The Long Weekend

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Group Stage; Triveni Continental Kings – Alpine SG Pipers; time control: 20 minutes per player without increment; London, October 11, 2024

French Defence C01

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Ne5 Nc6 9. Nd2 cxd4 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. cxd4 Qb6 12. Nb3 a5 13. Qc2. Likewise 13. a4 Bg4 14. Qc2 Rab8 is comfortable for Black, Kosteniuk – Martínez Reyes, *** SCC Grand Prix: Titled Tuesday Blitz, chess.com, June 23, 2020 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).
13. ... a4 14. Nc5 Bxc5 15. dxc5 Qc7 16. g3 Ba6 17. Bxa6 Rxa6 18. Bf4 Qd7 19. Rfe1 Raa8 20. f3

20. ... h6! The plan followed out by this and the next few moves gives Black a slight initiative, which is not too reassuring against 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
21. Be5 Nh7 22. f4 Rfe8 23. Rad1 Qg4! 24. Kg2 Re7 25. h3 Qd7 26. Bd6 Ree8 27. Be5 Re7 28. Bd6 Re6 29. Rxe6 Qxe6

30. f5? Kosteniuk steps out of her drawing zone, decisively weakening her position. Maybe she was not happy with her situation, but if nothing else 30. Be5 would have kept things steady.
30. ... Qe8 31. Rd4 Nf6 32. a3 Qe3. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) could also play at once 32. ... Ne4!, reaching the same position as in the game after Black’s 36th move.
33. Qd2 Qe8 34. Qc2 Qe1 35. Qd1 Qe8 36. Qc2 Ne4! 37. Rxa4 Rxa4 38. Qxa4

38. ... Nxd6? Black contents herself now with a draw, when her team desperately needed her to win! She should have boldly played 38. ... Ng5! with a crushing attack.
39. cxd6 Qe2+ 40. Kg1 Qe1+ ½–½.

Alpine SG Pipers missed its season, just in time for the weekend. Photos: Michał Walusza/Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.