Four Days

卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2022 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) Grandmaster Chess Match game 1; 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), February 21, 2022

Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4. Another line is 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Nbd7 8. e3 g5 9. Bg3 Ne4 10. Qb3 c5 11. Rc1 Qa5 12. Nd2 Nxg3 13. hxg3 cxd4 14. exd4 Nf6 15. Bd3 Be6 16. a3 Bxc3 17. Rxc3 Rc8 18. Rxc8+ Bxc8 19. Qb4 Qxb4 20. axb4 Ke7 21. Nb1 Bd7 22. Nc3 a6 23. f3 Kd6 24. Kf2 Ng8 25. Ra1 Ne7 26. Ra5 Rc8 27. g4 Rc6= 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. 6. ... Ne4. The transposition to the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit with 6. ... 0-0 7. Rc1 c6 8. e3 Bd6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. Qc2 Re8 11. Bd3 Nbd7 12. 0-0 Nf8 13. h3 g6 14. Ne5 Nh5 15. Rfe1 Re7 16. Qa4 Nd7 17. Nf3 Ndf6 18. b4 left Black at the mercy of White’s minority attack in Svidler – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Hilversum 2018. 7. Rc1 Nc6 8. g3 Bf5 9. Qb3 a5 10. a4!? A providential improvement on 10. a3? a4! 11. Qa2 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Na5! which gave Black a crushing advantage in Glud – Hammer, 37th Politiken Cup, Helsingør 2015. 10. ... Bg4 11. Bg2 Bxf3 12. exf3

12. ... Nxd4!? An interesting tactical skirmish, by means of which Black manages to liquidate into a drawish endgame, though at the cost of a Pawn. 13. Qd1 Ne6 14. fxe4 d4 15. 0-0 dxc3 16. bxc3 Nxf4 17. gxf4 Bc5 18. e5 Qxd1 19. Rfxd1 Rd8 20. Bxb7 Ke7 21. Be4 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1

22. ... Rb8. 22. ... Rd8!? 23. Rxd8 Kxd8 24. Bxh7 just leaves Black two Pawns down, but the Bishops of opposite colours could eventually save her. 23. Rd5 Bb6 24. Kf1 (24. Bxh7?! g6) 24. ... h6 25. Ke2

25. ... c6? This should lose. 25. ... f6 26. f5 Rd8 27. Rb5± was probably her best chance of holding the Pawn-down endgame. 26. Rd6 Bc7 27. Rd2? White now returns the courtesy. Apparently he overlooked that after 27. Rxc6+− Rb2+ 28. Kf3 Bb6 29. Bd3! the ending is hopeless for Black. 27. ... Rb6 28. Bf5 Bb8 29. h4 g6 30. Bg4 g5 31. Kf3 gxf4 Not 31. ... gxh4? on account of 32. Ke4 with an easy way for White. 32. Rd7+ Ke8 33. e6 fxe6 34. Bxe6 c5 35. Bf5 Be5 36. Rd5 Bxc3 37. Rxc5 Rb3 38. Kxf4 Bd2+ 39. Ke5 Bc3+ 40. Kd5 Be1 41. Rc2 Kf7 42. Re2 Bb4 43. h5 Ra3 44. Bc2 Rf3 45. Bg6+ Kf8 46. Rc2 Rc3 47. Re2 Ra3 48. Bc2 Rh3 49. f4 Rxh5+ 50. f5 Rh1 51. Re6 Rc1 52. Rc6 Kf7 53. Ke5 Ba3 54. Bb3+ Kf8 55. Rxh6 Bb2+ 56. Kd6

56. ... Ba3+? An unfortunate slip which throws away the draw. Correct is 56. ... Rf1! 57. Ke6 Bg7 58. Rg6 Re1+ 59. Kd7 Rf1 60. Ra6 Bc3 and Black saves the day. 57. Kd7 Rc3. Now 57. ... Rf1?? runs into 58. Rg6! forcing mate. 58. Rf6+ Kg7 59. Rg6+ Kh7. 59. ... Kh8 might be a little better, but then after 60. Be6 Rf3 61. Ke8 Kh7 62. Kf7 sooner or later White should get what he wants anyway. 60. Bg8+ Kh8 61. f6 Re3 62. Be6 Kh7 63. Bf5 Re5 64. Bb1 Rd5+ 65. Ke8 Re5+ 66. Kf7 1 : 0.

After almost two years of full-time university teaching experience, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has come back to her throne again. Photos: 郑志鹏 (Zhèng Zhìpéng)/深圳晚报 (Shēnzhèn Evening News).