Plays and Players

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 13, 2026

French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qb6 9. a3 Bc5 10. Ncb5 a6 11. b4 axb5 12. bxc5 Qxc5 13. Qd3 Qe7 14. Nxb5 0-0 15. Be2 f6 16. exf6 Nxf6 17. 0-0 Bd7 18. a4 Rfc8 19. c3 Na5 20. Qc2 Nc4 21. Bd4 Ra5 22. Bd3 Rca8 23. Rae1. White could (and perhaps should) play 23. Nc7 Rc8 24. Nb5 offering to repeat moves, but a draw wasn’t the result that 深圳鹏城队 (Shēnzhèn Péngchéng Team) wanted.
23. ... Rxa4 24. Nc7 Ra2

25. Qc1? Only this is the move that loses the game, although 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can’t be blamed for not properly appreciating the consequences of 25. Qb3 Rb2 26. Nxd5!! Nxd5 27. Qxc4 Bb5 28. Qxd5 Bc6 29. Bxh7+ Kh8! 30. Qxc6 bxc6 31. Be4 with two very powerful Bishops for a Queen and an unclear situation. She chooses instead a more balanced approach (at least from a material standpoint), but only as long as her c7-Knight can survive...
25. ... Ra1 26. Qxa1. Forced, as both 26. Qc2 Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Ba4 and 26. Bb1 Raa2 lose material.
26. ... Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Qd6 28. Bxc4 dxc4 29. Na8 Nd5

That’s all, and it’s enough. White will soon pay the price for her “doomed” Knight.
30. Ra2 Bc6 31. Nb6 Nxc3 32. Bxc3 Qc5+ 33. Rff2 Qxb6 34. h3 Qe3 35. Be5 b5 36. Ra6 Bd5 37. Rd6 c3 38. Rd8+ Kf7 39. Rd7+ Ke8 40. Rc7 Bc4 41. Bxc3 Qxc3 42. Kh2 Qd4 43. Rf3 b4 44. Rg3 Kf8 45. Rc8+ Ke7 46. Rc7+ Kd6 47. Rgxg7 Qxf4+ 48. Kh1 b3 49. Rgf7 Qc1+ 50. Kh2 b2 51. Rfd7+ Ke5 52. Rc5+ Kf6 0–1.

With two wins in a row over 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí) dragged her team to the Chinese League’s victory. Photo: 中国棋院杭州分院 (Hángzhōu Branch of China Chess Academy).