李雪怡 (Lǐ Xuěyí) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
17th Chinese Chess League “泰来杯” (“Tàilái Cup”) Knockout Final; 杭州银行 (Hángzhōu Bank) – 深圳 (Shēnzhèn); Semifinal match game 1; 聊城 (Liáochéng), February 8, 2023
Dutch Defence A87
1. d4 d6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 f5 5. d5 Nf6 6. Nf3 0-0 7. Nc3 a5 8. 0-0 Na6. Play has transposed into a variation of the Dutch Leningrad — that is usually not in the repertoire of 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
9. Be3. The theoretical line is 9. Nd4 Nc5 10. b3 Bd7 11. Bb2 Qe8 12. a3 c6 13. b4 Nce4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Qc2 Qf7 16. f3 Nf6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Nb3 axb4 19. axb4 Rab8 20. Ra4 g5 21. Bc1 f4 22. gxf4 gxf4 23. Bxf4 Nd5 24. Bd2 Nf4 25. Bxf4 Qxf4 26. Qe4 Qxe4 27. fxe4 Rxf1+ 28. Bxf1 Bc3 29. Ra7 Bg4 30. e3 Rxb4 ½ : ½ Koneru – A. O. Muzychuk, 5th North Urals Cup, Krasnoturinsk 2008.
9. ... h6 10. Re1 Kh7 11. Bd4 c5 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. e4!? Fearlessly White sacrifices a Pawn for the sake of initiative.
14. ... fxe4 15. Nxe4 Bxb2 16. Nd4? But now White’s Exchange sacrifice looks quite exaggerated. Wiser was 16. Rb1 Bg7 17. Nh4 with some compensation for the Pawn.
9. Be3. The theoretical line is 9. Nd4 Nc5 10. b3 Bd7 11. Bb2 Qe8 12. a3 c6 13. b4 Nce4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Qc2 Qf7 16. f3 Nf6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Nb3 axb4 19. axb4 Rab8 20. Ra4 g5 21. Bc1 f4 22. gxf4 gxf4 23. Bxf4 Nd5 24. Bd2 Nf4 25. Bxf4 Qxf4 26. Qe4 Qxe4 27. fxe4 Rxf1+ 28. Bxf1 Bc3 29. Ra7 Bg4 30. e3 Rxb4 ½ : ½ Koneru – A. O. Muzychuk, 5th North Urals Cup, Krasnoturinsk 2008.
9. ... h6 10. Re1 Kh7 11. Bd4 c5 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. e4!? Fearlessly White sacrifices a Pawn for the sake of initiative.
14. ... fxe4 15. Nxe4 Bxb2 16. Nd4? But now White’s Exchange sacrifice looks quite exaggerated. Wiser was 16. Rb1 Bg7 17. Nh4 with some compensation for the Pawn.
16. ... Bd7? Black does not dare to accept the Exchange, because 16. ... Bxa1? 17. Nxc6 Qb6 18. Qxa1 would concede too much initiative to White, but 16. ... Nb4! (a safer method of obtaining the same result) seems perfectly good for Black.
17. Rb1 Rb8 18. h4 d5 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. h5? White keeps insisting on attack, even though without any justification. Objectively speaking, she had nothing better than 20. Nb3 Bg7 21. Qxd5 with approximate equality.
17. Rb1 Rb8 18. h4 d5 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. h5? White keeps insisting on attack, even though without any justification. Objectively speaking, she had nothing better than 20. Nb3 Bg7 21. Qxd5 with approximate equality.
20. ... e5? But 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) does not feel sure enough of herself, thereby falling into trouble. After 20. ... dxe4! 21. Bxe4 Qb6 White ought not to have any compensation at all for the sacrificed piece.
21. hxg6+ Kg7 22. Nb3 Bd4. If 22. ... dxe4 then 23. Rxb2 with great advantage.
23. Nxd4 Rxb1 24. Qxb1 exd4 25. Qb7? (25. Nd2 Qf6 26. Nf3±)
25. ... dxe4 26. Qxa6 e3? (26. ... Qf6! 27. Qxf6+ Rxf6 28. Bxe4 Re6=)
27. fxe3 dxe3? (27. ... Rf6! 28. Qa7 Qe7 29. Qxd4 Qd6!⩲)
28. Qa7 Kxg6 (28. ... Qe7 29. Bc6 Rd8 30. Rxe3 Qd6 31. Ba4 Kxg6 32. Bc2+ Kg7 33. Rd3 Qc6 34. Qd4+ Qf6 35. Ba4+−)
21. hxg6+ Kg7 22. Nb3 Bd4. If 22. ... dxe4 then 23. Rxb2 with great advantage.
23. Nxd4 Rxb1 24. Qxb1 exd4 25. Qb7? (25. Nd2 Qf6 26. Nf3±)
25. ... dxe4 26. Qxa6 e3? (26. ... Qf6! 27. Qxf6+ Rxf6 28. Bxe4 Re6=)
27. fxe3 dxe3? (27. ... Rf6! 28. Qa7 Qe7 29. Qxd4 Qd6!⩲)
28. Qa7 Kxg6 (28. ... Qe7 29. Bc6 Rd8 30. Rxe3 Qd6 31. Ba4 Kxg6 32. Bc2+ Kg7 33. Rd3 Qc6 34. Qd4+ Qf6 35. Ba4+−)
29. Qxe3? 李雪怡 (Lǐ Xuěyí) missed a great opportunity for a resounding victory today — that is, 29. Rd1 e2 30. Rd6+ Kh5 31. Qe3 and Black could resign.
29. ... Bf5 30. Rf1 Rf6 31. Be4 Bxe4 32. Qxe4+ Kg7 33. Rb1 Rf7 34. Qe5+ Kh7 35. Qe4+ ½ : ½. As Capablanca said, “A good player is always lucky”.
29. ... Bf5 30. Rf1 Rf6 31. Be4 Bxe4 32. Qxe4+ Kg7 33. Rb1 Rf7 34. Qe5+ Kh7 35. Qe4+ ½ : ½. As Capablanca said, “A good player is always lucky”.
It was a lucky escape for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and her team. Photo: Sina Sports. |
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