Four in the Afternoon

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 翟墨 (Zhái Mò)

1st “机器人谷杯” (“Robot Valley Cup”) China City Chess League; 济南银丰 (Jǐnán Yínfēng)–青岛城阳 (Qīngdǎo Chéngyáng) Final; round one; time control: 30 minutes plus 15 seconds per move; 棋子湾 (Qízǐ Bay), January 2, 2021

Alekhine Defence B04

Today in the afternoon 济南银丰 (Jǐnán Yínfēng) won its first round Final’s match over 青岛城阳 (Qīngdǎo Chéngyáng) by 3 to 1. Sequel follows tomorrow.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5 5. Nxe5 c6 6. Be2 Bf5 7. 0-0 Nd7 8. Bg4 Bxg4 9. Qxg4 N7f6. If 9. ... g6 then 10. c4 Nc7 11. Nd2!?⩲ Sethuraman – Ramírez Álvarez, 15th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2017 — “[White] hurries his Knight to f3 to support e5. This looks like a good idea as it’s difficult for Black to shake off his slight but irritating inferiority”, writes Grandmaster Neil McDonald.
10. Qg3!?TN (10. Qf3 g6 11. Rd1 Bg7 12. c4 Nc7 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Be3 Nd7 15. Qh3 f5 16. f4 Qc8 17. Rac1 Rd8 18. Qf3 Ne8 19. b4 Nb6 20. d5 Bxe5 21. Bxb6 Bxc3 22. Bxd8 Bxb4 23. c5 Qxd8 24. dxc6 Qa5 25. cxb7 Rb8 26. Qc6 Ba3 27. Rc4 Nc7 28. h3 Na6 29. Qe6+ Kf8 30. c6 Nc7 31. Qc8+ 1–0 Friedel – Ramírez Álvarez, 46th American Open, Los Angeles 2010)
10. ... g6 11. c4 Nc7 12. Nc3 Bg7 13. Be3 0-0 14. Rad1 Nh5?! 14. ... Nfe8! followed by ... Ne8-d6 seems more solid.
15. Qf3 Nf6 (15. ... f5!?)
16. Rfe1 Qc8 17. h3 Qf5 18. Qg3 Rac8

19. Qh2! Threat: g2-g4.
19. ... h5 20. Qg3! Ne6 21. Qh4. Threatening again g2-g4.
21. ... g5 22. Qg3

22. ... c5? After this grave mistake, Black’s position disintegrates very rapidly. 22. ... Rfd8! was called for, with good chances for defence.
23. d5+− Ne4 24. Qf3! Qxe5 25. Qxe4. Ten of her twenty-five moves have been made by the Queen!
25. ... Qxe4 26. Nxe4 Nd4 27. Bxg5 Nf5 28. b3 Rfe8 29. Rd3 b6 30. Ng3 Nxg3 31. Rxg3 Kh7 32. Rxe7 Rxe7 33. Bxe7 1–0.