侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova
6th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Quarterfinal match game 1; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, September 2, 2024
8/8/6Q1/pq5p/7P/1k4P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 51
Position after 50. ... Kb4xb3
51. Qg5? White now misses an easy win with 51. Qb1+! Kc4 52. Qxb5+ Kxb5 53. g4! a4 54. g5! a3 55. g6 a2 56. g7 a1=Q 57. g8=Q as Black cannot avoid further loss of material. If nothing else, the text should still be enough to save a draw, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will let it slip by too.
51. ... Qb7+ 52. Kh2 a4 53. Qxh5 a3 54. Qd1+ Kb2 55. Qd2+ Kb1 56. Qd1+ Ka2 57. Qd2+ Qb2 58. Qd5+ Ka1 59. Qd1+ Qb1 60. Qd4+ Qb2 61. Qd1+ Ka2 62. Qd5+ Qb3 63. Qd2+ Kb1 64. Qe1+ Kb2 65. Qd2+ Qc2 66. Qd4+ Kb1 67. Qb4+ Qb2 68. Qe4+ Kc1 69. Qe1+ Kc2 70. Qe4+ Kc3 71. Qe5+ Kc4 72. Qe6+ Kb4 73. Qe7+ Kb3 74. Qe6+ Kc2 75. Qe2+ Kb1 76. Qe1+ Ka2 77. Qe6+ Ka1 78. Qe1+ Qb1 79. Qe5+ Ka2 80. Qe2+ Qb2 81. Qe6+ Kb1 82. Qe1+ Qc1 83. Qe4+ Qc2 84. Qe1+ Kb2 85. Qe5+ Qc3 86. Qe2+ Kc1 87. Qf1+ Kd2
51. ... Qb7+ 52. Kh2 a4 53. Qxh5 a3 54. Qd1+ Kb2 55. Qd2+ Kb1 56. Qd1+ Ka2 57. Qd2+ Qb2 58. Qd5+ Ka1 59. Qd1+ Qb1 60. Qd4+ Qb2 61. Qd1+ Ka2 62. Qd5+ Qb3 63. Qd2+ Kb1 64. Qe1+ Kb2 65. Qd2+ Qc2 66. Qd4+ Kb1 67. Qb4+ Qb2 68. Qe4+ Kc1 69. Qe1+ Kc2 70. Qe4+ Kc3 71. Qe5+ Kc4 72. Qe6+ Kb4 73. Qe7+ Kb3 74. Qe6+ Kc2 75. Qe2+ Kb1 76. Qe1+ Ka2 77. Qe6+ Ka1 78. Qe1+ Qb1 79. Qe5+ Ka2 80. Qe2+ Qb2 81. Qe6+ Kb1 82. Qe1+ Qc1 83. Qe4+ Qc2 84. Qe1+ Kb2 85. Qe5+ Qc3 86. Qe2+ Kc1 87. Qf1+ Kd2
88. h5? And this loses the game. Most of the White Queen moves on the light squares (except for c4, d1, d3, e2, and h3) would have prevented the advance of the a-Pawn and still ensured a draw (if not an easy one).
88. ... a2 89. h6 a1=Q 90. Qg2 Qf6 91. f4+ Kd3 92. Qf3+ Kc4 93. Qe4+ Qad4 94. Qc2+ Qc3 95. Qe4+ Kb3 96. h7 Qb2+ 97. Kh3 Qh6+ 98. Kg4 Qbg7+ 99. Kf3 Qh5+ 100. Kf2 Qh2+ 0–1.
88. ... a2 89. h6 a1=Q 90. Qg2 Qf6 91. f4+ Kd3 92. Qf3+ Kc4 93. Qe4+ Qad4 94. Qc2+ Qc3 95. Qe4+ Kb3 96. h7 Qb2+ 97. Kh3 Qh6+ 98. Kg4 Qbg7+ 99. Kf3 Qh5+ 100. Kf2 Qh2+ 0–1.
Not less disconcerting, and yet dramatically consistent, was the very last game — a decisive one — in which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) forgot about the clock while thinking on her 59th move in a winning Knight ending:
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova
6th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Quarterfinal match game 17; time control: 1 minute plus 1 second per move; chess.com, September 2, 2024
8/7N/4k3/np6/3PK1p1/2P5/6P1/8 w - - 0 59
Position after 58. ... g5-g4
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) exceeded the time limit and so lost!
Time up, game over. Screenshot from the live stream.
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