Down to Earth

Gawain Christopher B. Jones – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
800th Anniversary Summit Chess Match UK–China; Liverpool, September 5, 2007
French Defence C03

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 b6 8. Qe2 a5 9. 0-0 Ba6 10. c4 Nc6 11. cxd5 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nb4. If 12. ... exd5 then 13. Re1 0–0 14. Qf5 cxd4 15. Nb3 Nc5 16. Nbxd4⩲ Jones – Grigoryan, 46th World Junior Chess Championship, Yerevan 2007 — “[...] White is slightly better although I overpressed and went on to lose”, Jones wrote on New Zealand Chess Magazine, Volume 36, No. 1, January 2009, p. 9. 13. Qe4 exd5 14. Qg4 0-0 15. Rd1 Kh8 16. Nf1 Nc2 17. Rb1 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Bc5 20. Qxd5 Nxe5 21. Be3 Qxd5 22. Rxd5 Bxe3 23. Nxe3

23. ... f6 (23. ... Rfe8!? 24. Rd6 b5 25. Rc1⩲) 24. f4. “[...] and I was left in a very favourable ending due to more active pieces and the weakness of Black’s Queenside Pawns”, Jones writes (ibidem). 24. ... Ng6 25. g3 Rab8 26. Rc1 Kg8 27. Rc7 Rfc8 28. Rdd7 Rxc7 29. Rxc7 Rd8 30. Rb7 Rd3 31. Nc4 Rd4 32. b3

32. ... Rd1+ 33. Kg2 Rc1 34. a4 Rc2+ 35. Kg1 Rc1+ 36. Kf2 Rc2+ 37. Kf3 Rc3+ 38. Ke4 Rxb3 39. Rxb6 Rc3 40. Kd4 Rc1 41. Nxa5 Rc2 42. Nc4 Rxh2 43. Rb2 Rh1 44. Ra2 Ne7 45. a5 Nc6+ 46. Kc5 Nxa5 47. Rxa5 h5 48. Ne3 h4 49. gxh4 Rxh4 50. Nd5 Kf7 51. Kd6 Rh1 52. Ra7+ Kg6 53. Ne7+ Kh5 54. f5 Re1 55. Ra2 Re5 56. Rh2+ Kg5 57. Rh7 1 : 0.

La Princesse

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nicholas Pert
800th Anniversary Summit Chess Match UK–China; Liverpool, September 6, 2007
French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Qc7 9. Ra2 Nf5 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Bd3 h5 12. Qf4 (12. Ng5 Ncxd4!) 12. ... Ncxd4 13. 0-0 Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Qxe5 15. Bb2 d4 16. Raa1 Nh4 17. Qh3 Qf4 18. Rae1 Qg4 19. Qxg4 hxg4 20. Bxd4

20. ... f6? (20. ... Kf8) 21. f3! Now Black’s Knight is in trouble (21. ... gxf3 22. g3+−). 21. ... Bd7. Likewise, after 21. ... e5 22. Bxe5 fxe5 23. Rxe5+ Kd8 24. fxg4 Bxg4 25. Rf4 Bd7 26. g3± White regains the piece with a Pawn ahead. 22. fxg4 0-0-0 23. Bxa7 Bc6 24. Rxe6 Bxg2 25. Rf2 Bd5 26. Re3 Rde8

27. Kf1? (27. Rh3) 27. ... Kc7 (27. ... Rxe3 28. Bxe3 Nf3) 28. Rfe2 Rxe3 29. Bxe3 g5 (29. ... Nf3 30. Bf4+ Kb6 31. Bg3 Bc6) 30. Bf2 Bg2+? (30. ... Nf3) 31. Kg1 Bc6 32. Bg3+ Kd7 33. Kf2 Ra8 34. Re3 Ra4 35. h3 Rd4 36. Ke2 Ng2 37. Bf5+ Kd8 38. Re6 Nf4+ 39. Bxf4 Rxf4 40. Rxf6 Bf3+ 41. Kd2 Bg2 42. Rg6 Bxh3 43. Rxg5 Ra4 44. Rg7 Bg2 45. Rd7+ Ke8 46. Rd3 Kf7 47. g5 Rf4 48. g6+ Kf6 49. Rg3 Rxf5 50. Rxg2 Kg7 51. Kc3 Rf1 52. Kb4 Rb1+ 53. Kc5 b6+ 54. Kc6 b5 55. Kb6 Rb2 56. Kc5 Rb1 57. c4 bxc4 58. Kxc4 Rc1+ 59. Kb5 Rb1+ 60. Ka5 Rb8 61. a4 Ra8+ 62. Kb5 Rb8+ 63. Kc6 Rc8+ 64. Kb7 Re8 65. a5 Re7+ 66. Kc6 Re6+ 67. Kd7 Rf6 68. Rg5 Rf1 69. Kc6 Ra1 70. Kb6 Re1 71. a6 Re6+ 72. Kb7 Re7+ 73. Kc8 Re8+ 74. Kd7 1 : 0.