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侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

2nd FIDE World Rapid Team Chess Championship; WR Chess Team – Al-Ain ACMG UAE; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, August 3, 2024

Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. 0-0 Nb6 7. Bb3 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. Re1 Qe7 10. a4 a5 11. Be3 0-0-0 12. Nc3 f6 13. Qe2 Kb8 14. Rad1 g5 15. g4 Bg6 16. Bxb6 cxb6 17. d4 exd4 18. Nxd4 Nxd4 19. Qxe7 Bxe7 20. Rxe7 Nxb3 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. cxb3 Rd2

23. Re6? This precipitates White into a compromised ending. The right way was 23. Nb5! Rxb2 24. h4! gxh4 (24. ... Rxb3? 25. h5 wins material for White) 25. f4 Kc8 26. f5 Rxb3 27. fxg6 hxg6 28. Nd6+ Kd8 29. Rxb7 Rg3+ 30. Kh2 Rxg4∞ with an asymmetrical balance.
23. ... Rxb2 24. Rxb6 Rc2 25. Nd5 Be4 26. Ne3. 26. Nxf6? Bc6 followed by ... Kb8-c7 would cost White the Exchange.
26. ... Rc1+ 27. Kh2 Bc6 28. b4 axb4 29. Rxb4 Ra1 30. Rd4 Rxa4 31. Rxa4 Bxa4 32. Nd5 Bc6 33. Nb4 Kc7 34. Kg3 Kd6 35. f4 Kc5 36. Na2 b5 37. fxg5 fxg5 38. h4 gxh4+ 39. Kxh4 b4 40. Nc1 Kc4 41. Kg5 b3 0–1.

Another “roller coaster” day for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), at her third defeat in a row. Photo: Niklesh Jain/ChessBase India.

She dropped her gaze and resigned to her fate under the eyes of her teammates, which included five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.