She Gazed in Amazement

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)

4th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Round of 16 match game 7; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, July 19, 2022

Sicilian Defence B70

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. g3 Bg7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 a6 9. b3 Nc6 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Bb2 Bg4 (11. ... Qa5 12. Na4 Bg4 13. Qe1 Qh5 14. f3 Bh3 15. g4 Qh6 16. Rd1⩲ Carlsen – Nakamura, 9th Masters Final, Bilbao 2016)

12. Qe1. After 12. Bf3? Nxe4 13. Bxg4 Nxc3 Black is up a Pawn for no compensation and went on to win on move 41: 14. Qf3 Nd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Bh3 Qc7 17. Rad1 Nf6 18. Bg2 Rac8 19. Rfe1 Rfe8 20. Qc3 e5 21. Qd3 d5 22. Qxa6 Ra8 23. Qd3 Rxa2 24. Qc3 Qb6 25. Ra1 Rxa1 26. Rxa1 e4 27. Bf1 e3 28. Ra6 exf2+ 29. Kg2 Qe3 30. Qxe3 Rxe3 31. Rxc6 Ne4 32. b4 Re1 33. b5 Rb1 34. b6 Nd2 35. b7 Nxf1 36. b8=Q Ne3+ 37. Kxf2 Ng4+ 38. Kf3 Nxh2+ 39. Kg2 Rxb8 40. Kxh2 d4 41. Kg2 Rd8 0 : 1 Biyiasas – Reshevsky, 72nd U.S. Open, Ventura 1971.
12. ... Qd7 13. Na4 Rab8 14. c4 Bh3 15. Rd1 Bxg2 16. Kxg2

16. ... c5?! Black sacrifices a Pawn in the hope of setting up a blockade. On the other hand, after 16. ... Nh5 17. c5 Bxb2 18. Nxb2 White enjoys the better game.
17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nxc5 Qc6 19. Nd3 a5 20. Nf4 a4 21. Rd3 e6 22. Qe2 Be5 23. Qf3 Rb6 24. h4 Rfb8 25. h5

25. ... Bxf4? Indeed, Black does the worst she can do, with dramatic consequences. Instead 25. ... g5 26. Ne2 h6 is a tough nut to crack.
26. Qxf4 axb3 27. axb3 f5 28. Re1 Kg7 29. Qg5 R8b7 30. Rf3 Rf7 31. h6+ Kg8 32. Qd8+ Rf8 33. Qe7 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s eyes widen in amazement to see Black’s 16th move. Screenshot from the live stream.