One Day More

郭琦 (Guō Qí) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

17th Chinese Chess League “泰来杯” (“Tàilái Cup”) Knockout Final; 杭州银行 (Hángzhōu Bank) – 江苏 (Jiāngsū); Quarterfinal match game 2; 聊城 (Liáochéng), February 7, 2023

Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 a6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be6 7. e3 Nbd7 8. h3 Bd6 9. Bd3 c6 10. Bf4 Qc7 11. Bxd6. Something different was seen in a game played between the two world first women: 11. Qd2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rfe8 13. Rac1 Bxf4! 14. exf4 Ne4 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Bxe4 Bxa2 17. Rfe1 Nf6 18. Bf5 Rxe1+ 19. Rxe1 Bd5 20. Ne5 Rd8 21. b4 Qd6 and Black stands well, Goryachkina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 2nd Online Chess Olympiad Playoff, China – Russia, chess.com, September 14, 2021, Semifinal match game 2 (time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move).
11. ... Qxd6 12. Qc2 0-0 13. 0-0 g6 14. Na4 Rfc8!? An interesting novelty. But good enough is also 14. ... Qe7 15. b4 Ne4 16. Nc5 a5 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Qxe4 axb4 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Qxe5 Rf5 22. Qe4 Rfa5 23. Qc2 Ra3 24. Rfb1 Rc3 25. Qd1 b5 26. Rb2 Qd6 27. Rab1 Ra4 28. Qd2 Rc4 29. Rb3 e5 30. Rd1 exd4 ½ : ½ Debashis – Idani, 17th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2019.

15. Rfc1. If now 15. b4 then 15. ... a5 appears to be quite good, as White cannot advance the b-Pawn.
15. ... b6 16. Ne5 c5 17. Nxd7 Nxd7 18. dxc5 bxc5

Black can be content with what she has because this is one of those cases in which hanging Pawns are a dynamic strength rather than a static weakness.
19. Be2 d4 20. Qd2 Nb6 21. Nxb6 Qxb6 22. b3

22. ... a5! 23. Bc4 (23. exd4 Rd8=)
23. ... a4. A draw is very near.
24. Bxe6 Qxe6 25. exd4 axb3 26. axb3 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 cxd4 28. Qxd4 Qxb3 29. h4 Qc3 30. Qxc3 Rxc3 ½ : ½.

Today, in her return game against 郭琦 (Guō Qí), 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) contented herself with a draw, securing her team’s victory and their place in the semifinals. Photo: 我要有耐心 (I have to be patient).