Hunting a Mate

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alserkal Rouda Essa
19th Asian Games — Women’s Team Standard; 杭州 (Hángzhōu), October 7, 2023
Richter–Veresov Attack D01

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 a6 4. e3 e6 5. g4!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) goes for the jugular of her opponent with a cooked-up bayonet assault.

5. ... c5 6. g5 Nfd7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. exd4 Bb4 9. Qg3 Nc6 10. 0-0-0 0-0 11. h4 Re8. Likewise, after 11. ... b5 12. h5 Qe7 13. Nge2 Nb6 14. a3 Bxa3 15. bxa3 Qxa3+ 16. Kd2 Nc4+ 17. Ke1 Nb4 18. f3 Nxc2+ 19. Kf2 b4 20. g6! bxc3 21. gxh7+ Kxh7 22. Rg1 Rg8 23. Qg6+! the adventure ends badly for Black, Niemann – Nasuta, 1st Online Rapid Chess Championship Week 23 Swiss, chess.com, July 30, 2022 (time control: 10 minutes plus 2 seconds).
12. Nge2 b5 13. h5 Bf8 14. Bg2 Qb6? An insensitive move which leaves White a free hand in carrying out her mating attack. 14. ... Ra7 15. g6! Nf6 16. gxh7+ Nxh7 17. Rdg1 is also a one-way onslaught, so maybe 14. ... b4 was worth considering, whereupon White would have retained the initiative by 15. Bc7 Qe7 16. Nxd5! exd5 17. Nf4 with powerful compensation.

15. g6! fxg6? Literally falling apart, but 15. ... Nf6 16. Be5! is also winning for White.
16. hxg6 h6 17. Nxd5! exd5 18. Bxd5+ Kh8

19. Bxh6! gxh6 20. g7+ Bxg7 21. Rdg1 1 : 0.

And thus, thanks to the stellar performance of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (with 8 points out of 9 rounds), China’s women’s team won the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games. Photo: 天涯棋人 (Tiānyá chessman).