Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
1st Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Chingari Gulf Titans – Ganges Grandmasters; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Dubai, June 27, 2023
Queen’s Pawn Game A40
1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Nc3 b6 4. Qb3 a5 5. e4 (5. a3 a4!)
5. ... Bb7 6. Qc2 Qh4 7. Bd3 f5 8. Nf3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3? This automatic move loses a Pawn and leaves White with an uncomfortable game. Best is 9. Kf1! Qe7 10. bxc3 fxe4 11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Nc6 13. Bf4 Nf6 14. Qe2⩲ with a somewhat preferable position for White.
9. ... Qg4 10. Nd2 Qxg2 11. Rf1 fxe4 12. Bxe4 Bxe4 13. Nxe4 Qg6 14. Qe2 Nf6 15. Ng3 h5 16. h4 Qg4 17. Qd3 Nc6 18. Bg5
5. ... Bb7 6. Qc2 Qh4 7. Bd3 f5 8. Nf3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3? This automatic move loses a Pawn and leaves White with an uncomfortable game. Best is 9. Kf1! Qe7 10. bxc3 fxe4 11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Nc6 13. Bf4 Nf6 14. Qe2⩲ with a somewhat preferable position for White.
9. ... Qg4 10. Nd2 Qxg2 11. Rf1 fxe4 12. Bxe4 Bxe4 13. Nxe4 Qg6 14. Qe2 Nf6 15. Ng3 h5 16. h4 Qg4 17. Qd3 Nc6 18. Bg5
18. ... Ne7? (18. ... 0-0! 19. Rg1 Ne8∓)
19. Rg1 Rf8 20. f3 Qh3 21. 0-0-0! White managed to get off the hook and can now hope for better luck.
21. ... Nf5? 22. Ne2? Much stronger was 22. Bf4! (threatening to trap the Queen with Rg1-h1) 22. ... Nxg3 23. Rxg3 Qxh4 24. Bxc7 Rf7 25. Rdg1→ with a powerful attack.
22. ... Ne7 23. Bf4 Qf5 24. Bxc7 Qxd3 25. Rxd3 Rc8 26. Bxb6 Rxc4 27. Bc5 (27. Rxg7 Nf5=)
27. ... Rf7 28. Kc2 a4 29. Rb1 Kd8 30. Ng3 Kc7 31. Nf1 Nfd5? 31. ... d5! is better, for after 32. Ne3 Rxc5 33. dxc5 Black would reply 33. ... Nd7 followed by ... Nd7xc5.
32. Nd2 Rxc5 33. dxc5 Nf5 34. Nc4? It’s hard to imagine how Black could have survived after 34. c4 followed by Rd3-a3.
34. ... Nxh4 35. Rb7+ Kxb7 36. Nd6+ Kc6 37. Nxf7 Kxc5 38. Ng5 Nf5 39. Ne4+ Kc6 40. Rd2 h4 41. Rh2 Nf4 42. c4 d5! 43. cxd5+ exd5 44. Ng5 Kc5 45. Kd2 Kb4 46. Nh3 Nxh3 47. Rxh3 Ka3 48. Kc3 d4+ 49. Kc4 Kxa2 50. Rh2+ Kb1 51. Kb4? Time punctuates its dramatic turns. Wiser was 51. Rh1+ Kc2 52. Rh2+ with a tacit offer of a draw.
19. Rg1 Rf8 20. f3 Qh3 21. 0-0-0! White managed to get off the hook and can now hope for better luck.
21. ... Nf5? 22. Ne2? Much stronger was 22. Bf4! (threatening to trap the Queen with Rg1-h1) 22. ... Nxg3 23. Rxg3 Qxh4 24. Bxc7 Rf7 25. Rdg1→ with a powerful attack.
22. ... Ne7 23. Bf4 Qf5 24. Bxc7 Qxd3 25. Rxd3 Rc8 26. Bxb6 Rxc4 27. Bc5 (27. Rxg7 Nf5=)
27. ... Rf7 28. Kc2 a4 29. Rb1 Kd8 30. Ng3 Kc7 31. Nf1 Nfd5? 31. ... d5! is better, for after 32. Ne3 Rxc5 33. dxc5 Black would reply 33. ... Nd7 followed by ... Nd7xc5.
32. Nd2 Rxc5 33. dxc5 Nf5 34. Nc4? It’s hard to imagine how Black could have survived after 34. c4 followed by Rd3-a3.
34. ... Nxh4 35. Rb7+ Kxb7 36. Nd6+ Kc6 37. Nxf7 Kxc5 38. Ng5 Nf5 39. Ne4+ Kc6 40. Rd2 h4 41. Rh2 Nf4 42. c4 d5! 43. cxd5+ exd5 44. Ng5 Kc5 45. Kd2 Kb4 46. Nh3 Nxh3 47. Rxh3 Ka3 48. Kc3 d4+ 49. Kc4 Kxa2 50. Rh2+ Kb1 51. Kb4? Time punctuates its dramatic turns. Wiser was 51. Rh1+ Kc2 52. Rh2+ with a tacit offer of a draw.
51. ... Kc1? (51. ... g5 52. Kxa4 Kc1 53. Kb3 Ne3−+)
52. Kc4 Kd1 53. Kd3 Ke1 54. Ke4 g6 55. Ra2 Kf1 56. f4 Kg1 57. Kf3 Ne3 58. Ra1+ Nf1 59. Ke2?? A blunder which ought to have costed the game. 59. Rxa4 would draw easily; for example: 59. ... h3 60. Ra6 d3 61. Rxg6+ Kh1 62. Rd6 d2 63. Kf2 h2 64. Kxf1 d1=Q+ 65. Rxd1 stalemate.
52. Kc4 Kd1 53. Kd3 Ke1 54. Ke4 g6 55. Ra2 Kf1 56. f4 Kg1 57. Kf3 Ne3 58. Ra1+ Nf1 59. Ke2?? A blunder which ought to have costed the game. 59. Rxa4 would draw easily; for example: 59. ... h3 60. Ra6 d3 61. Rxg6+ Kh1 62. Rd6 d2 63. Kf2 h2 64. Kxf1 d1=Q+ 65. Rxd1 stalemate.
59. ... d3+? But 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses her big chance: 59. ... Kg2! 60. Rxf1 d3+ 61. Ke1 h3 and White is unable to stop all the Black Pawns.
60. Kxd3 Kg2 61. Rxa4 h3 62. Ra6 h2 63. Rxg6+ Ng3 64. Rh6 ½ : ½.
60. Kxd3 Kg2 61. Rxa4 h3 62. Ra6 h2 63. Rxg6+ Ng3 64. Rh6 ½ : ½.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has every reason to regret her failure to win against Kosteniuk, which costed her team the match. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/Global Chess League. |
No comments:
Post a Comment