qb4 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 7th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament “人民网 (People’s Daily Online) Cup”, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2016. 15. h3 Qc6. Also good is 15. ... Nc5 16. Nxc5 dxc5 17. Rxd8+ Rxd8 18. b3 Qc6 19. Ra4 Rc8 20. Qf1 Ne8 21. Bc4 Nd6 22. Bd5 Bxd5 23. Nxd5 Bd8 24. f3 c4 25. Qa1 cxb3 26. cxb3 Qe8 27. Ra2 Nb5 28. Rd2 Bg5 29. Bxg5 ½ : ½ M. Adams – Negi, 53rd CECLUB Spanish Club Chess Championship — Division 2, Montcada 2009. 16. Bf3 Nf8 17. Kh2!?TN Ng6 18. g3

18. ... d5?? A dramatic blunder which leads to decisive loss of material. 18. ... h5!? was an interestingly playable continuation for Black. 19. exd5 Nxd5. If 19. ... Rxd5 20. Rxd5 e4 then 21. Nd4 Qe8 22. Bxe4 Nxe4 23. Nxe6 fxe6 24. Rdd1 leaving White with the Exchange and a Pawn ahead. 20. Qh1. This move — by which White sets up a deadly long-diagonal pin — was perhaps overlooked by Munkhzul when she played her 18th move. 20. ... Rd7 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Bxd5 Qc7 23. Be4 1 : 0.