H2O

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Divya Deshmuk

7th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Quarterfinal match game 5; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, August 14, 2025

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nc6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has great experience and knowledge on the subject, as even the world’s absolute number one found out at his own expense: 10. ... Nd7 11. Bc4 Rc8 12. Qe2 Nb6 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. Bxe6 Qxe6 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Rfd1 Rc6 17. a5 Nd7 18. b3 Rfc8 19. Rd2 Nc5 20. Rad1 Qe7 21. Qe3 g6 22. g3 b5? 23. axb6 Rxb6 24. Rd5!± 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Carlsen, 4th GRENKE Chess Classic, Karlsruhe 2017.
11. Bc4 0-0 12. c3 Rc8 13. 0-0 Kh8 14. Qd2 Bg4 15. Qd3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Bg5 17. Ba2 Ne7 18. Rad1 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Qd7 20. Rd3 g6 21. Qd1 Be7 22. Qb3 b5 23. Ra1 Rb8 24. axb5 Rxb5 25. Qc2 a5 26. Qa4 Rd8 27. Rd2 Bg5 28. Re2 Rc5 29. Qb3 Kg7 30. h3 Qc7 31. Ra4 Rb8 32. Qa2 Rcb5 33. Rc4 Qd8 34. Rc6 Qe7 35. Qc4 Qf6 36. Rc7

36. ... Kh6? This is the mistake that causes Black’s position to collapse. Deshmuk should defend with 36. .. Rc5! 37. Rxc5 dxc5 38. Qxc5 Qb6! 39. Qxb6 Rxb6 40. b3± where the Bishops of opposite colour give Black drawing chances, in spite of the Pawn minus.
37. Rxf7 Qd8 38. Qa2 Rc5 39. g3 Rcb5 40. h4 Bc1 41. Qb1! Bxb2

42. Rxb2! The pointe of the previous move. White is only too happy to sweep away Black’s only defender at the cost of an Exchange.
42. ... Rxb2 43. Qc1+ g5 44. hxg5+ Kg6 (44. ... Qxg5 45. Rf6++−)
45. Kg2 a4 46. Qh1 Qh8 (46. ... h5 47. Qh3!+−)
47. Qh6# 1–0.