Spellbound

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr)

3rd Tech Mahindra Global Chess League; Round-Robin; SG Alpine Pipers – Triveni Continental Kings; time control: 20 minutes plus 2 seconds per move after move 40; Mumbai, December 19, 2025

Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. h3 h6 9. Re1 Bd7 10. Nbd2 Ba7 11. Nf1 Ne7 12. Ng3 Ng6 13. d4 a4 14. Bc2 b5 (14. ... Nh7?! 15. Nf5 Ng5 16. Nxg5 hxg5 17. Qh5 Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. h4 g6 20. Qh6 gxf5 21. exf5 f6 22. Qg6+ Kh8 23. hxg5 Bc6 24. Rad1 Qd7 25. Rd3 Qg7 26. Rh3+ Kg8 27. Re7 Qxg6 28. fxg6 f5 29. Rhh7 Rfe8 30. Reg7+ Kf8 31. Rxc7 Kg8 32. Bxf5 Bb6 33. Rcg7+ Kf8 34. Rf7+ Kg8 35. d5 Bxd5 36. Rfg7+ Kf8 37. Rd7 Kg8 38. g7 Bf7 39. g6 1–0 Vachier-Lagrave – Navara, 51st International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2018)
15. Be3 c5 16. Qd2 Re8 17. Rad1 cxd4 18. cxd4 Bb6 19. Re2 Ba5 20. Qc1 Rc8 21. dxe5 dxe5 22. Nf5 Re6 23. Qb1 Qc7 24. Bd3 Qb8 25. Rc2 Rec6 26. Rxc6 Bxc6 27. b4 axb3 28. axb3 Rd8 29. Rc1 Qb7

30. b4? Under the axe of time, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) begins to go astray. In fact, White’s Pawn sacrifice was not necessary at all, as she could have defended the Pawn successfully by 30. Ng3.
30. ... Bxb4 31. Qxb4 Rxd3 32. Nd6?? But this leads to disaster. As a lesser evil, White should have played 32. Ne1! Rd8 33. f3 leaving Black with a Pawn up of dubious exploitability.
32. ... Qd7 33. Nf5 Bxe4 34. Ng3 Bxf3 35. gxf3 0–1.

Fortunately 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s eclipse did not overshadow in any way her team’s win. Photo: Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.