Half and Half

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vincent Keymer

“Satty Zhuldyz” Rapid Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, April 22, 2023

Caro-Kann Defence B13

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. c3 Bg4 6. Qb3 Qc7 7. h3 Bh5 8. Ne2 Bxe2

9. Bf4! This seems a powerful improvement over 9. Bxe2 e6 10. Nd2 Bd6 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. 0-0 Ne4 13. Bd3 f5 14. Re1 0-0 15. a4 a6 16. Ng5 Rae8 17. f3?? Bh2+ 18. Kf1 Qg3 19. Bxe4 fxe4 0 : 1 Priasmoro – Keymer, Chess.com Rapid Chess Championship 2022 Week 19 — Swiss, chess.com, July 2, 2022 (time control: 10 minutes).
9. ... Qd7. If 9. ... Qxf4 then 10. Qxb7 (Δ Qb7-c8#) 10. ... e6 11. Kxe2 with manifest advantage.
10. Bxe2 Nc6 11. Nd2 e6 12. Nf3 a6 13. 0-0 Be7 14. Bd3 0-0 15. Ne5 Qc8 16. a4 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Qc6 18. Qc2 g6 19. Qe2 Nd7 20. Bf4 Bd6 21. Bxd6 Qxd6 22. Rfe1 Kg7 23. Qd2 Rfe8 24. Re3 h5 25. Rae1 h4 26. R3e2 Rh8

27. Qg5. With the threat of Bd3xg6.
27. ... Rae8 28. Re3 Rh5 29. Qg4 Nf6 30. Qe2 Reh8 31. Qd2 Qf4 32. Qd1 Qc7 33. Re5 Rxe5 34. Rxe5 Nd7 35. Re3 Rh5 36. Qg4 Nf6 37. Qe2 Qf4 38. Rf3 Qc7 39. Re3 Rg5 40. Re5 Rxe5 41. dxe5 Nd7 42. f4 Nc5 43. Bc2 Qb6

44. Qf2! Qxb2 45. Qxh4 Nd7. Or 45. ... Qxc2 46. Qf6+ with perpetual check.
46. Bxg6! Kxg6. 46. ... fxg6 47. Qe7+ also leads to a draw by perpetual check.
47. Qg5+ Kh7 48. Qh5+ Kg7 ½ : ½.

Neither a winner nor a loser. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy/ChessBase India.