Dear Prudence

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí)

19th Chinese Chess League Division A Finals; Match 深圳鹏城队 (Shēnzhèn Péngchéng Team)–杭州银行队 (Hángzhōu Bank Team); time control: 90 minutes per 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting on move 1; 绍兴 (Shàoxīng), January 11, 2026

Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 Bb7 8. e3 h6 9. Bh4 d5 10. cxd5 Bxd5 11. Ne2 c5 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. dxc5 Nd7 14. Qxf6 gxf6?! Or perhaps !? — in any case, 14. ... Nxf6 15. cxb6 Rfb8 seems a safer way of seeking balance.
15. Nf4 Nxc5

16. Nxd5. More ambitious was 16. b4 followed, as soon as possible, by Bf1-a6, hindering Black’s mobility for some time.
16. ... exd5 17. Rd1 Rac8 18. Be2 Na4 19. b3 Nc3 20. Rd4 Nxe2 21. Kxe2 Rc2+ 22. Rd2 Rfc8 23. Rd1 a5 24. a4 Kf8 25. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 26. Rd2 Rc3 27. Rb2 Rc1 28. Kd2 Rh1 29. g3 Rxh2 30. Kc3 Rh1 31. Rd2 Rc1+ 32. Kd4 Rc5 33. Rb2 h5 34. b4 axb4 35. Rxb4 Kg7 36. Rxb6 Rc4+ 37. Kxd5 Rxa4 38. f4 Ra3 39. Ke4 f5+ 40. Kf3 Rc3 41. Rb2 Ra3 42. Re2 Kg6 43. Kg2 Ra4 44. Rb2 Ra3 45. Rb6+ f6 46. Kf3 Rc3 ½–½.

The impression is that 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) could have got more than a draw, but she gave priority to securing a positive result for her team. Photo: 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency).