Through the Square Window

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Gulnar Mammadova

2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Round of 16 match game 6; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, June 20, 2021

French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4. “Known mostly as the Portisch-Hook Variation, this sets particularly difficult tactical and strategic problems for both players”, writes Grandmaster Nick de Firmian (Mechanics Institute Chess Club Newsletter #964, June 27, 2020). 8. Qg4 Kf8 (8. ... g6 9. Nf3!?) 9. Qd1! Her Majesty back home after her job was done. 9. ... b6 10. Nf3. Much of what is going to happen dates back to the 1970s: 10. h4 Ne7 11. h5 h6 12. Rh4 Ba6 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 (⌓ 13. ... Qxa6 in order to reply to 14. Rf4 with 14. ... Nbc6 15. Qf3 Nd8) 14. Rf4 (Fischer suggested afterwards 14. ... Qe8) 14. ... Qd7 15. Qf3 Nc6 16. Nh3 Rc8 17. g4→ Qe8 18. g5 Ne7 19. gxh6 gxh6 20. Rf6 Nf5 21. Nf4! Ke7 22. Nxd5+ Kd8 23. Ne3 Nxe3 24. Bxe3 Rc7 25. dxc5 Nxc5 26. Rd1+ (or 26. 0-0-0+) 26. ... Ke7 (26. ... Rd7 27. Rxf7+−) 27. Bxc5+ bxc5 28. Rxe6+! 1 : 0 R. J. Fischer – Hook, 19th Chess Olympiad, Siegen 1970. 10. ... Ba6 11. Bxa6 Qxa6!? Less usual than 11. ... Nxa6 12. h4!? h5!?∞ (if, instead, 12. ... Ne7 then 13. h5 h6 14. Rh4⩲↑ Bulmagă – Cosma, 66th Romanian Women’s Chess Championship, Băile Olănești 2013). 12. a4. In the 10th game the young Chinese star deviated with 12. h4 Nc6 13. h5 h6 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Be3 Qa5 16. 0-0 Nge7 17. Rb1 Qxc3 18. Qe2 Nxe5 19. Rb7 Nxf3+ 20. Qxf3 d4?? (⌓ 20. ... Re8) 21. Rb3+− Rc8 22. Rxc3 dxc3 23. Qb7 f5 24. Rd1 Re8 25. Bxc5 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mammadova, 2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event, chess.com, June 20, 2013, round of 16 match game 10 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move). 12. ... Ne7TN (12. ...Nd7 13. Qe2 Qxe2+ 14. Kxe2 Ne7 15. a5 cxd4 16. axb6 Nxb6 17. Rhb1 Nec8 18. cxd4 Ke7 19. Bb4+ Kd7 20. Rb3 Nc4 21. Nd2 Rb8 ½ : ½ Kollars – Stupak, 6th Riga Technical University Open, Riga 2016) 13. h4 h6 14. a5! bxa5 15. h5 Nd7 16. Rh4

16. ... c4? This turns out to be a big strategic mistake that leaves White with a free hand. ⌓ 16. ... Nc6 is probably Black’s best reply. 17. Rf4 Ke8 18. Nh4 Rb8 19. Qf3 Rf8 20. Rg4. Transferring the Bishop at once to a3 (via c1) would also be strong here, and perhaps stronger than the text. 20. ... Rg8?! A little better seems 20. ... a4, but then after 21. Bc1! g5 22. hxg6 fxg6 23. Qh3 g5 24. Ba3!→ White’s attack continues at full steam. 21. Qg3 Kf8

22. Rxg7! Rh8 (22. ... Rxg7 23. Bxh6+−) 23. Bc1! Rb6 24. Ba3 Qb7 25. Bxe7+ Kxe7 26. Ng6+ Kd8 27. Nxh8 Rb1+ 28. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 29. Kd2 a4 30. Nxf7+ Kc7 31. Qh4 Kc6 32. Nd8+ 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) defeated Mammadova 15 – 6 in the round of 16 and advances to the quarterfinals of the 2nd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event. Screenshot from the live stream.