Bounce Back

Bat-Erdene Mungunzul – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd FIDE World Rapid Team Chess Championship; Hunnu Air – WR Chess Team; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, August 3, 2024

Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Bb7 5. e4 Qh4 6. d5 Nf6 7. Bd3 exd5 8. cxd5 Ba6

9. e5!? White tries her luck with a Pawn sacrifice, in the hope to achieve something more than just balancing comfortably after 9. Bd2 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qxe4+ 12. Qxe4+ Nxe4 13. Bxg7 Rg8 14. Be5 Na6= Tilmatine – Carton, 29th Chess Olympiad, Novi Sad 1990.
9. ... Nxd5 10. Nf3 Qg4 11. 0-0 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Be7. 13. ... Bc5 at once seems to have its points, but Black probably did not intend to allow the White Knight to jump into g5.
14. Nd4 Nc6 15. f4 Bc5 16. Be3 0-0

17. Qe4? A grave tactical mistake. 17. Rad1 Rfe8 18. Rf3 is perfectly playable for White.
17. ... Rae8! Threatening to take on e5.
18. Rf3? (18. h3 Qg6 19. Qf3 Qd3∓)
18. ... Rxe5! 19. Qd3 Bxd4! 20. cxd4 (20. fxe5 Nxe5−+)
20. ... Qf5 21. Qc3 Re4 22. Rd1

22. ... Ne7! Playing in a most dynamic fashion.
23. Qxc7 Nd5 24. Qc1 Rfe8 25. Rd3 h6 26. Qd2 Nxe3. Liquidating to an easily won Queen ending.
27. Rdxe3 Rxe3 28. Rxe3 Rxe3 29. Qxe3 Qb1+ 30. Kf2 Qxa2+ 31. Kg3 Qe6 32. Qc3 a5 33. h3 a4 34. Kh2 b5 35. Qc8+ Kh7 36. Qc2+ Qg6 37. Qc5 Qc6 38. Qf5+ Kg8 39. Qe5 d6 40. Qe3 b4 41. f5 a3 42. Qg3 Kf8 43. Qh4 f6 44. d5 Qc3 45. Qf2 Qe5+ 46. g3 Qb2 0–1.

It took her a while, but by the end of Round Six 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was back to her best! Photo: M. Alisher/FIDE.