The World by the Tail

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik

Rapid Women Teams Match “Kazakhstan vs. the World”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, April 18, 2023

Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. d4 Bb6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Nbd2 h6 11. h3 Re8 12. Re1 Na5 13. Bc2 c5 14. d5 c4 15. b4 Nb7 16. a4 Bxe3 17. Rxe3 Bd7 18. Nf1 g6 19. N3h2 Nh5 20. Qd2 Qg5 21. Nf3 Qf6 22. N1h2 Nf4 23. h4 Kg7 24. g3 Nh3+ 25. Kg2 g5 26. Ng1 Nxg1 27. Rxg1 a5 28. axb5 axb4 29. cxb4 Ra2 30. Rc3 gxh4 31. Kh1 h3 32. b6 Rea8 33. Rxc4 Rb2 34. Rb1 Rxb1+ 35. Bxb1 Ra1 36. Rc1 Bg4 37. Qe3 h5 38. Kg1 Qd8 39. Nf1 Kg6 40. Nd2 Qa8 41. Nb3 Ra3 42. Bc2 Qa6 43. Kh2 Qc4 44. Bd1

44. ... Qxb4? Black cannot afford to go Pawm hunting. She had to play 44. ... Qf1! 45. Bf3 Qb5 46. Rc7 Qf1 47. Rc1 (47. Rxb7?? Ra2−+) 47. ... Qb5 offering to repeat moves.
45. Bxg4 hxg4 46. Qe2. White might also play 46. Rc8! at once with mating attack.
46. ... Kh5 47. Rc8! f5 48. Rh8+ Kg5 49. Rg8+ Kh5 50. Rh8+ Kg5

51. f4+. 51. Qe3+! would have forced mate in a few moves.
51. ... Kf6 (51. ... exf4 52. gxf4+ Kxf4 53. Rf8 Qxe4 54. Qd2+ Qe3 55. Rxf5+!+−)

52. fxe5+? But White allows the adverse King a miraculous escape. After 52. Rh6+! Kg7 53. exf5! Kxh6 54. Qxg4 mate would have been unavoidable.
52. ... dxe5 53. Qe3 Ra2+ 54. Kg1 Rg2+ 55. Kh1 f4! 56. gxf4 Kg7 57. Rc8 Qb5 58. Rc7+ Kg8 59. Rc8+ Kg7 60. Rc7+ Kg8 61. Rc8+ Kg7 ½ : ½.

An eye at the top of the world. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.