Sands of Time

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

1st Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Ganges Grandmasters – Chingari Gulf Titans; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Dubai, June 22, 2023

Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nc3. After 11. Nxe5 Nd4 another theoretical tabiya arises, with Black claiming enough compensation for the Pawn.
11. ... Nxc3 12. bxc3 Bf6 13. Nd2 Na5 14. Ba3. 14. Ne4 Be7 15. Qh5 Nxb3 16. axb3 f6= wouldn’t worry Black at all, Vásquez Schröder – Kosteniuk, Early-Titled-Tuesday-Blitz-August-30-2022, chess.com, August 30, 2022 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).
14. ... Be7!? A novelty by Kosteniuk, probably in the hope to take 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) out of her comfort zone. In his book “The Modernized Marshall Attack” (Thinkers Publishing, Landegem, pp. 196-198), Serbian Grandmaster Miloš Pavlović gives here 14. ... Re8 15. Ne4 Nxb3 16. axb3 Bh4!? (Δ ... f7-f5) 17. g3 (17. Qf3 a5 18. g3 Bg5 19. Qg4 Be7 20. Bxe7 Qxe7⩱) 17. ... Be7 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Qf3 (19. b4 Bc6∞) 19. ... Bc6 20. Ra5 Rf8 21. g4 f6 22. Rae1 Bb7 23. b4 Rae8⇄ with a volatile, dynamic equality.
15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. d4 Qg5 17. Nf3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 exd4. That’s a fact that Black ought first to play 18. ... Nxb3.

19. Bxf7+! Kh8 20. cxd4 Rad8 21. Qc3. Still stronger was 21. Re5! Qd2 22. c3 Nc4 23. Re2 Rxf7! 24. Qd5! Rff8 25. Qxc4! with a sound extra Pawn, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can hardly be blamed for such reluctance.
21. ... Rxf7 22. Qxa5 h6. 22. ... Rdf8 may be more concrete, for after 23. Re2 Rxf2!! 24. Rxf2 Rxf2 25. Kxf2 Qf4+ Black either wins back the Rook or gives perpetual check.
23. Re2. If 23. Re4 then 23. ... c5! and again, after 24. dxc5 Rxf2!! 25. Kxf2 Qxc5+ Black recovers the Rook or forces perpetual check.
23. ... Rxd4 24. Qxa6 Kh7 25. Rae1 Rf6 26. Qb7 Rc4 27. Rd1 Rg6 28. Kh2 c6 29. g3 Qc5 30. Rd8 Rf6 31. Rdd2 h5. Good and straight was 31. ... Rd4! 32. Rxd4 Qxd4 33. f4 Re6! 34. Rxe6 Qf2+ with a draw by perpetual check.
32. Qd7 h4 33. Qd3+ Qf5 34. g4 Qxd3 35. Rxd3 b4 36. Kg2 Rcf4?! 36. ... Rf7 37. a3 c5 should be tenable for Black.

37. a3. 37. c3! gives, at least in theory, better chances to make good use of the extra Pawn.
37. ... bxa3. Possibly better was 37. ... c5 38. a4 c4! 39. Rd5 b3! with a drawish endgame.
38. Rxa3 Rf7 39. Ra5 g6 40. Rc5 R4f6. 40. ... R7f6 might have been more exact.
41. Rce5 Kg7? Black was still in time for 41. ... Rf4 42. Rc5 (42. Re6 is now answered by 42. ... Rc4!) 42. ... R7f6 with a hard nut to crack.
42. Re6 Rd7. Likewise after 42. ... g5 43. Rxf6 Kxf6 44. Re3 Black’s endgame is not tenable.
43. Re7+ Rf7 44. Rxd7 Rxd7 45. Re6

The endgame is hopeless for Black, and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) conducts it with superb technique.
45. ... c5 46. Re5 c4 47. Rc5 Rd4 48. c3 Rf4 49. f3 Rf7. Tantamount to resignation, but also after 49. ... Kf6 50. Kf2 g5 51. Ke3 Kg6 52. Re5 Black will be inexorably zugzwanged.
50. Rxc4 Ra7 51. g5 Ra2+ 52. Kg1 Rc2 53. Rc7+ Kg8 54. c4 Rc1+ 55. Kf2 Rc2+ 56. Ke3 Rh2 57. c5 Rxh3 58. c6 Rg3 59. Rd7 1 : 0.

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and women’s world No. 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) made her triumphant début in Dubai. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/Global Chess League.