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侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva

2nd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Group Stage; Alpine SG Pipers – American Gambits; time control: 20 minutes per player without increment; London, October 6, 2024

Sicilian Defence B73

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. Be3 Nc6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qd2 Bd7 11. Rfd1 Rc8 12. f3

12. ... Nb4? A new move and a bad one, giving White a free hand to squeeze out everything she can. 9. ... Nxd4 and 9. ... Na5 are usually played here.
13. a5 Qe8 14. Bf1 e5 15. Nb3 Be6 16. Rac1 Rc6 (16. ... Rd8 17. Bb6 Rc8 18. Nb5!±)

17. Nb5!? (18. Bg5±)
17. ... Nxc2? (17. ... Na2! 18. Nxd6 Qb8⇄)
18. Nxd6 Rxd6 19. Qxc2 Rxd1 20. Qxd1 Qa4

21. Nc5! Qxa5 22. Nxe6 fxe6 23. Qb3 b5 24. Qxe6+ Kh8 25. Rc8 Rxc8 26. Qxc8+ Ng8 27. h4 h5 28. Qb7 Qa1 29. b4 Bf6 30. Qf7 Bxh4 31. Qxg6 Qe1 32. Qxh5+ Kg7 33. Qxe5+ Kf7 34. Qd5+ Kf8 35. Qd2 Qxd2 36. Bxd2 Bg3 37. Be3 Ne7 38. Bd3 Nc6 39. Bc5+ Kf7 40. Kf1 Ke6 41. Bc2 Bd6 42. Bb3+ Ke7 43. Bd5 Nxb4 44. Bxb4 Bxb4 45. Bb7 (45. e5+−)
45. ... a5 46. Bc6 a4 47. Bxb5? (47. Kf2 a3 48. Bd5+−)
47. ... a3 48. Bc4 Bd6 49. Kf2 Bc5+? (49. ... Kf6! 50. g3 Kg5=)
50. Kg3 Kf6 51. f4 Bd4 52. Kg4 Bc3 53. e5+ Kg6 54. Kf3 Bb2 55. g4 1–0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is back to her own best self, dusting off the rust. Photos: Lennart Ootes/Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.