Anytime

Parimarjan Negi – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2015 Showdown in Saint Louis — Fischerandom Chess; match game 3; time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Saint Louis, November 13, 2015

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Position #539

1. g3 g6 2. d4 d5 3. c3 f5 4. Nbd2 (4. g4 f4) 4. ... Nc6 5. Nf3?! (5. f4!? g5!?) 5. ... g5! 6. Bd2 e6 7. h4 h6 8. hxg5 hxg5 9. g4 f4 10. e3 Ng6 11. Qe2 Qf6 12. e4?! (⌓ 12. c4) 12. ... dxe4 13. Qxe4 0-0-0 14. 0-0-0

14. ... Nge7! (Δ ... Be8-g6) 15. Ne5?! Hoping to take revenge by a mating attack on the diagonal h1-a8 — just a bit too naïve. On the other hand, 15. Re1 Qf8! 16. Qxe6+ Kb8 would give Black powerful compensation for the Pawn. 15. ... Rd5!? A natural reply, but 15. ... Qh6! (Δ ... Bh8xe5) 16. Nd3 e5! was more promising. 16. Qe2? Here is where Negi’s trouble begins — or begins over again depending on the viewpoints. Best was 16. Re1! Nxe5 17. dxe5 Qg6 with approximate equality.

16. ... Ra5!→ 17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Bxc6 Nxc6 19. Kb1. Understandably White does not want to cede the a-Pawn, but material equality has its price in dynamic equilibrium.

19. ... e5?! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) apparently overlooks that 19. ... Qg6+! 20. Ka1 Bxd4! is much stronger since after 21. cxd4?? Nxd4 Black wins at least the Queen. 20. dxe5? But all’s well that ends well... ⌓ 20. Qe4 exd4 21. cxd4 Ra4∓ is still a tough fight. 20. ... Qg6+ 21. Ka1 Qe6−+ (21. ... Qc2−+) 22. a3 Rxe5 23. Qd3 Rd8 24. Qc2 Na5! (24. ... Re2−+) 26. Kb1 Nb3 27. Nh2 Nxd2 28. Rxd2 Re1+ 0 : 1.

It was as physical as a handshake. Screenshots from the live stream.