Unlucky Charm

Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st Online Global Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; round of 64 match game 3; time control: 15 minutes plus 2 minutes per move; chess.com, September 16, 2022

Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. d4 e6 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Nxe4 Bxe4 9. Bg5 f6 10. Bf4 0-0 11. Qd2 f5 12. Rfd1 Nc6 13. d5 Na5 14. Rac1 Bxf3 15. exf3 e5 16. Bg5 Qe8 17. Re1 Nb7 18. Bh6 Bxh6 19. Qxh6 Qe7 20. Rc3 Rae8 21. Rce3 Nd6 22. R3e2 Qf6 23. Qc1 f4 24. Qc3 Nf7 25. c5 d6 26. b4 Kg7 27. Qa3 Ra8 28. Rc2 a5 29. cxb6 cxb6? This concedes White a big advantage. Better was 29. ... axb4 30. Qxb4 cxb6 31. Qxb6 Rfb8 with good compensation for the Pawn.

30. b5 Rae8 31. Rc6 e4 32. fxe4 fxg3 33. hxg3 Ne5 34. Rc7+ Re7 35. Rxe7+ Qxe7 36. f4 Ng4 37. e5 Re8 38. Bf3 Nh6 39. Qc3 Kg8 40. Kg2 Nf5 41. Bg4 Ng7 42. Re2 Qf7 43. Qc6 h5 44. Bd7 Rd8 45. e6 Qe7

46. Qxb6? An oversight which throws away any advantage. Of course White first ought to play 46. Rf2 and only then capture the Pawns on b6 and a5.
46. ... Rxd7 47. Qxa5 Rd8 48. b6 Nf5? (⌓ 48. ... Qb7 49. Qb5 Rb8)
49. Qc3? (49. Qa7+−)
49. ... Rb8 50. Rc2? After 50. Rb2 Qb7 51. Qc6 Qa6 the game is still fairly balanced.
50. ... Qb7 51. Qf6? Ne3+ 52. Kh3 Nxc2−+ 53. e7 Qd7+ 54. Kh2

54. ... Qf5?? (54. ... Qe8−+)
55. Qxd6 Ne3? Another mistake, which loses the game. She should have played 55. ... Re8 56. Qd8 Kf7 57. b7 Qe4 58. b8=Q Qe2+ with a draw by perpetual check.
56. Qxb8+ Kh7 57. Qh8+ Kxh8 58. e8=Q+ Kg7 59. Qxe3 Qxd5 60. Qe5+ Qxe5 61. fxe5 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) missed an incredible opportunity, but alas, no! As the saying goes, history is not made up of ifs and buts. Screenshot from the live stream.