第九轮 (Round Nine)

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

4th Rapid “Tournament of Stars”; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, June 29, 2024

Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Ne5 Bc6 10. Nxc6 Nxc6 11. e3 Na5 12. Nd2 c6. More reserved than 12. ... c5 13. dxc5 Qc7 14. b4 cxb3 15. Nxb3 Nxb3 16. Qxb3 Rab8 17. Ba3 Nd7 18. Rfc1 Nxc5 19. Bxc5 Bxc5 20. Bxb7 Qe7 21. Rab1 a5 22. Qc4 Bxe3 23. Qc7 Qxc7 24. Rxc7 Bd2 25. Rd7 Rfd8 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. Rd1 g5 28. Bg2 Rd4 29. Kf1 Bc3 30. Rxd4 Bxd4 31. Ke2 Kg7 32. Bc6 g4 33. Bg2 Kf6 34. h3 gxh3 35. Bxh3 Ke5 36. f4+ Ke4 37. Bg2+ Kf5 38. Bh3+ Ke4 39. Bg2+ Kf5 40. Bh3+ Ke4 ½–½ Danielian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, 2nd stage, 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 2011.
13. Nxc4 Nxc4 14. Qxc4 a5 15. Bd2 Nd5 16. Qb3 Bb4 17. Bc3 Qe7 18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. Bxb4 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 axb4 21. Rfc1 Rfc8. 21. ... Ra5!= seems even more accurate.
22. a5!

22. ... Rc6? The zwischenzug 22. ... Rc4! was here called for, since after 23. b3 Rc6 24. Rxc6 bxc6 the unavailability of the b3-square for the White King would make Black’s position apparently impenetrable.
23. Rxc6 bxc6 24. Kf1 Kf8 25. Ke2 Ke7

26. Kd2? But White lets her chance slip, and she will not be given a second one! After 26. Kd3! Kd6 (26. ... Ra6 27. Kc2! Kd6 28. Kb3+−) 27. a6! (27. Kc2? would transpose into the game) 27. ... c5 28. b3 White might well be playing for the win.
26. ... Kd6 27. Kc2 c5! Now Black saves a draw by temporarily sacrificing a Pawn.
28. Kb3

28. ... c4+! The brilliant point of Black’s previous move.
29. Kxb4 Rb8+ 30. Kc3 Rb3+ 31. Kc2 Kc7 32. g4 Kb7 33. a6+ Ka7 34. g5 Rb6 35. Rg1 Kxa6 36. Rg3 Rb8 37. Rh3 Rh8 38. Rf3 Rf8 39. Rh3 Rh8 40. Rf3 ½–½.

The two femmes fatales of Eurasian chess finally come face-to-face in what is to be a “high noon” climax. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.