The Mirror of the Self

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva

7th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Semifinal match game 1; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, August 2, 2026

Sicilian Defence B53

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4. The Chekhover Variation, a long-time favourite of 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
4. ... Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Qd3 Nf6 7. Bg5 e6 8. Nc3 Be7 9. 0-0-0 a6 10. Bxc6 Bxc6 11. Nd4 Rc8 12. f4 Qc7 13. Rhe1 0-0 14. Qg3 Rfe8 15. Re3 b5 16. a3 Bb7 17. Kb1 Qb6?! (17. ... b4!? 18. axb4 Qb6)
18. e5! dxe5 19. fxe5 Nd5 20. Nxd5 Bxd5

21. Bf6! White’s dream came true. She got a crushing attack on the Kingside.
21. ... Bxf6 22. exf6 g6 23. Qh4 Qc5 24. g4 e5 25. Rh3 h5 26. Rc3 Qf8 27. Rxc8 Rxc8

28. Nf5! Bf3 (28. ... gxf5 29. Qg5+ Kh7 30. Qxf5+ Kg8 31. Rxd5+−)
29. Ne7+ Kh7 30. gxh5 g5 31. Qxg5 Bxd1 32. Qf5+ (32. Nxc8 Bxc2+ 33. Kc1+−)
32. ... Kh6 33. Nxc8 Bxh5 34. Ne7 Qd8

35. Qxe5? Oh, no! Not now! White had to play the prophylactic 35. Ka2! first, as Black can prevent the threat of h2-h4, followed by Qf5-g5+ and Qg5xh5#, only at the cost of grave concessions. Likewise, it must be noted that 35. b3! is also winning.
35. ... Qd1+ 36. Ka2 Qxc2 37. Nf5+ Kh7 38. Nd4 Qc4+? Black misses her only chance. After 38. ... Qd1! 39. Qf5+ Bg6 40. Qh3+ Kg8 White has to content herself with perpetual check (41. Qc8+), as 41. Qh6?? is annihilated by 41. ... Bb1+ 42. Ka1 Bc2+ 43. Ka2 Qb1#.
39. b3 1–0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) did it again, and now sets a date with her nemesis, 艾丽斯·李 (Alice Lee), in Final. Screenshot from the live stream.