Smart Luck

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

6th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Round of 16 match game 8; time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, August 26, 2024

Sicilian Defence B47

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. 0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Bc5 10. Bf4 d6 11. Qd2 h6 12. Rad1 e5 13. Be3 Be6 14. Bxc5 dxc5 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. exd5 Qd6 17. f4 Nd7 18. f5 0-0 19. g4 Rfe8 20. Rfe1 Nf6 21. g5 hxg5 22. Qxg5 e4 23. Re3 Kf8 24. Rh3 Rad8 25. c4 Ke7

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said afterwards she thought to be “much worse after ... Kf8-e7”, but, in truth, there’s nothing irremediably wrong with it. Also sound is 25. ... Re5 26. a4 Ke7 27. a5 b5 28. axb6 Qxb6 29. b3 Qd6= with equality.
26. Bxe4. Not 26. Qxg7 because of 26. ... Rg8 27. Qh6 Rg4 followed by the doubling of the Rooks on the g-file.
26. ... Kd7 27. Bg2 Re7 28. Qg3 Rde8 29. Qxd6+ Kxd6 30. Rb3 Ng4 31. h3 Re1+ 32. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 33. Bf1 Ne3 34. Kf2 Rxf1+ 35. Kxe3

35. ... Kc7? (35. ... b5! 36. cxb5 c4 37. Rb4 Kc5 38. Ra4 axb5=)
36. Ke4 Re1+ 37. Re3 Rb1 38. b3 Kd6 39. Kf4 Rf1+ 40. Kg4 Rg1+ 41. Rg3 Rf1 42. h4 Ke5 43. Re3+ Kf6

44. d6? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then breathed a sigh of relief, pleased at having somehow managed to save the ending, which probably would not have been possible if White had played 44. Rd3! or 44. Re8! holding her grip.
44. ... Rd1 45. Re7 b5 46. Rc7 bxc4 47. bxc4 Rd4+ 48. Kg3 Rxc4 49. Rc6 Rd4 50. Rxa6 Kxf5 51. a4 Ke6 52. a5 Ra4 53. Kf3 g6 54. Ke3 f5 55. Kd3 f4 56. Ke2 Ra3 57. Kf2 Kd7 58. Ke2 c4 0–1. The ending should be drawn with correct play, but Bodnaruk flagged on time.