Strings ’n Things

Dronavalli Harika – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd FIDE World Rapid Team Chess Championship; Team MGD1 – WR Chess Team; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, August 2, 2024

English Opening A30

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. c4 c5 5. 0-0 e6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Re1 0-0 8. e4 d6 9. d4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Qc8 11. Be3 a6 12. Rc1 Nbd7 13. f4 Re8 14. g4 Nc5 15. Bf2 e5?! (⌓ 15. ... g6 16. b4 e5)
16. Nf5 exf4?! (16. ... Bf8 17. fxe5 dxe5 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. cxd5 a5 20. Qf3)
17. b4 Ne6 (17. ... Ncd7 18. g5 Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Bxe4 20. Nxe7+ Rxe7 21. Bxe4 Ne5 22. Bxa8 Qxa8 23. Qd5 1–0 Fioramonti – Ballmann, Zug 1991)

18. Nd5 Bf8 19. Nxb6 (19. Nh6+ gxh6 20. Nxf6+)
19. ... Qd8 20. Nxa8 Qxa8 21. Nxd6 Bxd6 22. Qxd6 Nxe4 23. Qb6 N6g5 24. h4 f3 25. hxg5 fxg2 26. c5? (26. Qc7)
26. ... Bc6 27. Rcd1 Qc8 28. Re3 h5 29. gxh5? (29. gxh6 Kh7 30. hxg7 Nxf2 31. Kxf2 Rxe3 32. Kxe3 Qe6+ 33. Kf2 g1=Q+! 34. Rxg1 Qf6+=)

29. ... Nxf2? (29. ... Nxg5−+)
30. Rxe8+ Qxe8 31. Kxf2 Kh7 (31. ... g1=Q+! 32. Rxg1 Qc8!=)
32. Qc7 (32. Qxa6! Δ 32. ... g1=Q+ 33. Rxg1 Qe4 34. Rg4!!)
32. ... Qe4 33. Qd6 Qf3+ 34. Kg1

34. ... Be4? Black misses her last chance to save herself with 34. ... Qe3+ 35. Kh2 g1=Q+! 36. Rxg1 Qf2+ 37. Kh3 Qf5+ drawing by perpetual check.
35. g6+! fxg6 36. hxg6+ Kh6 (36. ... Bxg6 37. Qh2+ Bh5 38. Re1+−)
37. Re1 Bd5 38. Qe5 1–0.

Not an easy debut for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), whose practice with the board has been very sporadic lately. Photo: Niklesh Jain/ChessBase India.

Another photographer, another female photographer, another perspective. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.