The Siren Song

Arkadij Mikhailovich Naiditsch – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting; Dortmund, July 3, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E48

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Ne2 Bd6 8. 0-0 Re8 9. Bd2 a5 10. Rc1 b6 11. Ng3 Ba6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Qa4 Nb4 14. Nf5 Bf8 15. a3 c5 16. Ng3 g6 17. Nce2 Na6 18. dxc5 Nxc5 19. Qd1 h5 20. Nd4 h4 21. Nge2 h3 22. g3 Nfe4 23. Be1 a4 24. Nf4 Qd7 25. Bb4 Rac8 26. Nde2 Rcd8 27. Nc3 Qf5 28. Nb5 Ng5 29. Nd4 Qd7 30. Rc2 Nge4 31. Re1 Bg7 32. Ree2 Rc8 33. f3 Ng5 34. Kf2 Kh7 35. Qf1

35. ... Nb3 36. Rxc8 Rxc8 37. Bc3 Rc4 38. Nxb3 Bxc3 39. Nd2 Bxd2 40. Rxd2 Qc6? (40. ... Qf5! 41. Qd1 b5) 41. Nxh3 Ne6 42. Nf4 Nxf4 43. gxf4 Rc1 44. Qg2 Qc4 45. Kg3 Kg7 46. f5 Re1 47. Qf2 Rf1 48. Qe2 Qc1 49. Rc2 Rg1+? (49. ... Re1) 50. Kf4 g5+ 51. Ke5 Re1 52. f6+ Kh6 53. Rxc1 Rxe2

54. Rc3? (54. e4!) 54. ... Rxb2 55. Kxd5 Kg6 56. Rc6 Rb3 57. Ke4 b5 58. Rb6 Rxa3 59. Rxb5 Kxf6 60. Rb6+ Kg7 61. Ra6 Ra2 62. Kf5 Ra3 63. Kxg5 Rxe3 64. Rxa4 ½ : ½.

A crazy game by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who first dominated, and then saved herself by miracle. Photo: Dagobert Kohlmeyer.

Double Eclipse

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting; Dortmund, June 28, 2015
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Qe2 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. d3 h6!? 7. Nbd2 d6 8. 0-0 Ne7 9. d4 a6!? A subtle Pawn sacrifice. 10. dxc5?! White grabs it, though to the detriment of her own development. 10. Bd3 exd4 11.cxd4 Ba7∞ was probably the best policy. 10. ... axb5 11. cxd6 Qxd6 12. Qxb5 Ng6 13. Re1. Also 13. Nc4 Qd3 14. Qc5 (14. Re1 Bg4) 14. ... b6 15. Qxc7 Ba6 would leave Black with a very comfortable game. 13. ... b6 14. Nc4?! Oblivious to the danger. 14. Qf1! and if 14. ... Ba6 then 15. c4 eventually followed by b2-b3. 14. ... Qe6 15. Ne3?! (15. Qb3 Bb7⩱/∓) 15. ... Nxe4 16. Qd5

16. ... Nc5! An astonishing refutation. 17. b4. The Rook is taboo, for if 17. Qxa8 Bb7 18. Qa3 then 18. ... Bxf3! 19. gxf3 Nh4! 20. Kh1 Nd3! finis. 17. ... Bb7 18. Qxe6 Nxe6 19. Nf5 Rfd8! Kramnik finishes energetically. 20. a4 Rd3 21. Be3 Rxc3 22. a5 Rb3 23. axb6 cxb6 24. Rxa8+ Bxa8 25. Bxb6 Bxf3 26. gxf3

27. ... Ng5! 27. Kh1 Nxf3 28. Re4 Nf4 0 : 1.

Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort made the first move for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Dagobert Kohlmeyer.