Girl from Nowhere

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Harmen Jonkman
69th Corus Chess Tournament (Group C); Wijk aan Zee, January 13, 2007
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. 0-0 Bd7 6. c3 g6 7. Re1 Bg7 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. Ba4 Qe8 10. Bb3 h6 (10. ... Nh5 11. Nf1 Nd8 12. Ne3 Kh8 13. d4 f6 14. g3 Rc8 15. Bc2 Nf7 16. Ng2 Bh6 17. Bxh6 Nxh6 18. Qd2 Kg7 19. Nfh4 g5 20. Nf5+ Nxf5 21. exf5 Kh8 22. dxe5 dxe5 23. Be4 Bc6 24. Qe2 Ng7 25. Rad1 Bxe4 26. Qxe4 Qb5 27. b3 Rfd8 28. h4 h6 29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Ne3 Kg8 31. Nd5 Kf7 32. Nxc7 Qc6 33. Nd5 Rh8 34. c4 Rh6 35. Kg2 Rch8 36. Rh1 Rxh1 37. Rxh1 Rxh1 38. Kxh1 a5 39. Kg1 b5 40. g4 Ne8 41. Qh1 bxc4 42. Qh7+ Ng7 43. Qg6+ Kf8 44. bxc4 1 : 0 T. A. Kosintseva – C. A. Foișor, 10th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Saint Petersburg 2009) 11. d4 Nh5 12. Nh4 Kh7

13. Nf5. White gives up a Pawn for the initiative. What follows is not precisely forced, though it is quite correct: 13. ... exd4 14. Nxg7 Nxg7 15. Nc4 dxc3 16. bxc3 Be6 17. Qd2 g5 18. f4 f6 19. Ne3 Bxb3 20. axb3 Qxe4 21. Nd5 Qf5 22. Nxc7 Rac8 23. Nd5 Rce8 24. Bb2 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Re8 26. Rf1 g4 27. c4 Re6 28. Kh1 h5 29. Qf2 Ne7 30. Nc7 Re4 31. Nb5

31. ... Qc5? At last Black succumbs to emotional pressure. After 31. ... Ne8! Black’s Knight seems to defend everything. 32. Qc2+− f5 (32. ... d5 33. Nc3+−) 33. Qc3 Ne6 34. Qh8+ Kg6 35. Qf6+ Kh7 36. Qxe7+ Kg6 37. Qf6+ Kh7 38. Nxd6 Qf2 39. Qxf5+ 1 : 0.

In the Cage

Dimitri Reinderman – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
71st Corus Chess Tournament (Group B); Wijk aan Zee, January 19, 2009
English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Nf6 10. Qa4+ c6 11. Rd1 Bd7 12. Nc3 0-0 13. e4 Qb6 14. Qc2 Bg4 15. Re1 Be6 16. h3 Rad8 17. Be3 Qa6 18. f4 Nd7 19. e5 Bc5 20. Ne4 Bxe3+ 21. Rxe3 Qb6 22. Qf2 f6 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. Ng5 Bd5 25. Bxd5+ Nxd5 26. Rb3 Qxf2+ 27. Kxf2 Rd7 28. Ne6 Re8 29. Nc5 Rde7 30. Nxb7 Re2+ 31. Kf3 h5 32. Nd6 R8e3+ 33. Rxe3 Rxe3+ 34. Kf2 h4. 34. ... Rd3 35. Nc4 h4 was also possible. 35. Rg1 hxg3+ 36. Rxg3 Re6 37. Nf5 g6 38. Nd4 Rf6 39. f5 c5 40. Nf3

40. ... Rxf5? After a series of forced moves, Black finally goes astray. The right move was 40. ... Ne7! 41. Nh4 (41. fxg6 Nf5=) 41. ... Kf7 with excellent drawing chances. 41. Rxg6+ Kf7 42. Ra6 Nf4 43. Rxa7+ Ke6 44. h4 Nd3+ 45. Kg3 Nxb2 46. Kg4 Rf8 47. h5

47. ... c4? Her only hope for a draw consisted in 47. ... Nc4! heading for f5 via e3. 48. h6 c3 49. h7 Kd5 50. Ne1 Nc4 51. Kg5 Nd6 52. Kg6 Ne8 53. Rf7 Rh8 54. Rf3 Kd4 55. Nc2+ Kc4 56. Rh3 1 : 0. Black finally ended up in zugzwang.