Time Out of Joint

Sino-Indian Rivalry

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – Divya Deshmukh
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 4th stage; Nicosia, March 22, 2025
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 a6 9. a3 0-0 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Bd3 f5 12. exf6 Nxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Bxf6 14. 0-0-0 b5 15. Ne2 Bd7 16. Bc5 $1 Rf7 17. h4 Qc7 18. Ng5 Bxg5 19. hxg5 g6 20. Be3 b4 21. a4 b3 22. Qxb3 Na5 23. Qb6 Bxa4 24. Nc3 Nc4 25. Qxc7 Rxc7 26. Bd4 Bc6 27. Rde1 Re8 28. b3 Na3 29. Be5 Rb7 30. Nd1 d4 31. Nf2 Bxg2

Black has gained a Pawn, but at the cost of conceding her opponent a dangerous initiative.
32. Ng4! Bxh1 33. Nf6+ Kf7? The losing move; she ought to play 33. ... Kf8! 34. Rxh1 Ree7 35. Bd6 Nb5! with better chances of defence.
34. Rxh1 h5 35. gxh6! Rc8 36. h7 Rxc2+ 37. Kd1 1–0. There could still follow 37. ... Rxb3 38. h8=N+! Ke7 (38. ... Kf8 39. Bd6+ Kg7 40. Rh7+ Kxf6 41. Rf7#) 39. Rh7+ Kf8 40. Nf7+ Kc8 41. Nd6+ Kb8 42. Nb5+ and mate will come in a few more moves.

Today 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) got the better of Divya Deshmukh. Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.

Flaounes

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – Olga Sergeevna Badelka
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 4th stage; Nicosia, March 15, 2025
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nbd2 Re8!? By her own admission, 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr)’s theoretical knowings did not include this move.
8. b4. She also considered 8. d4, but wasn’t sure it worked.
8. ... Bb6 9. Nc4 a6 10. Nxb6 cxb6 11. Ba4 d5 12. Qe2 Bg4 13. h3 Bh5 14. Bg5 b5 15. Bb3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 d4

According to 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) this was the critical moment in the game. By her next move White takes the upper hand and holds it till the end of the game.
17. c4!± h6. If 17. ... Nxb4 then 18. cxb5 axb5 19. Qg3 (Δ f2-f4) with powerful compensation for the Pawn.
18. cxb5 axb5 19. Bd2 Qe7 20. h4 Nh7 21. Rac1 Nd8 22. Qg3 Kh8 23. Rc5 Ra6 24. h5 Nf6 25. Qh3 Ne6 26. Rxb5 Rc6 27. Qf5 Nd8 28. Rc1 Rxc1+ 29. Bxc1 b6 30. Bd2 Qc7 31. f4 exf4 32. Qxf4 Qc6 33. Rf5 Nh7 34. b5 Qc8 35. Qd6 Ne6 36. Qxb6 Nhg5 37. a4 Re7 38. Qd6 Rc7 39. Rf1 Nc5 40. Bxg5 hxg5 41. Rc1 Kh7 42. Bd5 Ne6 43. Rxc7 Nxc7 44. Bxf7 g4 45. Qg6+ Kh8 46. h6 Ne8 47. hxg7+ 1–0.

Brick by Brick

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 26, 2025
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Re8 10. d4. 10. Ng5 Rf8 may sound like an invitation for a draw by repetition.
10. ... h6 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Re1 Bf8 13. Bc2 Nb8 14. b3 Nbd7 15. Bb2 c6 16. a4 Qc7 17. c4!? This may be a novelty. If 17. Bd3 then 17. ... d5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. Qc2 Bd6 21. Nf3 Qh5 22. e5 Bxe5 23. Nxe5 Rxe5 24. Rxe5 Qxe5 25. c4 d4 26. axb5 cxb5 27. cxb5 Qd5 28. Bf1 Rc8 29. Qd3 axb5 30. Rd1 b4 31. Bxd4 Ne4 32. Bb6 Qe6 33. Bd4 Bd5 34. Re1 Qc6 35. Qe3 Ng5 36. Qg3 Re8 37. Rxe8+ Qxe8 38. Be3 Ne4 39. Qc7 Bxb3 40. Qb7 Ng5 41. Qxb4 Bd5 42. Qg4 Qe4 43. Bxg5 Qxg4 ½–½ 陈琪 (Chén Qí) – Beliavsky, 18th Gibraltar Masters, Catalan Bay 2020.
17. ... b4 18. a5!? 18. c5 exd4 19. Bxd4 Rad8 leaves White with little or nothing.
18. ... Rad8. 18. ... exd4!? 19. Nxd4 g6 was perhaps Black’s most “thematic” treatment.

19. d5! Rc8 20. Bb1 Qd8 21. Nh2 g6 22. Ndf1 cxd5 23. cxd5 Rc5 24. Ra4

24. ... Bc8? The beginning of all trouble. Best was 24. ... Rb5! as after 25. Bd3 Nc5 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. Rxb4 (27. Ra2 Nfxe4 gives Black excellent compensation) 27. ... Qxa5 28. Qd2 Nd3! Black wins back the Exchange with at least an even game.
25. Ne3 Rxa5 26. Rxb4 Rc5 (26. ... Nb6 27. Nc4±)
27. Rc4 Rb5 28. Ba3 Qa5 29. Ra4 Qc7 30. Bd3 Rb8 31. b4 Nb6 32. Ra5 Be7 33. Qf3 Qc3 34. Qe2 Qc7 35. Rc1 Qd8 36. Nhf1 Ra8 37. Ng4 Nh5. Black is suffering on both wings. After 37. ... Nxg4 38. hxg4 she could not avoid the loss of the a-Pawn.
38. Nxh6+ Kg7? 38. ... Kf8 is comparatively better, but 39. Qf3 Nf4 40. Ng4 leaves White a Pawn ahead, with a crushing advantage.
39. Nf5+! Bxf5 40. exf5 Nf4 41. Qf3 Nxd3 42. Qxd3 Qd7 43. Rc6 Reb8 44. fxg6 fxg6

45. Bb2! With the destructive threat of Bb2xe5+.
45. ... Qf5 46. Qxf5 gxf5 47. f4 Bf6 48. Ng3 Kf7 49. Nxf5 Nc8 50. Rxc8! 1–0.

Add another to those heartbreaking case histories entitled “the Spanish Torture”, as Tartakower used to call the Ruy López. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

Tea in the Desert

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 24, 2025
Spanish Game C82

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Qd7 10. Nbd2 Rd8 11. Qe2 Nc5 12. Nd4 Bg4 13. Qe3 Ne6 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Qg3 Bf5 16. Nf3 Bc5 17. Kh1 Bd3 18. Re1 Qb6 19. Be3 0-0 20. Rad1 Bxe3 21. Rxe3 Be4 22. Ng5 Nxg5 23. Qxg5 Qg6 24. h4 c6 25. f3 h6 26. Qf4 Bc2 27. Rd2 Bxb3 28. axb3 Rfe8 29. b4 Re6 30. Kh2 Rde8 31. Rde2 h5 32. Re1 Ra8 33. Qg5 a5 34. f4 Qxg5 35. hxg5 g6 36. bxa5 (36. Ra1!? a4 37. Kh3⩲)
36. ... Rxa5 37. g4 hxg4 38. Kg3 Kg7 39. Kxg4

39. ... Ra8?⊕ (39. ... Re8 40. Rh3 Ra4 41. Reh1 Re4=)
40. Rh3 Ree8 41. Reh1 Kf8

42. e6! Ra4 (42. ... fxe6 43. Rh7 b4!? 44. cxb4 Rab8 45. R1h6 Rxb4? 46. Ra7!+−)
43. exf7 Re7 (43. ... Ree4 44. Rh8+! Kxf7 45. R1h7+ Ke6 46. Rf8 Kd6 47. Rg7+−)

44. Rh8+! Kxf7 45. R1h6 Ree4 46. R6h7+ Ke6 47. Rf8 Kd6 48. Rg7 b4 49. Rxg6+ Kc5 50. Rgf6 Re2 51. Rc8 Ra6 52. cxb4+ Kxb4 53. Rcxc6 Ra1 54. Rfd6 Rd1 55. g6 d4 56. Kf5 Rg2 57. Rc7 d3 58. Rcd7 d2 59. g7 Rdg1 60. Rxd2 Rxd2 61. Rxd2 Rxg7 62. Kf6 1–0.

It was like a pool of quicksand after a long walk in the desert. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

The Long Afternoon

Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 20, 2025
5k2/1bq1b3/1pp5/4Pp1p/2Pp1PpP/3P2K1/8/Q2BN3 w - - 3 75

Position after 74. ... Bc5-e7

With regard to the diagram, Black has a Pawn ahead and a manifest advantage. So it’s understandable that White rushes to take back her Pawn, so as to balance material. And yet...
75. Qxd4? And yet this is White’s losing mistake as it dramatically eases the entrance of Black’s light-squared Bishop into the scene. White’s best chance lay in 75. Qa7! Ke8 (75. ... c5? 76. Ba4!) 76. c5! sacrificing a second Pawn for light-square horizons and initiative.
75. ... c5! 76. Qc3?! Not good, but 76. Qe3 Qd8 is only another Zugzwang nightmare.
76. ... Qd8!? Or 76. ... Qc6! 77. e6 Kg8 winning by Zugzwang.
77. Ng2 Kg8 78. Bc2 Bxg2 79. Kxg2

79. ... Qa8+! 79. ... Bxh4? 80. Qa1! would give White concrete drawing chances.
80. Kg1 Qf3 81. Qd2 Qg3+ 82. Kf1 Qxh4 83. Qg2 g3 84. Bd1. If 84. Qf3 then 84. ... Qh3+ 85. Qg2 Qg4! and Black should win.
85. ... Qxf4+ 85. Qf3 Qxf3+! Naturally! The ending is easily won for Black in spite of Bishops of opposite colours.
86. Bxf3 h4 87. Kg2 Kg7 88. Bd5 Kg6 89. Kf3 Kg5 90. Bc6 Bd8 91. Bd7 Bc7 92. e6 Bd6 93. Bc6 Kf6 94. Bd5 h3 0–1.

A Long Wait

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 20, 2025
Grünfeld Defence D90

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h4!? dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. d5

7. ... Bg4. The critical alternative is 7. ... b5! 8. h5 0-0 9. hxg6 fxg6 10. e5 Ng4 11. d6 e6 12. Rxh7 Kxh7? (much better is 12. ... Rf5 13. Rh3 Nc6 14. Nxb5 Ngxe5 15. Nxe5 Rxe5+ 16. Be3 Nd4 17. Bxc4 Nxb5 18. Qd3 Nd4 19. Qxg6 Qf6 20. Qe8+ Qf8 21. Qg6 Qf6 22. Qe8+ Qf8 23. Qg6 Qf6 24. Qe8+ Qf8 ½–½ Gledura – Tari, 28th TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, Malmö 2018) 13. Ng5+ Kg8 14. Qxg4± Rf5 15. Qh4 Rxe5+ 16. Be2 Qe8 17. Nxb5 Qxb5 18. Qh7+ Kf8 19. Qxg6 Rxg5 20. Bxg5 Qxb2 21. Rc1 Kg8 22. Qe8+ Kh7 23. Rxc4 Qa1+ 24. Bc1 Bh6 25. Bd3+ 1–0 鹿妙夷 (Lù Miàoyí) – Moral García, 5th Festival Internacional de Ajedrez, San Cristóbal de La Laguna 2023.
8. Qa4+!? A novelty by Kosteniuk. White usually takes the c-Pawn with the Bishop.
8. ... Bd7. Black gives up a Pawn in order to gain in development.
9. Qxc4 0-0 10. Qxc5 e6 11. dxe6 Bxe6 12. Ng5 Nc6 13. Bf4?!

13. ... Ng4! Threatening ... Bg7-d4. White finds nothing better than to give back her extra Pawn.
14. e5 Ncxe5 15. Rd1 Qe8 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bg3 Rc8 18. Qb5 Qe7?! There is no objective ground to play for a win, if not for training purposes. More realistic was 18. ... Qxb5 19. Bxb5 Nc4 with balanced play.
19. Be2 Rf5? A bad idea which costed 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) much of her thinking time, but she’s caught in the mirage of an attack against the King.
20. Qa4 b5? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) continues to play in pure “coffee-house” style, burning the bridges behind her.
21. Nxb5 Qc5

22. 0-0! Did she perhaps forget that White could still castle?
22. ... Ne3!? The pointe of Black’s sacrificial attack. But Kosteniuk very cooly refutes and rejects all her opponent’s conclusions.
23. b4! Qb6 24. Nd6 Nxf1 25. Nxc8 Nxg3 26. Nxb6 Nxe2+ 27. Kf1 Ng3+ 28. Kg1 Ne2+ 29. Kf1 Ng3+ 30. Ke1 Nf3+ 31. gxf3 Bc3+ 32. Rd2 axb6. The smoke has cleared and Black is left to lick her wounds. Kosteniuk asserts her material superiority with impeccable technique.
33. Qe8+ Kg7 34. Qe7+ Rf7 35. Qxe6 Nf5 36. Kd1 Bxd2 37. Kxd2 Rf6 38. Qe4 Rd6+ 39. Kc1 Kf6 40. a4 Rd4 41. Qc6+ Rd6 42. Qc7 Ke6 43. Qxh7 Ne7 44. h5 gxh5 45. Qxh5 Nd5 46. Qg4+ Ke7 47. Qe4+ Kd7 48. f4 Kc7 49. Kb2 Nf6 50. Qe7+ Nd7 51. Kc3 Rf6 52. Qe4 Rd6 53. Kc4 Rc6+ 54. Kb5 Rd6 55. a5 bxa5 56. bxa5 Rf6 57. Qc4+ Kb8 58. a6 Rb6+ 59. Ka5 Rb1 60. Qd4 Kc7 61. a7 Nb6 62. Qxb6+ Rxb6 63. a8=N+ Kd6 64. Nxb6 Ke6 65. Kb5 1–0.

If anything, the challenger to the title of “chess queen” learned something new today. Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE.

冰雪女王 (The Snow Queen)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nafisa Muminova
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 14, 2014
Catalan Opening E04

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg2 a6 5. d4 dxc4 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Nbd2!? Nxd4 8. Nxc4 Bc5. The alternative is 8. ... Nxf3+ 9. Bxf3 Be7 10. Qc2 0-0 11. Rd1 Qe8 12. Bf4 Nd5 13. Bxc7 Qc6 14. Be5 b5 15. Bxd5 exd5 16. Ne3 Qxc2 17. Nxc2 f6 18. Bd4 Be6 19. Ne3 Rac8 20. Rac1 Kf7 21. f4 g6 22. Kf2 h5 23. a3 b4 24. axb4 Bxb4 25. Rc2 Rxc2 26. Nxc2 Be7 27. Ra1 Rc8 28. Ne3 Rc6 29. Ra4 Bd6 30. Nd1 Bd7 31. Ra1 Rc4 32. Ke3 Rc6 33. Nc3 Be6 34. Kd3 Bf5+ 35. Ke3 Be6 36. Kd3 Bb4 37. e3 Bf5+ 38. Kd2 Ke6 39. Ke2 Be4 40. Kd2 Kf5 41. Ke2 Kg4 42. Kf2 Kh3 43. Kg1 h4 44. gxh4 Kxh4 45. Kf2 Kh3 46. Kg1 Kg4 47. Kf2 Kf5 48. Kg3 a5 49. Kf2 Rc8 50. Kg3 Rc4 51. Kf2 Ke6 52. Kg3 Bf5 53. Kf2 Rc8 54. Kg3 g5 55. Ra2 Rg8 56. fxg5 fxg5 57. Ra1 Rg6 58. Kg2 Rh6 59. Ra2 Bh3+ 60. Kg1 Rh4 61. Ne2 Kf5 62. Ng3+ Kg4 63. Bc3 Kf3 64. Bd4 Rh6 65. b3 Be1 66. Nf1 Rc6 67. Ra1 Bf2+ 0 : 1 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Basque Tournament, 北京市 (Běijīng) 2013. 9. Nfe5 0-0 10. Be3 Ba7 11. Rc1 c5 12. Bd2 Nd5 13. e3 Nb5 14. Qe2 Nd6 15. Rfd1 Nxc4 16. Nxc4 b5 17. Ba5 Qe7 18. e4 Nb4 19. Bxb4 cxb4 20. Ne5 Qg5 21. Nc6 e5 22. h4 Qf6 23. b3 a5 24. Rc2 Bb7? 25. Nxa7 Rxa7 26. Rc7 Qb6. Black cannot realistically avoid the doubling on the seventh rank; an amusing (but not forced) variation is 26. ... Rd8 27. Rcd7 Rxd7 28. Rxd7 Qb6 29. Qxb5! and White wins. 27. Rdd7. As they say, two Rooks on the seventh rank are almost always enough to force victory... 27. ... a4 28. Kh2! h6 29. Qe3! An admirable blend of strength and beauty! 29. ... Qa6. Despair, for after 29. ... Qxe3 30. fxe3 Black likewise doesn’t avoid big losses. 30. Qc5! axb3. Chivalrously Black allows checkmate, but by now there is nothing to be done, for if 30. ... g6 then 31. Qe7 wins.

31. Qxf8+! 1 : 0. For if 31. ... Kxf8 then 32. Rd8#.

侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) vs. Nafisa Muminova. Photo: Kirill Merkuriev.

Iron Girl

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Batkhuyag Munguntuul
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11; 5th stage; Ulaanbaatar, August 10, 2010
Sicilian Defence B83

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Be7 7. f4 0-0 8. Be2 Nc6 9. Qd2 e5 10. Nb3. Interesting is 10. Nf5 Δ 10. ... Nxe4?! 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. Nxe4 exf4 13. Bxf4 Qxe4 14. Bxd6 Rd8 15. 0-0-0⩲ (Lothar Vogt’s analysis). 10. ... a5 11. a4 Be6. More usual is 11. ... exf4 12. Bxf4 Be6 after which there can follow, for instance, 13. Rd1 Qb6 14. Be3 Qb4 15. Nd4 Ne5 16. 0–0 Rac8 17. Kh1 Nc4 18. Bxc4 Rxc4 19. Qc1 Rcc8 20. Bg5 Qc5 21. Nf5 Bxf5 22. Rxf5 Qc4 23. Qe3⩲ Spasov – Vogt, 16th “Interpolis” International Tournament, Tilburg 1992.

12. f5! Bxb3 13. cxb3 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 d5 15. f6 Bb4 16. Nc3 d4 17. fxg7 Re8 18. Bc4!? A novelty by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). An earlier game continued 18. Bg5 dxc3 19. bxc3 Bxc3 20. Qxc3 Qxg5 21. 0-0 e4 with fine play for Black, Krämer – Vorobiov, 16th Czech Open GMA, Pardubice 2007. 18. 0-0-0 is probably White’s best. 18. ... dxe3 19. Qxe3 Qd4 20. Qf3 Re7 21. Rf1 Qf4 22. Qh3 Qe4+ 23. Kf2 Bc5+ 24. Kg3 Qg6+ 25. Qg4 Kxg7 26. Ne4 Qxg4+ (⌓ 26. ... Be3! 27. Rf6 Bf4+ 28. Kh3 Qxg4+ 29. Kxg4 Rd8=) 27. Kxg4 Bd4 28. Rf6 Rg8 29. Raf1

29. ... Kh8+? The present punctuation was then suggested by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) herself, who apparently thought that 29. ... Nd8 at once was Black’s best play. 30. Kh3 Nd8 31. Bxf7 Nxf7 32. Rxf7 Rxf7 33. Rxf7. “I spend too much time thinking in opening. After exchange of Queens an equal situation developed. But I lost a Pawn on f7, and lost a difficult endgame”, Munguntuul said afterwards. 33. ... Rg7 34. Rf8+ Rg8 35. Rxg8+ Kxg8 36. Kg4 Kf7 37. Kf5 Ke7 38. g4 Kd7 39. Nf6+ Kc6 40. Nxh7 Kc5 41. g5 Bxb2 42. Nf6 Bc1 43. h4 Kb4 44. h5 1 : 0.

“In the middlegame I sacrificed a Pawn e4 and got an initiative. My opponent had better position, I think. The endgame was equal but as I think 29. ... Kh8+ was a mistake which gave me the opportunity to win”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) eventually summed up. Photo: FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11.

顿河畔罗斯托夫 (Rostov-on-Don)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elina Danielian
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 1st stage; Rostov-on-Don, August 8, 2011
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3!? dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 (5. ... exd4 6. Bc4→) 6. c3 Nd7 7. Bd3 Bd6 8. 0-0 Ngf6 9. h3 Bh5 (9. ... Bxf3 10. Qxf3 0-0 11. Be3 exd4 12. cxd4 c5=) 10. Nbd2

“I believe the critical moment was before I castled as I could have played 10. ... b5 in order to prevent 11. Nc4”, Danielian said afterwards. “There was also another possibility: 10. ... Qc7 so as to reply to 11. Nc4 with long castling. I’m not sure I chose the best continuation”. 10. ... 0-0 11. Nc4 Qc7 12. Qc2 (12. Be3 Rfe8 13. Qc2 Bg6∞ Zvjaginsev – Bareev, 13th Russia Cup, Saint Petersburg 2009)

12. ... Bg6. “I think I had a good position after the opening”, Danielian said. “Maybe somewhere I ought to have played better, for instance not 12. ... Bg6 but 12. ... Rfe8 at once. An interesting game with plenty of ideas for both sides”. 13. Bg5⩲ Rfe8

14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nh4. “I did not prepare much; after 3. f3 the game is very complex, which was what I wanted”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then said. “Long castling is a very interesting idea, which by the way I missed during the game. I think that after I took on f6, doubling Black Pawns and conquering f5, I was already better. My game was easier and much more pleasant as Black actually looked quite harmless”. 15. ... Kh8 16. Kh1 Rg8 (16. ... exd4!? 17. cxd4 Rad8) 17. Ne3 (17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Nce3±) 17. ... Rae8 18. Ng4 exd4 19. cxd4 c5? (19. ... Bf4 20. Rf3±)

20. Nxg6+! fxg6 (20. ... hxg6 21. e5+−) 21. Bb5! That’s all: Black has to suffer both material and positional losses. 21. ... Rgf8 22. dxc5 Be7 23. b4 a6 24. Ba4 b5 25. Bb3 Ne5 26. Ne3! Nc6 27. Nd5 Qe5 28. a4 Bd8 29. axb5 axb5 30. Qd3 Qxe4 31. Qxb5 Nd4 32. Qc4 Re5 33. Rae1 (33. Rf4+−) 33. ... Qxe1 34. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 35. Kh2 Re4 36. Qd3 f5 37. Qc3 Bh4 38. Bc2 Be1 39. Qa1 Rh4 40. Qxe1 1 : 0.

Mighty 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Anna Denisovna Burtasova.

诙谐曲 (Scherzo)

诸宸 (Zhū Chén) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–2011; 3rd stage; Nalchik, April 29, 2010
Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Qe8!? An invention by Grandmaster Raymond Keene. 7. b4 d6 8. Bb2 b6. 8. ... Nbd7 9. e3 a5 10. Bd3 Nb6 11. Qc2 Qa4 also gave Black a very comfortable equality in Arlandi – Tatai, 49th Italian Chess Championship, Chianciano Terme 1989. 9. Qf3 d5 10. Rc1 c6 11. e3 a5 12. bxa5 bxa5 13. Qd1 Ba6 14. Nf3 Nbd7 15. Bd3 Nb6 16. Nd2 Rb8 17. Bc3 Qe7 18. Ra1 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 dxc4 20. Be2 Nd5 21. Bxa5 Rb3 22. 0-0 Rxa3 23. Qc2 Ra8

24. e4?? A dramatic blunder that loses at once. 24. Qb2 was called for with a view to regaining the Pawn. 24. ... Nf4 25. Bf3 Rxf3! The Rook is obviously taboo because of ... Qe7-g5+ followed by mate. 26. Bd2 0 : 1.

A symbolic handover: from Qatar to China. Photo: Ilya Akhobekov, Eldar Mukhametov.