侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova
5th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Quarterfinal match game 7; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, November 13, 2023
Caro-Kann Defence B12
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Qa5+ 8. Nbd2
Qa6 9. c4 Nh6 10. b3 Nf5 11. Bb2 Be7. Vintage theory dictates 11. ... Bb4 12. a3 Bxd2+ 13. Kxd2 Nd7 14. Ke2 dxc4 15. bxc4 0-0-0 16. a4 f6 is also satisfactory for Black, Spassky – B. Larsen, 3rd International Tournament, Bugojno 1982.
12. g3 Nd7 13. Qc2 g6 14. a4 b6 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Rfc1 Rfc8
12. g3 Nd7 13. Qc2 g6 14. a4 b6 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Rfc1 Rfc8
17. a5!? White makes a virtue of necessity by seeking tactics cues. If 17. Nf1 then 17. ... c5 with equality.
17. ... Qb7?! After 17. ... c5 18. axb6 Qxb6 19. cxd5 exd5 20. Qd3 cxd4 21. e6! White should have sufficient play to save the day.
18. a6! Bottling her up on the Queenside.
18. ... Qb8 19. Qd3 Rc7 20. cxd5 cxd5!? Positionally questionable, but 20. ... exd5 21. e6! would leave White the initiative.
21. Rxc7 Qxc7 22. Rc1 Qd8 23. Qc2. The c-file is in White’s hands, which, at least in practical terms, should favour her.
23. ... b5 24. Qc6 Rb8 25. Qc7 Nb6? An unmotivated gift. 25. ... Bb4! was called for, indirectly defending the Pawn, because if 26. Qxa7?? then 26. ... Ba5 trapping the Queen.
26. Qxa7 Na8. At least the Queen is stalemated.
27. Ng5? A mistake which could cost 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the win. 27. Nf1! Qb6 28. Qxb6 Nxb6 29. Rc7 would have ensured White a manifest advantage.
27. ... Qe8? However, Shuvalova cannot be blamed for having missed the incredible line 27. ... Bxg5! 28. hxg5 Rb6! (threatening to trap the Queen by Nf5-e7-c6) 29. b4!! Ne7 30. Nb3 Nc6 31. Qb7! Rxb7 32. axb7 Ne7 33. Rc8! Qxc8! 34. bxc8=Q+ Nxc8⩱ with a drawish, but not drawn ending.
28. Ndf3 b4
17. ... Qb7?! After 17. ... c5 18. axb6 Qxb6 19. cxd5 exd5 20. Qd3 cxd4 21. e6! White should have sufficient play to save the day.
18. a6! Bottling her up on the Queenside.
18. ... Qb8 19. Qd3 Rc7 20. cxd5 cxd5!? Positionally questionable, but 20. ... exd5 21. e6! would leave White the initiative.
21. Rxc7 Qxc7 22. Rc1 Qd8 23. Qc2. The c-file is in White’s hands, which, at least in practical terms, should favour her.
23. ... b5 24. Qc6 Rb8 25. Qc7 Nb6? An unmotivated gift. 25. ... Bb4! was called for, indirectly defending the Pawn, because if 26. Qxa7?? then 26. ... Ba5 trapping the Queen.
26. Qxa7 Na8. At least the Queen is stalemated.
27. Ng5? A mistake which could cost 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the win. 27. Nf1! Qb6 28. Qxb6 Nxb6 29. Rc7 would have ensured White a manifest advantage.
27. ... Qe8? However, Shuvalova cannot be blamed for having missed the incredible line 27. ... Bxg5! 28. hxg5 Rb6! (threatening to trap the Queen by Nf5-e7-c6) 29. b4!! Ne7 30. Nb3 Nc6 31. Qb7! Rxb7 32. axb7 Ne7 33. Rc8! Qxc8! 34. bxc8=Q+ Nxc8⩱ with a drawish, but not drawn ending.
28. Ndf3 b4
29. Rc2. Here and on the following moves, White might have broken her opponent’s defence by sacrificing the Knight for two more Pawns: 29. Nxf7! Kxf7 30. Ng5+ Kg8 31. Nxe6 winning.
29. ... Kg7 30. Bc1 Kg8 31. Bd2 Kg7 32. Kg2 Kg8 33. Rc6 Bf8
29. ... Kg7 30. Bc1 Kg8 31. Bd2 Kg7 32. Kg2 Kg8 33. Rc6 Bf8
34. Nxf7! Finally!
34. ... Qxf7. Or 34. ... Qxc6 35. Qxb8 Kxf7 36. Ng5+ Kg7 37. Qb7+ Ne7 38. Bxb4 winning by Zugzwang.
35. Qxb8 Kg7 36. Qxa8 1–0.
34. ... Qxf7. Or 34. ... Qxc6 35. Qxb8 Kxf7 36. Ng5+ Kg7 37. Qb7+ Ne7 38. Bxb4 winning by Zugzwang.
35. Qxb8 Kg7 36. Qxa8 1–0.
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