A Pipers Tales

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva

3rd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Round-Robin; SG Alpine Pipers – Fyers American Gambits; time control: 20 minutes plus 2 seconds per move after move 40; Mumbai, December 17, 2025

Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. h3 Bd7 5. Bd3 g6 6. 0-0 Bg7 7. Bc2 0-0 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 d5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Nbd2 Bf5 12. Re1 Nxd2 13. Bxd2 Bxc2 14. Qxc2 Nc6 15. h4 Qc8 16. Qb3 Rd8 17. Rad1 b6 18. Rc1 Qd7 19. h5 Rac8

20. e6 Qe8 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Ng5 Nxd4 23. Qh3 h5 24. Qd3 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Nf5 26. Nf7 Rc8 27. Rxc8 Qxc8 28. Qxd5 Nd4 29. Qd7 Qf8 30. Ng5 Ne2+ 31. Kf1 Ng3+ 32. Ke1 Nf5 33. Qxa7 Bd4 34. Nf7 Qc8 35. Qd7 Qc2 36. Qe8+ Kh7 37. Ng5+ Kh6 38. Nf7+ Kh7 39. Ng5+ Kh6 40. Nf3+ Kh7 41. Nxd4 Qb1+ 42. Ke2 Nxd4+ 43. Ke3 Nf5+ 44. Kf4 Ng7 45. Qxe7 Qf5+ 46. Ke3 Qe5+ 47. Kd3 Qd5+ 48. Kc2

48. ...Qc4+? A mistake which could cost Assaubayeva dearly. She ought to have first taken the g-Pawn, as after 48. ... Qxg2 49. Bc3 Qe4+ any endgame without the Queens should be drawable by Black.
49. Bc3 Qe2+ 50. Kb3 Qb5+. But now Black cannot play 50. ... Qxe6+ 51. Qxe6 Nxe6 because of 52. Be5! with a totally winning endgame for White.
51. Kc2 Qe2+ 52. Kc1 Qf1+ 53. Kc2 ½–½. Due to her shortness of time, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) dares not venture to play 53. Kd2! which after 53. ... Qxf2+ 54. Kd3 Qf5+ 55. Kc4 Qxe6+ 56. Qxe6 Nxe6 57. Kb5 would have led to an easily won ending.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) held the initiative all the time, but eventually, she had to content herself with a draw. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy/ChessBase India.