Thursday, August 28, 2025

An Irresistible Light

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 王楚乔 (Wáng Chǔqiáo)
19th Chinese Chess League Division A Regular; Match 深圳鹏城队 (Shēnzhèn Péngchéng Team)–重庆体育彩票队 (Chóngqìng Sports Lottery Team); time control: 90 minutes per 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting on move 1; 南京 (Nánjīng), August 28, 2025
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. a3 Qb6 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Na4 Qa5+ 11. b4 Qxa4 12. bxc5 f6 13. exf6 Nxf6 14. Bd3 0-0 15. 0-0 Bd7


16. Rb1 Rab8 17. Qc1 Qa5 18. Kh1 Qc7 19. c4 Ng4 20. Bd2 d4 21. Qe1 h6 22. Qg3 Nf6 23. Ne5 Ne7 24. Qh3 Nf5 25. Kg1 h5 26. Qf3 Rfd8 27. Qe2 Be8 28. Ng4 Qf7 29. Nxf6+ Qxf6 30. Rb6 Bc6 31. Qxh5 Ne3 32. Rf2 Kf8 33. Qe2 Ke7 34. Rb1 Nf5 35. Re1 Rh8 36. Qe5 Qxe5 37. Rxe5 Kf6 38. Rfe2 Bd7 39. Bc1 Rbd8 40. Bb2 Bc8 41. g3 Kf7 42. Kg2 Ne3+ 43. Kg1 Nf5 44. Bc1 Bd7 45. Be4


45. ... Bc6? Much better was 45. ... d3! 46. Rd2 Nd4 47. Bb2 Bc6 48. Rxd3 Ne2+ 49. Kf1 Rxd3 50. Bxd3 Nxg3+! 51. hxg3 Rh1+ 52. Ke2 Rh2+ 53. Ke3 Rxb2 54. Kd4 Rd2! 55. Re2 Rd1 making White’s extra Pawn pretty near worthless.
46. Bxf5 exf5 47. Rxf5+ Kg6 48. Rg5+ Kf7 49. Bb2 Rd7 50. Rd2 Rhd8 51. Kf2 g6 52. h4 Be4 53. h5 gxh5 54. Rxh5 Kg6 55. g4 Bc6 56. Kg3 Kf6 57. f5 Kg7 58. Kf4 Kg8 59. Rdh2 1–0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was simply irresistible as she sat, shining in her strength. Photo: 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).

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