Unaware

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Final match game 2; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, September 2, 2022

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. Be3 Qc7 8. Qd2 b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. f3 Nc6 11. 0-0-0. The strategic alternative is 11. g4 Ne5 12. g5 Nfd7 13. f4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Nb3 a5 16. Qd3 Be7 17. a4 Qxd3 18. cxd3 bxa4 19. Rxa4 Bd8 20. Ke2 h6 21. g6 fxg6 22. Rha1 Bc6 23. R4a2 g5 24. Nd4 gxf4 25. Bxf4 e5 26. Nxc6 exf4 27. Nd5 0-0 28. b4 f3+ 29. Kf1 Ne5 30. Nxd8 Raxd8 31. bxa5 Ra8 32. a6 Ra7 33. d4 Nc6 34. Ra4 Re8 35. Nc3 Rb8 36. Kf2 Rb2+ 37. Kxf3 Rb3 38. Rc1 Nb4 39. Kg4 Rxa6 40. Rxa6 Nxa6 41. Nd5 Rd3 42. Rc4 Kh7 43. Kf5 Rh3 44. Rc6 Nb8 45. Rc7 Rh5+ 46. Ke6 Rxh2 47. Kxd6 Rd2 48. Rc4 Ra2 49. e5 h5 50. Nb4 Rg2 51. e6 Rg6 52. d5 Rh6 53. Kc7 1 : 0 许昱华 (Xǔ Yùhuá) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11, 4th stage, Jermuk 2010.
11. ... b4 12. axb4 Nxb4 13. g4 Be7 14. g5 Nd7 15. h4 Nc5 16. Kb1

16. ... d5? A theoretical blunder which betrays 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s scarce or inexistent preparation. All the more surprising is that the “stem game” is a very famous one: 16. ... Rb8 17. h5 0-0 18. g6 Bf6! 19. Rdg1 Ba8! 20. Bg5? (⌓ 20. h6 fxg6 21. hxg7 Bxg7 22. Bh6) 20. ... Be5 21. gxh7+ Kxh7 22. Nb3? (⌓ 22. Be3) 22. ... Nxc2! 23. Nxc5 Na3+ 24. Ka2 Qxc5 25. Na4 Nc2! 26. Kb1 Qa3 0 : 1 M. Adams – Kasparov, 22nd Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Linares, Linares 2005.
17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5

19. Nf5! Rd8? Of course after 19. ... exf5 20. Qxd5 0-0 21. Qxf5 Black has nothing to be happy about, but the text is, if possible, even worse for her. The rest is easy.
20. Nxg7+ Kf8 21. Qc3 Rg8 22. Nh5 Qc6 23. Nf6 Bxf6 24. Bxc5+ Be7 25. Bxe7+ Kxe7 26. Qf6+ Ke8

27. c4 Be4+ 28. fxe4 Qxe4+ 29. Ka1 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) dazedly contemplates the ruins of her palace. Screenshot from the live stream.