The Philosopher Queen

Nana Dzagnidze – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st Chess Super League; Kingslayers – Quintessential Queens; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess.com, October 15, 2021

English Opening A37

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 d6 6. 0-0 Bf5 7. d3 Qd7 8. Be3. It is worth noting that two years ago the Georgian Grandmaster’d lost a painful game against the same opponent from the same opening: 8. Re1 Bh3 9. Bh1 h5 10. Rb1 h4 11. Nd5 hxg3 12. hxg3 Nf6 13. Bd2 Nxd5 14. cxd5 Ne5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Bc3 Bxc3 17. bxc3 b6 18. e4 Rh7 19. e5 dxe5 20. Rxe5 Bg4 21. Bf3 Qd6 22. d4 cxd4 23. cxd4 Bd7 24. Qd3 Kf8 25. Rbe1 Re8 26. Qa6 Qf6 27. Qa3 g5 28. Be4 Rh8 29. Qf3?! (⌓ 29. Qxa7) 29. ... Qh6 30. Bf5? (⌓ 30. Bd3) 30. ... Qh2+ 31. Kf1 Bb5+ 32. R1e2 Qh1+ 33. Qxh1 Bxe2+ 34. Kg1 Rxh1+ 35. Kxh1 Bf3+ 36. Kg1 Rd8 37. a3 Rxd5 38. Rxd5 Bxd5 39. f4 e6 40. Bd3 g4 41. f5 Ke7 42. Kf2 exf5 43. Bxf5 Be6 44. Bd3 Kd6 45. Ke3 a5 46. Be2 Bd7 47. Bc4 f6 48. Ke4 b5 49. Bd3 b4 50. axb4 axb4 51. d5 Kc5 52. Bc2 Kc4 53. d6 Kc5 54. Bb3 Kxd6 55. Kd4 Be6 0 : 1 Dzagnidze – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 1st “一带一路” (“One Belt One Road”) Women’s World Chess Summit “秦农银行杯” (“Qín Nóng Bank Cup”), 西安 (Xī’ān) 2019 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 8. ... Nf6 9. Qc1 0-0. If Black wants to avoid exchange the exchange of her fianchettoed Bishop she must play 9. ... h5 10. h4 Bh3 with a fine game. 10. Bh6 Bh3 11. Rd1 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Nd4 13. Rb1 Rac8 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Nxd4. Dzagnidze goes for complications in search of a win, even at risk of conceding much. More steady is 15. b4 b6 with approximate equality. 15. ... cxd4 16. Nb5 Qc6+. Critical was 16. ... e5! 17. Nxa7 Ra8 18. Nb5 h5! with the initiative for the Pawn. 17. Kg1 Qb6 18. e3 dxe3 19. Qxe3 Qxe3 20. fxe3 a6 21. Nc3 Ng4 22. Re1 h5 23. Kg2. Nothing dramatic, but probably safer is 23. h4 Ne5 24. Red1 with a tenable game.

23. ... h4! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) takes immediate advantage of her opportunity to knock on the door. 24. b3 hxg3 25. Kxg3 Nf6 26. h4 Rh8 27. Ne2 Rc5 28. Rh1 Nh5+ 29. Kg2 Kf8 30. b4 Rc8 31. Kf3 Kg7 32. a4 Nf6 33. Ng3 Rh7 34. a5 Nd7 35. Rh2 Rch8 36. Rbh1 Ne5+ 37. Ke2 Nc6 38. Rb1? White suddenly slips into a lost endgame. Simply 38. h5! would have held the game. 38. ... Rxh4 39. Rxh4 Rxh4 40. b5 Rh2+ 41. Kf1 Nxa5 42. bxa6 bxa6 43. Rb6 Rd2 44. Rxa6 Nb3 45. d4

45. ... Rc2. 45. ... f5! 46. Ra7 Kf6 seems much stronger. 46. Ra7 e6? Black’s best chance probably consisted in 46. ... Nd2+ 47. Ke2 Nxc4+ 48. Kd3 Rg2 49. Kxc4 Rxg3 50. Rxe7 Kf8 51. Rd7 (⌓ 51. Re4 Rg5 is very near to a win for Black) 51. ... Rxg3 52. Rxd6 g5! 53. d5 g4 54. Kd4 Re1!−+ with a book win. 47. Ne4 Nd2+ 48. Nxd2 Rxd2 49. Ra6 Rc2 50. Rxd6 Rxc4 51. Ke2 Rc3 52. Kf3 Kf6 53. Rd7 g5 54. Ke4 Kg6

55. d5 exd5+ 56. Rxd5 f5+ 57. Kd4? On the wrong track. 57. Kf3! would have secured a draw (57. ... f4 58. Kg4=). 57. ... Rc1 58. Ke5 Rf1 59. Rd8 Kh5? (59. ... g4! 60. Rg8+ Kh5−+) 60. Rg8? After all, it was Dzagnidze who made the last mistake. 60. Kf6!= f4 (60. ... g4?? 61. Rh8#) 61. e4! draws in all variations. 60. ... Kh4−+ 61. Rh8+ Kg3 62. e4 fxe4 63. Kxe4 g4 64. Rg8 Rf3 65. Rg7 Kh3 66. Rg8 Rf1 67. Ke3 g3 68. Ke2 g2 69. Rh8+ Kg3 70. Rg8+ Kh2 71. Rh8+ Kg1 72. Rg8 Rf2+ 73. Ke1 Rf5 74. Ke2 Rf2+ 75. Ke1 Rf7 76. Ke2 Re7+ 77. Kf3 Kf1 0 : 1.

The Queen is powerful enough to make Kings tremble. Screenshot from the live stream.