Luck Favours the Prepared

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk

6th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Round of 16 match game 3; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, August 26, 2024

Sicilian Defence B70

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qd2 Bd7 11. Rfd1 Ng4 12. Bxg4 Bxg4 13. f3 Bd7 14. Nd5 Rb8?! This concedes White too much in terms of space and control. Decidedly better was 14. ... Rc8 15. Rac1 Ne5 16. b3 e6 17. Nf4 b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Nd3 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Qa5 21. c3 d5 22. exd5 exd5 23. b4 Qa2 24. Nxb5 Bxb5 25. Qxb5 Rxc3 26. Rxc3 Bxc3 27. Bc5 Ra8 28. Qc6 d4 29. Qe4 Qa4 30. Rf1 Re8 31. Qd3 ½–½ 王皓 (Wáng Hào) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo), 6th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2007.
15. a5 Be6 16. Nb6 Qc7 17. c3 Ne5 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Qe2 Nd7 20. Ra4 Nxb6 21. Bxb6 Qd7 22. Rb4 e5 23. Qc2 Kh8 24. Qb3 Rbc8 25. Be3 Rc7 26. Qd5 Rc6 27. Rb3 Qc7 28. Ra3 Qd7 29. Raa1 Qc8 30. Rd2 Rc4 31. h4 Rc6 32. Kf2 h5 33. Rh1 Bf6 34. Qb3 Kh7 35. Rh3 Bg7 36. Bg5 Bh6 37. Bxh6 Kxh6 38. Rd5 Rc5 39. Rh1 Qc7 40. Ra1 Qc6 41. Rad1 Qc7 42. Qb4? White fiddled around enough to squander almost all of her advantage, but her last move is simply ruinous. 42. Rxc5 was called for.
42. ... Rc4 43. Qa3

43. ... Rc8? Both have overlooked 43. ... Rxe4! which would have reversed the situation in favour of Black.
44. Kg3 Rc5 45. Rxc5 Qxc5 46. Qxc5 Rxc5 47. Ra1 g5 48. hxg5+ Kxg5 49. Kf2 Kg6 50. Ke3 Kg5 51. g3 Rc6 52. Kd3 Kg6 53. Rh1 Kg5 54. b4 Kg6 55. f4 exf4 56. gxf4 Rc8 57. f5+ Kg5 58. Kd4 h4 59. c4 Kg4

60. Rg1+? A mistake which could have led to White’s downfall. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) ought to have contented herself with 60. Kd5 h3 61. Ke6 Rxc4 62. Kxe7 Rxe4+ 63. Kxd6 with a draw in view.
60. ... Kf3 61. Rg7. 61. Rh1 Rh8! is no better.

61. ... h3? But Bodnaruk misses her big chance. 61. ... Rh8! is a “book” win for Black.
62. Rh7 Kg2 63. Rg7+ Kf3 64. Rh7 Kg2 65. Rg7+ Kf3 ½–½.