UTC+08:00

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk

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

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 e5 7. Nf3 h6 8. Nd2 Be7 9. Nc4 Be6 10. Be3 Ng4 11. Bb6 Qd7 12. h3 Nf6 13. Be3 Bxc4 14. Bxc4 0-0 15. 0-0 Qc7 16. Qd3 Nbd7 17. Nd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Nf6 19. Bb3 Rac8 20. a5 Qc6 21. Ra4 Rfd8 22. Rd1 Qd7 23. Bb6 Rf8 24. c3 Nh5 25. Be3 Kh8 26. Qe2 Nf6 27. Qd3 Nh5 28. Rd2 Rc7 29. Qc2 Rcc8 30. Ra1 Qc7

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) played an exemplary game, as she squeezed her opponent between her strongholds in the centre and on the Queenside.
31. Bb6 Qd7 32. Be3 Qc7 33. Qd3 Qd7 34. Ba4 Qe6 35. Rf1 Nf4 36. Bxf4 exf4 37. Qc2 Rc5 38. Bb3 Qg6 39. Bd5 f3!? In an attempt to break the strategic siege Black launches herself into a counter-attack, although it costs her a couple of Pawns.
40. g3 Bf6 41. Qd3 Be5 42. Qxf3 Rxa5 43. Bxb7 Rb8 44. Bd5 Rab5 45. Bxf7 Qg5 46. Qd3 Bf6 47. b4 Rf8 48. Bd5 Be5 49. Kh2? A tactical oversight which could allow Black back into the game.

49. ... Qg6? But Bodnaruk misses her opportunity: 49. ... Bxg3+! with a messy play.
50. f4 Bf6 51. Ra2 Rc8 52. Ra3 Rbb8 53. Be6 Rc7 (53. ... Rxc3 54. Rxc3 Bxc3 55. Qxd6+−)
54. Qxd6

54. ... Rbb7? A melodramatic blunder, which runs into mate in two. Black could still try 54. ... Rd8!? for if now White were greedy enough to play 55. Qxc7??, the answer 55. ... Rd2+ would force mate in three moves. But, of course, White would have played 55. Bf5! and won without difficulty.
55. Qf8+ Kh7 56. Qg8# 1–0.

Even with little sleep and a bleary gaze, she’s still a knockout. Screenshot from the live stream.