Dragon Flute

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

10th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Playoff | Semifinals; Match 2; FIDE vs. China; time control: 45 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Linares, November 22, 2025

Sicilian Defence B52

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. f3 0-0 10. Be3 Nc6 11. 0-0 a6 12. Nb3 Ne5 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. c5 Rad8 15. Rad1 Rfe8 16. cxd6 exd6 17. Bg5 Qb8 18. Kh1 Rc8 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Nd5 Bg7 21. f4 Nd7 22. f5 b5 23. Qg4 Qa7 24. Qh4 Ne5

25. Nd2?! The usually staid Goryachkina embarks on an unsound attack, abandoning the Queenside to its fate. Maybe the same idea could be carried out better by 25. Nd4!? Rc4 26. Ne2 Rc2 27. Nef4, for if now 27. ... Rxb2? then 28. Rc1 with the upper hand for White.
25. ... Rc2 26. Nf3 Nxf3 27. gxf3 Rxb2 28. Nf6+ Bxf6 29. Qxf6 Rxa2 30. fxg6 fxg6! But not 30. ... hxg6? on account of 31. Rg1! with annoying threats. Instead, now Black would reply to 31. Rg1 with 31. ... Qf7 disarming any threat.
31. Rxd6 Rf8!? Better seems to be 31. ... Qe7! as after 32. Rxa6 Qxf6 33. Rxf6 Rb8∓ the ending would be very favourable for Black.
32. Qg5 Qf7 33. h4 Ra3

34. Qg4? Allowing Black to liquidate into a winning endgame with two Pawns ahead. If nothing else, 34. Kg1! was an idea worth a try, for if 34. ... Rxf3 then 35. Rxf3 Qxf3 36. Rxg6+! with a draw by perpetual check.
34. ... Rxf3 35. Rxf3 Qxf3+ 36. Qxf3 Rxf3 37. Kg2 Re3 38. h5 Kg7 39. hxg6 hxg6 40. Rxa6 Rxe4 41. Rb6 b4 42. Kf3 Rc4 43. Rb8 Kf6 44. Rb6+ Kg5 45. Rb8 Rc3+ 46. Ke4 b3 47. Rb6 Kh5 48. Rb8 Kg4 49. Rb4 Rf3 50. Rb5 g5 51. Rc5 Rf4+ 52. Kd3 Rb4 0–1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) at her best today, but her young, inexperienced teammates nothing could do against the all-Russian FIDE team. Photos: Pavel Arkadievich Dvorkovich.