Glimpses of Light

倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

19th Chinese Chess League Division A Regular; Match 中国移动上海队 (China Mobile Shànghǎi Team)–深圳鹏城队 (Shēnzhèn Péngchéng 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 27, 2025

Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qe2 a6 10. Nc3 dxe5 11. dxe5 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Bd7 13. Bd3 Bc6 14. a4? The Alapin never gives easy answers to theoretical and practical questions, but this idea will only saddle White with new and greater weaknesses. Much better is 14. Rb1 Nd7 15. Nd4 with a roughly balanced game, Kollars – Sjugirov, Late-Titled-Tuesday-Blitz-November-01-2022, chess.com, November 1, 2022 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).
14. ... Qa5 15. Bb2 Nd7 16. c4 Rfd8 17. Bc2 Rac8 18. Rfe1 g6 19. Nd4 Bb4 20. Nb3 Qc7 21. Red1 Nb6 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Nd4

23. ... Bxg2! An elegant petite combinaison which yields Black a Pawn. The technique by which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) capitalises on it is of the highest order.
24. Kxg2 Nxc4 25. Bxg6 hxg6 26. Rc1 b5 27. axb5 Qb7+ 28. Kg1 axb5 29. Ba1 Bc5 30. Nf3 Qa8 31. Bc3 Qa3 32. Rc2 Qb3 33. Kg2 Qb1 34. Ng5 Qd1 35. Qxd1 Rxd1 36. Ne4 Bd4 37. Bxd4 Rxd4 38. Nc3 b4 39. Ne2 Rg4+ 40. Kh3 Re4 41. f3 b3 42. fxe4 bxc2 43. Kg3 Nd2 44. Nc1 Nxe4+ 45. Kf4 Nc5 46. Ke3 Nd7 0–1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) at her best in her native lands. Photo: 贾紫来 (Jiǎ Zǐlái)/新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).