Skim Milk

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Humpy Koneru

2nd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Group Stage; Alpine SG Pipers – Mumba Masters; time control: 20 minutes per player without increment; London, October 8, 2024

Spanish Game C70

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Bc5 5. c3 Nge7 6. 0-0 Ba7 7. d4 Ng6 8. Bg5 f6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Re1 Kh8 11. Nbd2 d6 12. h3 Bd7 13. Rc1 Nce7

14. Bxd7. Blessed and dearest she has been rather than milking the cow. Who knows, maybe 14. Bc2 Qe8 15. Nf1 might have been a bit more ambitious.
14. ... Qxd7 15. c4 exd4 16. Nxd4 f5 17. exf5 Nxf5 18. Nxf5 Qxf5 19. Bxa7 Rxa7 20. Qf3 Raa8 21. Qxf5 Rxf5 22. Rc3 Raf8 23. f3 Re5 24. Rxe5 Nxe5

25. Kf2. If 25. c5 Black can reply 25. ... d5 26. f4 Nc6 holding everything together; for example: 27. Rb3 Rb8 28. Rd3 Rd8 with equality.
25. ... Kg8 26. Nf1 Kf7 27. Ne3 Ke6 28. h4 h5 29. Kg3 c6 30. f4 Nd7 31. Kf3 Nf6 32. Rc2 g6 33. a4 a5 34. Re2 Kd7 35. Nc2 Ng4 36. b3 Ne5+ 37. Ke4 Ng4 38. Kf3 Ne5+ 39. Ke4 Ng4 ½–½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) satisfied herself with a draw against her archrival Koneru, which, however, was not enough for her team to hold its own. Photo: Shahid Ahmed.