Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Letter Tales

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
17th Chinese Chess League Division A Regular-Standard “武陵山大裂谷杯” (“Wǔlíng Mountain Great Rift Valley Cup”); time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), September 14, 2022
Sicilian Defence B28

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 e6 4. d4 d5 5. exd5. The alternative is 5. e5 Bd7 6. Be3 Qb6 and now:
1) 7. Nbd2 cxd4 8. Bxd4 Qc7 9. Bd3 Bb5 10. Bxb5+ axb5 11. Qe2 Qd7 12. 0-0 Nh6 13. Nb3 Nf5 14. g4 Ne7 15. Bc5 h5 16. g5 Na6 17. Nfd4 Ng6 18. Bxf8 Kxf8 19. f4 Nc7 20. f5 exf5 21. Rxf5 Re8 22. Raf1 Kg8 23. Rxf7 Qxf7 24. Rxf7 Kxf7 25. e6+ Nxe6 26. Qxb5 Ngf4 27. Nxe6 Rxe6 28. Qxb7+ Kg6 29. Nd4 Re4 30. Qc6+ Kxg5 31. a4 Rh6 32. Qd7 Rg6 33. Nf3+ Kh6+ 34. Kf1 Rf6 35. Qd8 Ng6 36. Kf2 Nh4 37. Qxd5 Rxf3 0 : 1 Antón Guijarro – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Eurasian Blitz Chess Cup of the President of Kazakhstan, Almaty 2016 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move);
2) 7. Qb3 Qxb3 8. axb3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Ne7 10. Nd2 Nec6 11. Nb5 Kd8 12. Bb6+ Kc8 13. Nf3 Be7 14. b4 f6 15. exf6 gxf6 16. Be2 Rg8 17. 0-0 Rg4 18. h3 Rg7 19. Rfe1 Bf8 20. Bf1 Nxb4 21. cxb4 Bxb4 22. Rec1+ Nc6 23. Nc7 Rb8 24. Nd4 e5 25. Nxc6 Bxc6 26. Nxd5 Bd2 27. Rc2 1 : 0 Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 2nd Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, August 24, 2017, match game 13 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move).
5. ... exd5 6. Bd3. 6. Bg5 calls for an instance of long-term memory: 6. ... Qb6 7. Qb3 Qe6+ 8. Be2 Be7 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Nbd2 h6 11. Bf4 Ne7 12. Qd1 Nbc6 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. 0-0 Qf6 15. Qd2 0-0 16. Nbd4 Bg4 17. Be3 Bc7 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Bc5 Rfb8 20. Nd4 Bd7 21. g3 a5 22. Rfe1 Ng6 23. b3 Bh3 24. Bf1 Bxf1 25. Kxf1 Ne5 26. Kg2 Re8 27. a4 Qg6 28. Re3 Nd7 29. Ba3 Re4 30. Qc2 f5 31. Rae1 Rae8 32. R3e2 f4 33. f3 Rxe2+ 34. Rxe2 Rxe2+ 35. Qxe2 fxg3 36. Qe6+ Qxe6 37. Nxe6 Be5 38. Nd8 c5 39. Nc6 Bxc3 40. Ne7+ Kf7 41. Nxd5 Bb4 42. Bb2 gxh2 43. Kxh2 g5 44. Ne3 Ke6 45. Nc4 Kf5 46. Kg2 Nb8 47. Be5 Nc6 48. Bc7 h5 49. Kg3 Ke6 50. Kf2 Kd5 51. Ke3 h4 52. Nb6+ Ke6 53. Nc4 h3 54. Kf2 Kd5 55. Kg3 Kd4 56. Nd6 Kc3 57. Ne4+ Kxb3 58. Nxg5 c4 59. Ne4 c3 60. Nxc3 Bxc3 61. Kxh3 Kxa4 62. Kh4 Kb3 63. Bxa5 Nxa5 64. f4 Nc4 65. f5 Nd6 66. f6 Bxf6+ 67. Kg4 Kc4 68. Kf4 Kd3 69. Kf3 Be5 70. Kf2 Ne4+ 71. Kf3 Ng3 72. Kf2 Ke4 73. Kg2 Ke3 74. Kg1 Kf3 75. Kh2 Bd4 76. Kh3 Bg1 77. Kh4 Ne4 78. Kh5 Kf4 79. Kg6 Ng5 80. Kg7 Bc5 81. Kg6 Bd4 82. Kh5 Kf5 83. Kh6 Be5 84. Kh5 Bg3 85. Kh6 Ne6 86. Kh5 Ng7+ 87. Kh6 Kf6 88. Kh7 Bf4 89. Kg8 Kg6 90. Kf8 Bd6+ 91. Kg8 Nf5 0 : 1 Pähtz – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, Douglas 2016.
6. ... c4. Some things it’s better to forget: 6. ... Nf6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. Nb3 Bb6 11. h3 Nc6 12. Nbd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qd6 14. Nf5 Qe5 15. Be3 Bc7 16. f4 Qe6 17. Bd4 Ne4 18. Bxe4 dxe4 19. Nxg7 Qg6 20. f5 Qg3 21. Nh5 Qh2+ 22. Kf2 e3+ 23. Kxe3 Re8+ 24. Kd3 Kf8 25. Qg4 Be5 26. Rae1 Bxd4 27. cxd4 Rxe1 28. Qg7+ Ke7 29. Rxe1+ Kd6 30. Qf6+ Kc7 31. g3 Bd7 32. Qe5+ Kd8 33. Qh8+ Kc7 34. Rc1+ Kb6 35. Qe5 Bb5+ 36. Ke3 1 : 0 Harika – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event, chess.com, July 3, 2021, match game 6 (time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move).
7. Bc2 Bd6 8. 0-0 Ne7 9. Re1 0-0


10. Nh4 h6 11. Nd2 Nd7 12. Qf3 Nf6 13. h3 Bd7 14. Nf1 Ne4 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Qxe4 Re8 17. Qc2 Qa5 18. Qd1 Nd5 19. Ne3 Rac8 20. Qh5


20. ... g5? A reckless move which dramatically weakens the Kingside, as it also leaves the Queen hanging. After 20. ... Qb5 or even 20. ... b6 there is nothing special for White.
21. Nf3! 21. Qxh6?! Bf4! 22. Ng6! fxg6 23. Qxg6+ does not offer more than a draw by perpetual check.
21. ... Rc6 22. Nxd5? But 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) throws her chance away! After 22. Nxg5! hxg5 23. Qxg5+ Black cannot avoid loss of material.
22. ... Rxe1+ 23. Nxe1 Qxd5 24. Qf3 Qb5 25. Nc2 Rc8 26. Qf6 Qc6 27. Kf1 Bc7 28. Qxc6 Bxc6 29. f3 Ba4 30. Ne3 Bd7? Loses another Pawn. For good or bad, 30. ... Bd6 31. Nd5 Rf8 32. Nb6 Bc2 33. Kf2 Bd3 34. b3± was Black’s best try.
31. Nd5? Simply 31. Nxc4 with two Pawns ahead.
31. ... Bd8 32. Bd2 f5 33. Re1 Kf7 34. g3 Rc6 35. Re5 Bf6 36. Nxf6 Kxf6 37. Kf2 Rb6 38. Bc1 Ba4 39. f4 gxf4 40. gxf4


40. ... Bc2? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses now her only opportunity for possible survival: 40. ... Re6! (looking out for a draw with opposite-coloured Bishops) 41. Rc5 Bd1! 42. d5 Re2+ 43. Kg3 Re1! with realistic drawing chances.
41. d5+− Bb1 42. Ke3 Bxa2 43. Kd4 Rd6 44. Kc5 Rd7 45. Be3 Bb1 46. Re6+ Kg7 47. Bd4+ Kh7 48. d6 Be4 49. Kxc4 h5 50. Kc5 Kg8 51. Be5 Kf7 52. Rh6 Bf3 53. Rf6+ Ke8 54. Rxf5 h4 55. Rg5 Rh7 56. f5 Bc6 57. Rg7 Rxg7 58. Bxg7 Bd7 59. f6 Bxh3 60. Kb6 Kf7 61. Kc7 Bg4 62. Bh6 Kxf6 63. Bf4 h3 64. d7 Bxd7 65. Kxd7 Kf5 66. Bh2 Ke4 67. Kc7 b5 68. Kb6 1 : 0.

After all, there is no teacher who doesn’t want her pupils to surpass her. Photos: 我要有耐心 (I have to be patient).

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