Endgame

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruăn Lùfěi)
30th Chinese Women’s Chess Championship; 无锡 (Wúxī), June 29, 2006
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. h3 Kc8. Needless to say, the Berlin endgame does not necessarily end in a draw: 10. ... Ne7 11. Rd1 Ke8 12. Bf4 h6 13. Rd2 Ng6 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Bg3 Bb4 17. a3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Rd8 19. Re2 Kd7 20. Nd4 Rhe8 21. Rd1 Ke7 (21. ... Kc8!) 22. Rd3 c5? 23. Bd6+! Kd7 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. Bxc5+ Kc6 26. Rxd8 Kxd8 27. Bxa7 e5 28. Re4 h5? (28. ... Ra8 29. Be3 Rxa3 30. Rc4+ Kd7 31. Rg4 Ra1+ 32. Kh2 Ra6 33. h4 h5 34. Rg5) 29. Rc4+ Kb5 30. Rb4+ Ka6 31. Bc5 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Möngöntuul, 8th Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2007. 11. b3 b6 12. Bb2 a5? This just gives White a free hand on the Kingside. 12. ... Be7 13. Ne4 Nh4 14. Nxh4 Bxh4 15. Rad1 Rd8 16. Rfe1⩲ was probably Black’s best try. 13. g4 Ne7 14. Ng5 Be8 15. f4 h5 16. Kg2 Kb7 17. Rad1 a4 18. Kg3. No chance for counterplay (18. Nxa4 Nd5). 18. ... axb3 19. axb3 Ng6 20. Ra1! Forcing the exchange of the only active Black piece. 20. ... Rxa1 21. Bxa1 Be7 22. Nce4. Black has no way to prevent f4-f5. 22. ... Nf8 23. f5 Nh7 24. Nxh7. 24. Nxf7!? Bxf7 25. e6 may also be good, but after 25. ... h4+! White could still expect some annoyances. 24. ... Rxh7 25. g5 h4+ 26. Kh2. Of course 26. Kf4! was also very strong. 26. ... c5 27. f6 gxf6 28. gxf6 Bf8 29. Rg1 Bh6 30. Rg4 Be3

31. Rg7? The only hesitation that could have costed 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) a half point. White ought to first play 31. e6! fxe6 and then 32. Rg7 Rxg7 33. fxg7 Bf7 34. Nf6 winning easily. 31. ... Rh8 32. e6

32. ... Rf8? Tantamount to resignation. Black could still have saved the game by 32. ... Bc6! 33. exf7 Bf4+ 34. Kg1 Rf8 35. Nf2!⩲ (Δ Nf2-d3). 33. Be5!+− Kc8 34. Kg2. Now Black is in zugzwang. 34. ... fxe6 35. Rxc7+ Kd8 36. Rb7 c4 37. bxc4 Bc5 38. Rb8+ Kd7 39. Ng5 Bd6 40. Bxd6 Kxd6

41. Kh2! (Δ f6-f7) 41. ... Kc7 42. Rxe8! Rxe8 43. f7 1 : 0.

In a Far Away Place

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi)
FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011–12; 5th stage; Jermuk, July 25, 2012
Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. 0-0 h6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. h3 Rb8. Varying from 11. ... Bb6 which yet brought 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi) good luck in a previous game against the same opponent: 12. d4 Bb7 13. d5 Ne7 14. Bxb6 cxb6 15. Bc2 Qd7 16. Re1 Ng6 17. Nf1 Nf4 18. Ne3 Kh7 19. h4 Bc8 20. Nh2 Rg8 21. g3 g5 22. Kh1 Qh3 23. Rg1 N4h5 24. hxg5 Rxg5 25. Qf1 Ng4 26. Nexg4 Bxg4 27. Qxh3 Bxh3 28. Nf3 Rgg8 29. a4 Nf6 30. Rge1 bxa4 31. Rxa4 a5 32. Raa1 b5 33. Bd3 Rgb8 34. Nd2 Nd7 35. b4 axb4 36. cxb4 Nb6 37. Ra5 Rxa5 38. bxa5 Na4 39. Rb1 Bd7 40. Nb3 Rc8 41. Kg2 Kg7 42. Rc1 Nc5 43. Nxc5 dxc5 44. a6 c4 45. Be2 Ra8 46. Ra1 Ra7 47. Ra5 Kf8 48. Kf3 Ke7 49. Ke3 Kd6 50. Kd2 Kc5 51. Kc3 Kb6 52. Kb4 f6 53. Bh5 Rxa6 54. Rxa6+ Kxa6 55. f4 Kb6 56. f5 Bc8 57. Be8 c3 58. Kxc3 Kc5 59. Bc6 Ba6 60. Kb3 b4 61. Kc2 b3+ 62. Kxb3 Bd3 63. Kc3 Bxe4 64. Bd7 Kxd5 65. Be6+ Kc5 66. Bc8 Bf3 67. Kd3 e4+ 68. Ke3 Kd5 69. Kf4 Kd4 70. Bb7 Bh1 71. Ba6 e3 72. Be2 Be4 73. Bd1 Bd3 74. Kf3 Bxf5 75. Ba4 Bg4+ 76. Kg2 Kd3 77. Bb5+ Kd2 0 : 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi), 4th Torch Real Estate Chinese Chess League, 温州 (Wēnzhōu) 2008. 12. d4 Bb6 13. Bc2 Bd7 14. Re1 Qc8 15. a3 Na5 16. b4 exd4 17. Bxd4 Bxd4 18. cxd4 Nc4 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Nd2 Bb5 21. Qf3 Qe6 22. Rab1 d5 23. e5 Nh7 24. Nf1 Ng5 25. Qc3 f5

26. h4. Much stronger seems 26. f4 Ne4 27. Bxe4 fxe4 (idem to say 27. ... dxe4 28. Ne3) 28. Ne3 with an overwhelming bind. 26. ... Ne4 27. Qh3 Bd7 28. Rbc1 Qf7 29. Qe3 Nf6 30. Qf3

30. ... Ng4? Black self-traps her Knight. 30. ... Ne4 was called for, and if 31. Qf4 Black can reply 31. ... a5! 32. bxa5 c5 33. f3 cxd4! 34. fxe4 fxe4!∞ with a powerful dynamic compensation for the sacrificed Knight. 31. Qf4+− (Δ f2-f3) 31. ... h5 32. Ng3 Rf8 33. f3 Nh6 34. Qg5 Be8 35. e6 Qg6 36. Re5 c6 37. Ne2 Kh7 38. Nf4 Qxg5 39. hxg5 Ng8 40. e7 1 : 0.

Just a replica of the Women’s World Chess Championship 2010. Photo: Alexandra Kosteniuk’s www.chessblog.com.

Pomegranate

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; Final match game 1; Antakya, December 20, 2010

Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3!? dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bc4 Nd7 7. c3 b5 8. Bd3!?TN Ngf6 9. 0-0 Bd6 10. Bg5 0-0 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bh4 Qc7 13. Qc2 Nh5 14. h3 Be6 15. Rae1 Nf4 16. Bg3 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 Rad8 18. Bf2 a6 19. Nh4 Nb6 20. b3 Rfe8 21. Qf3 b4 22. Rc1 bxc3 23. Qxc3 exd4 24. Bxd4 c5? A mistake that could cost dearly, betraying 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi)’s nervousness. Better was 24. ... Bf8 25. Nf5 Bxf5 26. Rxf5 c5! with good play for Black.

25. Bxg7 Bf4 26. Nhf3 Rxd2

27. Nxd2? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses her best chance for success: 27. Bh8! f6 28. Nxd2 Be5 (28. ... Bh2+ 29. Kh1 Kxh8 29. Qe3+−) 29. Qe3 Kxh8 30. Rxc5 Qg7 31. Rxe5! fxe5 32. Qxb6 Bxh3 33. Qf6 and White stays a sound Pawn ahead. 27. ... Bxd2 28. Qxd2 Kxg7 29. Qc3+ Kh7 30. Qxc5. And now the exchange of Queens will leave White with a better ending: 30. ... Qxc5+ (30. ... Qd8!? 31. Qh5!?∞) 31. Rxc5. 31. ... Ra8 32. Ra5 Nc8 33. Rc1 Nd6 34. e5 (⌓ 34. Ra4! Rb8 35. Rxa6 Nxe4 36. Ra4±) 34. ... Nf5 35. Kf2 h5 36. Rc2 Nd4 37. Rd2 Nc6 38. Rc5 Ne7 39. b4 Kg6 40. a3 Kf5 41. Ke3 Rg8 42. Ra5 Rg3+ 43. Kf2 Rb3 44. Rxa6 Nd5 45. Ra5 Ne3 46. Rc5 Nc4 47. Rc2 Nxa3 48. R2c3 Rb2+ 49. Kg3 Nb1 50. Rf3+ Kg5 51. h4+ Kg6 52. Rc7 Kg7 53. Rf6 Kg8 54. Rf4 Rb3+ 55. Kh2 Rb2 56. Rc5 Na3 57. Rc3 Nb5 58. Rg3+ Kf8 59. Rg5 Nc7 60. Rxh5 Nd5 61. Re4 Kg7 62. Rg5+ Kh7 63. Rc4 Rb3 64. Rg3 Rb2 65. Rg5 Rb3 66. Rd4 Nxb4 67. Rg3 Rb2 68. Rc3 Nd5 69. Rcd3 Ne7 70. Rd2 Rb5 71. Re2 Ng6 72. Rde4 Bf5 73. e6 Bxe6 ½ : ½.

Genius is pain, too. Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.