2（二）

Magnus Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st Champions Chess Tour; 7th stage; Goldmoney Asian Rapid; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, June 26, 2021

Queen’s Gambit Accepted D27

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. e3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 a6 7. 0-0 b5 8. Be2 Bb7 9. dxc5 Qxd1 10. Rxd1 Bxc5 11. Nd2 Nbd7 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. a4. Theoretically speaking, there even may be a drawish tendency, but in practice it’s not the ideal position to be in against a technician such as the 16th World Champion.
13. ... b4 14. a5 Bd8 15. Na4 Bd5 16. Nbc5!? Carlsen goes on his way, although the more natural 16. Nac5 has worked well for White in recent times: 16. ... Be7 17. Nxa6 Kd8 18. Rxd5 Nxd5 19. e4 Nc7 20. Nxc7 Kxc7 21. Bf4+ e5 22. Be3 Rhb8 23. a6 Rb6 24. Bxb6+ Kxb6 25. Ra5 Ra7 26. Rb5+ Kc7 27. Ra5 Kb6 28. Rb5+ Kc7 29. Rd5 Bd6 30. Nd2 Nc5 31. Nc4 Bf8 32. Nxe5 f6 33. Nf3 Nxa6 34. Nd4 Kb6 35. Rb5+ 1 : 0 白金石 (Bái Jīnshí) – 王一业 (Wáng Yīyè), 13th “映美杯” (“Yìngměi Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 2017.
16. ... Bxa5 17. Bd2 0-0 18. Rdc1 Rfc8 19. Bxa6 Rc7 20. Bb5 Nxc5 21. Nxc5 h6 22. Na6 Rxc1+ 23. Rxc1 Bb7 24. Nc5 Bd5 25. f3

25. ... b3? Eager to simplify matters, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) ends up giving up a Pawn for no compensation, offering her opponent the opportunity to display his superb technique. 25. ... Bb6! 26. Bxb4 Rb8 was probably the right way to execute the idea.
26. Bxa5 Rxa5 27. Ba4. The b-Pawn falls and with it the game.
27. ... Kf8 28. e4 Ba8 29. Bxb3 Ke7 30. Ba4 Ra7 31. b4 Ne8. Black’s ending was probably lost anyway, but the text only shortens the end.
32. Bxe8 Kxe8 33. b5 Rc7 34. b6 Rc8

35. Ra1! Bc6 (35... Rb8 36. b7!+−)
36. b7 Rb8 37. Ra6! 1 : 0. In fact, after 37. ... Bxb7 38. Rb6 White wins the Bishop.

“It was a difficult game for her in the sense that she never had any real counterchances. She was also struggling to stay afloat, and then it’s easy to make mistakes eventually”, Carlsen finally said. Screenshot from the live stream.