The Rescuers

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)

10th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Playoff | Quarterfinals; Match 2; China vs. United States; time control: 45 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Linares, November 21, 2025

Spanish Game C72

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. 0-0 Bd7 6. c4 g6 7. d4 Nf6 8. Nc3 exd4 9. Nxd4 Bg7 10. Bxc6!? Anti-dogmatic. There are probably more arguments in favour of 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. c5!⩲↑ Luckis – Guimard, 11th International Tournament, Mar del Plata 1948.
10. ... bxc6 11. Re1 0-0 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Qb8 14. Qd2 Re8 15. f3 a5 16. c5!? A desperate bid for the initiative.
16. ... Qb4 17. cxd6. Latently unsound, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was not content with 17. Bf2 a4= and its equal balance.
17. ... Nxe4! 18. Rxe4 Rxe4 19. Nxe4 Bxd4+ 20. Bf2 Qxd2 21. Nxd2 Bxf2+ 22. Kxf2 cxd6 23. Ne4. White wins back her Pawn thanks to a little tactic.
23. ... Be6 24. Nxd6 a4 25. Rc1 Rb8

26. b3! axb3 27. axb3 Bd5 28. Ne4 Rxb3 29. Nf6+ Kg7 30. Nxd5 Rb2+. Or 30. ... cxd5 31. Rc6 Rb2+ with outcomes similar to the game.
31. Ke3 cxd5 32. g4 Kf6 33. Rc6+ Kg5 (33. ... Ke5?? 34. f4#)
34. Rd6 Rb5

35. Kd4? A dramatic faux pas, which loses at once a probably drawn endgame. After 35. Rd7! is not evident how Black can make any progress.
35. ... Rb3!−+ 36. Rxd5+ Kf4 37. Rd7 Rxf3 38. Rxf7+ Kxg4 39. Rg7 g5 40. Ra7 Rf2 41. h3+ Kxh3 42. Ke3 Rf6 43. Ra5 Kg3 44. Re5 g4 45. Rh5 Re6+ 46. Kd4 0–1. White resigns without waiting for 46. ... Kf4.

A bad defeat but not a total catestrophe as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was lucky that her friends and teammates were able to get her into the stage again. Photo: Pavel Arkadievich Dvorkovich.