背景故事 (Backstory)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 郭琦 (Guō Qí)

17th Chinese Chess League “泰来杯” (“Tàilái Cup”) Knockout Final; 江苏 (Jiāngsū) – 杭州银行 (Hángzhōu Bank); Quarterfinal match game 1; 聊城 (Liáochéng), February 6, 2023

English Opening A13

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qxc4 c5 7. Ne5 Qc8 8. d3 Nc6 9. Nxd7 Qxd7 10. Bd2!? Apparently a novelty, but not a revolutionary one. Of course, several other moves are in the mainstream, but there’s no magic secret; for example: 10. Qa4 Rc8 11. Nc3 Be7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rd1 Rfd8 14. Bd2 Nd5 15. Be1 Nd4 16. Qxd7 Rxd7 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. e3 Ne6 was nothing special for White in Pantsulaia – Munkhgal, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018.

10. ... Rc8 11. 0-0 Nd4 12. Re1 b5 13. Qc1 c4 14. dxc4 Rxc4

15. Bc3. The only move, but it works.
15. ... b4 16. e3 bxc3. If 16. ... Nb5 then 17. Nd2 Rc8 18. Bxf6! (the point of White’s conception) 18. ... Rxc1?! 19. Raxc1 with a manifest advantage.
17. exd4 cxb2 18. Qxb2 Be7 19. d5!? White temporarily sacrifices a Pawn to keep her initiative alive.
19. ... exd5 (19. ... Nxd5 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. Qxg7 Qd4=)
20. Na3 Rc7 21. Qb8+ Qd8 22. Qb5+ Kf8 23. Qd3 Bc5 24. Nb5 Rc8 25. Rac1 Qb6 26. Nd4 g6 27. Rb1 Qd6 28. Bh3 Re8 29. Rxe8+ Nxe8 30. Qc3 Bb6

31. Ne6+ Kg8 32. Re1 d4? Black makes a grave mistake, in consequence of her being in an uneasy situation. She ought first to have moved 32. ... h6!! before playing this.
33. Qc8 Qe7 (33. ... fxe6 34. Rxe6+−)

34. Kf1! Winning material by force.

34. ... d3 (34. ... Ba5 35. Re4+−)
35. Nf4 d2. 35. ... Qc5 36. Qxc5 Bxc5 37. Nxd3 also wins a piece for White.
36. Rxe7 d1=Q+ 37. Kg2 Kg7 38. Rxe8 Qd4 39. Bd7. Even stronger is 39. Ne6+! fxe6 40. Re7+ Kf6 (or 40. ... Kh6 41. Qc1+ Kh5 42. g4+! with a mate coming soon) 41. Rxe6+ Kg7 42. Re7+ Kf6 43. Qe6+ Kg5 44. Rf7 with overwhelming effect.
39. ... Qxf2+ 40. Kh3 Rxe8 41. Qxe8 Qf1+ 42. Ng2 Bd4 43. Qe4 Qf2 44. Qf4 Qb2 45. Be8 f6 46. Bd7 h5 47. Qd6 Qf2 48. Qe7+ Kh6 49. Qf8+ Kg5 50. Qf7 Qf3

A last venomous threat: 51. ... Qg4+! 52. Bxg4 hxg4#.

51. Qxg6+! 1 : 0. Black resigns, for after 51. ... Kxg6 52. Nh4+ she remains a piece down without any compensation.

In spite of her continuous absorption in her academic work, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has not forgot how to play. Photo: photo.sina.com.cn.