Halfway to the Mountain

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

3rd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Final | Game 1; Triveni Continental Kings – SG Alpine Pipers; time control: 20 minutes plus 2 seconds per move after move 40; Mumbai, December 23, 2025

Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 c5 5. Bxb4 cxb4 6. g3 b6 7. Bg2 Bb7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qd3 d6 10. Nbd2 Qc7 11. Rfd1 Re8 12. Ne1 Bxg2 13. Nxg2 Nc6 14. Rac1 Rad8 15. Ne3 h6 16. Nf3 Ne7 17. a3 e5 18. Qb3 bxa3 19. Qxa3 a5 20. b4 axb4 21. Qxb4 Nc6 22. Qb2 Nxd4 23. Nxd4 exd4 24. Qxd4 Re4 25. Qd3 Re5 26. Rb1 Qc6 27. Qd4 Rc5 28. Qb2 Rb8 29. Qd4 Rd8 30. Rb2

30. ... b5! 31. cxb5 Rxb5 32. Rxb5 Qxb5 33. Rd2 Qb1+ 34. Rd1 Qb5 35. Rd2 Qb1+ 36. Kg2 Qb7+ 37. f3 Qb5 38. Kf2 Qd7 39. Kg2 Qb5 40. Nc4 d5 41. Ne3 Re8 42. Kf2 Re6 43. Rb2 Qd7 44. Nf5 Kh7 45. h4 g6 46. Ne3 h5 47. Rb8 Qd6 48. Rb7 Kg7 49. Ra7 Qe5 50. Qxe5 Rxe5 51. Ra4 Re6 52. Rd4 Rd6 53. Ng2 Kf8 54. Nf4 Ke7 55. Rd2 Rd7 56. Rd4 Rd6 57. Kg2 Rd7 58. Kh3 Kd6 59. g4 hxg4+ 60. fxg4 Ke5 61. Ra4 Ne4 62. Nd3+ Kf6 63. Ra6+ Rd6 64. Rxd6+ Nxd6 65. Kg3 Ne4+ 66. Kf3 Nc3 67. Nf4 Ke5 68. h5 gxh5 69. gxh5 Kf6 70. h6 d4 71. Kg4 Ne4 72. Kh5 Ng3+ 73. Kg4 Ne4 74. Kh5 Ng3+ 75. Kg4 Ne4 76. Kh5 Ke5 ½–½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) easily held her own in the first game of the Final. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy/ChessBase India.