Thoughts and Ideas

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 楚若桐 (Chǔ Ruòtóng)

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 12, 2022

Vienna Game C26

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Bb4 4. Bc4 0-0 5. 0-0 d6 6. Nd5 Nxd5. Less convincing is 6. ... Be6 7. d4 Bxd5 8. exd5 e4 9. Nh4 c6 10. c3 Ba5 11. Bg5 Nbd7 12. Nf5 Nb6 13. f3 h6 14. Bh4 e3 15. Qd3 Nxc4 16. Qxc4 Qd7 17. Nxe3 Nh5 18. Rae1 Bd8 19. Bxd8 Rfxd8 20. Qd3 Rab8 21. b3 Nf6 22. dxc6 bxc6 23. Re2 a5 24. Rfe1 g6 25. d5 Nxd5 26. Nxd5 cxd5 27. Qxd5 Qa7+ 28. Kh1 Qc5 29. Qd2 d5 30. Re5 a4 31. bxa4 h5 32. f4 Rbc8 33. f5 Qxc3 34. Qh6 1 : 0 Ivanchuk – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì). Pearl Spring Chess Tournament, 南京 (Nánjīng) 2008.
7. Bxd5 c6 8. Bb3 Bg4 9. c3 Ba5. Or, by transposition, 10. h3 Bh5 11. d3 Nd7 12. g4 Bg6 13. Bg5 Qe8 14. Nh4 Rc8 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Be3 Bb6 17. Qd2 Nc5 18. Bxc5 Bxc5 19. Kg2 Rd8 20. Rae1 Qe7 21. f4 Qh4 22. Rf3 exf4 23. d4 Bb6 24. Rxf4 d5 25. Qf2 Qxf2+ 26. Rxf2 Rfe8 27. Rfe2 dxe4 28. Rxe4 Rxe4 29. Rxe4 Kf8 30. Kf3 Bc7 31. d5 cxd5 32. Rd4 Ke7 33. Bxd5 Be5 34. Rd3 b6 ½ : ½ Liebert – Malich, 8th International Tournament, Zinnowitz 1971.
10. h3 Bh5 11. d4 (11. d3 Nd7 12. g4 Bg6 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. h4 h6 15. Be3 d5 16. h5 Bh7 17. g5 Kh8 18. gxh6 Rg8 19. Kh2 Nf6 20. hxg7+ Rxg7 21. Ng5 Bb6 22. Qf3 Qe7 23. Rg1 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Rag8 25. Raf1 Ng4+ 26. Rxg4 f5 27. exf5 Rxg5 28. f6 Rxh5+ 29. Kg2 Qf7 30. Rh1 Rhg5 31. Rxg5 Rxg5+ 32. Kf1 Rg6 33. Ke1 Rxf6 34. Qh3 Kg8 35. Rg1+ Rg6 36. Rf1 Qe6 37. Qf3 Qe7 38. e4 Qh4+ 39. Kd2 Qg5+ 40. Kd1 Qg4 41. Qxg4 Rxg4 42. exd5 Bxd3 43. dxc6+ Kh7 44. cxb7 1 : 0 R. Milovanović – M. Schneider, 4th Hallein Werfener Open, Werfen 1989)
11. ... Nd7 12. Qd3 Re8 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Nh4 exd4 15. cxd4 d5

16. e5. 16. exd5 Be2 17. Qf5 g6 18. d6! gxf5 19. dxc7 Bxf1 20. Kxf1 Bxc7 21. Nxf5 gives White a more promising version of the Exchange sacrifice which follows at move 18.
16. ... f6! 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Bxf6 Be2 19. Qf5 Bxf1 20. Be5 Qe7. Black could also give back the Exchange with 20. ... Rxe5 21. dxe5 Be2, but she feels confident enough to go through the storm and come out alive.

21. Qg4?! 21. Bg3 Rf8 22. Bxd5+ Kh8 23. Qh5 Qe8 24. Qxe8 Rfxe8 25. Bxc6 bxc6 26. Kxf1 leaves White with enough compensation for the Exchange, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), trusting in her tactical ability, aims for more than a honourable armistice. Hence, Better the worst of unbalance than the best of equilibrium.
21. ... Bd3 22. Rd1

22. ... Be2! 23. f3!? Psychologically tricky. If now 23. ... Bxd1 there would follow 24. Nf5 Qf8 25. Bxg7 Qxf5 26. Qxf5 Kxg7 27. Qg5+ with a likely draw.
23. ... Rf8. Black is too happy with a draw against her mythical adversary to dare to believe in the win. Here, for instance, 23. ... Qf8! 24. R~ Rxe5! was well worth considering.
24. Rc1!? Still tricking.
24. ... Bd3. Black avoids the trap: 24. ... Bd2? 25. Bxd5+! cxd5?? (25. ... Kh8 is preferable, even though it leaves White with all her initiative after 26. Be4) 26. Rc7 winning easily. But once again, with the glass half full in mind, Black gives her illustrious adversary an exit. 24. ... Bd8! is now very strong, intending ... Qe7-g5.
25. Rd1 Be2 26. Rc1 Bd3 27. Rd1 Be2 28. Rc1 ½ : ½.

In general, among non-physical pastimes, the longer one sits, the more one needs to think far away. Photo: 我要有耐心 (I have to be patient).