The World in a Nutshell

Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Rapid Women Teams Match “Kazakhstan vs. the World”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, April 17, 2023

Neo-Queen’s Indian Defence A47

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 c5 5. dxc5 bxc5 6. c4 g6 7. b3 Bg7 8. Bb2 0-0 9. 0-0 d6. “Despite the superficial symmetry of the position, Black has a slight edge because of his more compact Pawn position, and the eventual possibility of weakening his opponent’s game with ... a7-a5-a4. Of course, this is only a hope at present”, Fred Reinfeld wrote in his book “The Immortal Games of Capablanca”, Dover Publications, New York, 1990, p. 192.
10. Nc3

10. ... Nbd7. Best is 10. ... Ne4! 11. Qc1 Nxc3 12. Bxc3 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 a5!⩱ Monticelli – Capablanca, Tournament of the International Exposition, Barcelona 1929 — “As a result of the removal of White’s Knight, ... a5-a4 has now become a real menace” (Reinfeld, ibidem).
11. Qd2 Bc6 12. Nh4 Qb6 13. e4 a5 14. Rab1 Rfb8 15. Rfe1 a4 16. Nxa4 Bxa4 17. e5 Bc6 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Bc3 Rb7 20. Rb2 Bxg2 21. Nxg2 Qc6 22. Qd3 e6 23. Rd2 Rb6 24. Nh4

24. ... d5. Possibly stronger was 24. ... Ra3! aiming at forming an “Alekhine’s Gun”.
25. cxd5 exd5 26. Rc2 Qb7 27. Bxf6 Bxf6 28. Ng2 Bd4 29. Nf4 Rba6 30. Ne2 Qb4 31. Rd1 Bf6 32. Qd2 Qe4 33. Nc3 Bxc3 34. Qxc3 Rxa2 35. Rxa2 Rxa2 36. Qxc5

36. ... Qf3! 37. Re1 Kg7 38. Qd4+ Qf6 ½ : ½.

It all seems like trading places, which is the way the world turns. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.