An Afternoon Tea

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Medina Warda Aulia

19th Asian Games — Women’s Individual Rapid Chess; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 杭州 (Hángzhōu), September 26, 2023

Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 Bd6 4. Bxd6 Qxd6

5. e4! After all, White is determined to make a gambit of it.
5. ... dxe4 6. Qg4. 6. Nxe4 Qb4+ 7. c3 Qxb2 is another interesting and unclear possibility.
6. ... Qxd4 7. Nf3 Nh6. Or 7. ... Qf6 8. Qxe4 Nc6 9. 0-0-0 and White’s lead in development compensates for the Pawn.
8. Qxe6+ Bxe6 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. 0-0-0 Nc6 11. Bb5. White continues in gambit style, for if, instead, 11. Nxe4 then 11. ... 0-0-0 with even chances.
11. ... f5 12. Bxc6 bxc6?! A little better seems 12. ... Bxc6 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. f3 exf3 15. Rhe1+ Kf8 16. gxf3 Re8 with a dynamic equilibrium.
13. f3 0-0-0 14. fxe4 fxe4?! (⌓ 14. ... Rhe8 15. Rhe1 Ng4)
15. Nxe4 Bg4?! 16. Rd2 Rhe8 17. Nxc6

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has been given more than she hoped for, since now White has a Pawn more and the better game.
17. ... Rxd2 18. Nxd2 Kb7 19. Na5+ Ka6 20. Nab3 Re2 21. Rg1 Bc8 22. Nd4 Rf2 23. Ne4 Rf4 24. Re1 Nf5 25. g3 Rg4 26. Nc6 Rg6 27. Nb4+ Kb5 28. Nd5 Kc6 29. Nb4+ Kb5 30. a3 Kb6 31. Nd2 Rh6 32. Re5 Nd6. If 32. ... Rxh2 then 33. Nc4+ Kb7 34. Rb5+ Ka8 35. Nc6 Bb7 36. Rxf5 Bxc6 37. Na5! Rxc2+! 38. Kb1! winning a piece and the game.
33. Re2 Bb7 34. c4 c5 35. Nd3 Rf6

36. Re5 Rf5 37. Re6 Rf6 38. Rxf6 gxf6 39. b4 1 : 0.