Victorian Embroidery

Nafisa Muminova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 6th stage; Sharjah, August 25, 2014
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 0-0 7. h3 Qb6 8. Ba4 Rd8 9. d3 d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. d4 Nf8!? Much more accurate than 11. ... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nf8 13. Nc3 Ne6 14. Bxc6 bxc6? (this leads to a quick disaster) 15. Na4 Qb4 16. Bd2 Qb5 17. Rc1 f6 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Be3 c5 20. Nxc5 Qxb2 21. Qa4 Nxc5 22. dxc5 Bf5 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Rf8 25. f3 Bd3 26. Rcd1 Qc3 27. Re3 Bb5 28. Qb3 1 : 0 Jakubiec – Brodowski, 23rd Open, Kraków 2012. 12. Na3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Bf5 14. Be3 Ne6 15. Qd2 Be4 16. Rad1? Of course, 16. Ng5 Nxg5 17. Bxg5 f6!? (17. ... h6!?) is okay for Black, but it would have avoided the positional massacre which will follow. 16. ... Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rac8 18. f4 Kh8 19. Bb5 Bh6 20. Be2 Ng7 21. Nb5 Nf5 22. Nc3 e6 23. Bg4 Nh4 24. Kh1 Rg8 25. Rc1 Bf8 26. Red1 Qd8 27. Qe2

27. ... Rg7!! A “mysterious” Rook move which pretty soon will become quite obvious. 28. Na4 h5 29. Bf3 Nf5 30. Bg2 Qh4 31. Qd2 Be7 32. Nc5 g5 33. Nxb7 gxf4 34. Bxf4 Rcg8. And this finally solves the mystery! 35. Bg3 Rxg3! 36. fxg3 Nxg3+ 37. Kg1. 37. Kh2 is equally met by 37. ... Bg5 (eventually followed by ... Bg5-f4). 37. ... Bg5 38. Qf2 Bxc1 39. Rxc1 Nxd4 40. Re1 Ngf5 41. Nd6 Nf3+ 42. Qxf3 Qxe1+ 0 : 1. For after 43. Qf1 (or 43. Kh2 Qxe5+ followed by ... Nf5xd6) 43. ... Rxg2+! 44. Kxg2 Ne3+ mate follows in a few moves.

Nafisa Muminova vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

蜘蛛女之吻 (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Antoaneta Stefanova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 15, 2014
Queen’s Indian Defence A50

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. a3 Bb7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. d5 Bd6! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) on the track of chess artist Albin Planinc. 6. Nf3 0-0 7. g3. Another line is 7. e4 exd5 8. exd5 c6 9. Be2 cxd5 10. cxd5 Na6 11. 0-0 Re8= T. V. Petrosian – Planinc, 3rd Alekhine Memorial, Moscow 1975. 7. ... c6 8. Bg2 cxd5 9. cxd5 exd5TN (9. ... Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Ng5 Be5 12. Bxd5 Bxd5 13. Qxd5 Nc6 14. 0-0 Qf6 15. Rb1 Rfe8 16. Nf3 Re6 17. b4 Rae8 18. Be3 Ne7 19. Qxd7 Nf5 20. Bg5 Qg6 21. e4 Nd6 22. Nxe5 Qxg5 23. f4 Qe7 24. Qxe7 R6xe7 25. Rbd1 Nxe4 26. Rd4 Nc3 27. Rd3 Rc7 28. Rff3 Ne4 ½ : ½ L. Z. Stein – Planinc, International Tournament, Zagreb 1972) 10. Nh4 Be5. With Planinc on her side, who can hurt her? 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Bxd5 13. Qxd5 Nc6 14. Nf3 Bf6 15. 0-0 Re8 16. Re1 Rc8 17. Bg5 Bxg5 18. Nxg5 Qf6 19. Ne4 Qe6 20. Qxe6 Rxe6 21. Nc3 g6 22. Red1 Ne5 23. Rab1 a6 24. Kg2. 24. f4 Nc4 25. Rxd7 Nxb2 is roughly even. 24. ... Kf8 25. e3 Nc4 26. Ne2 Rd6 27. Nd4 Rc5 28. a4 Ne5 29. b4 Rc4 30. Rdc1 Rxc1 31. Rxc1 Nc6 32. Rc4

32. ... Nxd4 33. Rxd4? Nerwal: “[...] the other Pawn endgame 33. exd4 Rc6 34. Rxc6 dxc6 may just be a draw as White’s King is more active and Black doesn’t have a waiting move in reserve”. 33. ... Rxd4 34. exd4 Ke7 35. Kf3 Ke6 36. Ke4 f5+ 37. Kd3

37. ... g5? As originally shown by Nerwal, “This innocent-looking Pawn endgame may actually be just lost for White after 37. ... b5, e.g. 38. axb5 [RR 38. a5 g5−+] 38. ... axb5 39. h3 [RR 39. f3 g5!−+] 39. ... Kd5 40. f3 h6 41. Kc3 h5 42. h4 Ke6 43. Kd3 Kf6 44. Ke3 g5 45. hxg5+ Kxg5 46. Kf2 f4−+”. 38. h3 h5. Now 38. ... b5 39. axb5 axb5 40. g4! would play towards a draw. 39. Kc4 g4 40. hxg4 hxg4 41. a5. The only move! 41. ... bxa5 42. bxa5 Rd6

43. d5. Again the only move. 43. ... Ke5 44. Kc5 Ke4 45. Kd6 Kd4 46. Kxd7 Kxd5 47. Ke7 f4 48. Kf6 fxg3 49. fxg3 Kc5 50. Kf5 Kb5 51. Kxg4 Kxa5 52. Kf5 Kb4 53. g4 a5 54. g5 a4 55. g6 a3 56. g7 a2 57. g8=Q a1=Q 58. Qb8+ Ka3 59. Qa7+ Kb2 60. Qxa1+ ½ : ½.

A tough fight to the last Pawn! Photo: Kirill Merkuriev.

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.

鷹狼傳奇 (Ladyhawke)

Batchimeg Tuvshintugs – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 10, 2014
Nimzo-Indian Defence E30

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5. The so-called Leningrad Variation. 4. ... c5 5. d5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 d6 7. e3 Qe7 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nf3 h6 10. Bh4 Nb6. (10. ... e5 11. Nd2 Nf8 12. Bxf6! Qxf6 13. 0-0 Qe7! 14. Qc2 Nd7 15. f4 Nf6 16. Rae1 0-0 17. f5 a6 18. Ne4⩲ Timman – Romanishin, 9th Interpolis Chess Tournament, Tilburg 1985) 11. dxe6!? Maybe better than 11. 0-0?! as 11. ... g5! 12. Bg3 e5 13. Nd2 h5 14. f3 h4 15. Bf2 (Dolmatov – E. P. Geller, Moscow 1987) 15. ... Nh5!? 16. Qc2 Ng7 (Δ ... f7-f5) would favour Black. 11. ... Bxe6 12. Nd2 (12. 0-0!?) 12. ... 0-0-0.

Alina l’Ami: “[...] later on [侯 (Hóu)] pointed out that perhaps her opponent should have decided upon a different continuation on move 13, to have castled when it was still possible, since after:” 13. a4?! d5! Black launches a powerful attack against White’s centre! 14. Qe2 g5 15. Bg3 dxc4 16. Nxc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4 Ne4 19. h3. Also after 19. Qe2 h5 20. h4 g4 Black has a dominant position. 19. ... Nxg3 20. Qg4+ Qd7 21. fxg3 Rhe8 22. Ke2? Very poor, but neither 22. Qe2 Rxe3! nor 22. 0-0 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Rxe3 24. Rxf7 Rd7 would have allowed a long resistance. 22. ... f5 0 : 1.

As they say, victory is never easy. Photo: Kirill Merkuriev.

吃苦 (Chīkŭ)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nana Dzagnidze
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 1st stage; Geneva, May 15, 2013
Sicilian Defence B84

1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 d6 9. Kh1 Nbd7 10. Bf3 0-0 11. a4 Nb6. No better results came from 11. ... Re8 12. g4 Nf8 13. g5 N6d7 14. Bg2 b6 15. f5 Bb7 16. Qg4 Ne5 17. Qh3 Qc4 18. Be3 Bd8 19. f6 Nfg6 20. Nce2 Qc7 21. Ng3 gxf6 22. gxf6 Nd7 23. Nh5 Kh8 24. Bh6 Qc4 25. Bg7+ Kg8 26. Qe3 Nde5 27. h3 Nh4 28. Qh6 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Galliamova, 8th Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2007. 12. Qe1 e5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Rfe8 15. g4 e4. Black has no other choice than aim for complications, being already in serious trouble. The text implies an Exchange sacrifice. 16. Nxe4 Qxc2 17. Qc3 Rac8 18. Qxc2 Rxc2 19. Nc3. Black’s Rook is trapped. 19. ... d5 20. Bd1 Rxc3 21. bxc3 Bc5 22. Ba3 Bxa3 23. Rxa3 Nc4 24. Ra2 Ne4 25. Re2 Kf8 26. Rf3 Ke7 27. Bc2 Kd6 28. Bxe4 dxe4 29. Rh3 e3 30. Rxh7. Black’s position is resignable, but Dzagnidze doesn’t surrender: 30. ... Kd5. His Majesty goes to war! 31. Kg2 Ke4 32. Rxg7 Kd3 33. Re1 Kd2 34. Ra1 Nd6 35. f6 (35.c4+−) 35. ... e2 36. Rg5 Nc4 37. Rd5+ Kxc3 38. Kf2 (38. Rd7! e1=Q 39. Rxe1 Rxe1 39. g5+−) 38. ... Ne3 39. Rd7? (39. Rc5++−) 39. ... Nxg4+ 40. Ke1? (40. Kf3 Nxf6 41. Rxf7 e1=Q 42. Rxe1 Rxe1 43. Rxf6 b5=) 40. ... Kb2

Stunned by her opponent’s incredible resistance, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) threw all her advantage, and now it is she who has to strive for survival. 41. Rxb7+? The climax of a dramatic turning of tables. Correct was 41. Rxf7 Kxa1 42. h3! Nh6 43. Rxb7 Re4 44. Re7 Rf4 45. Re6! Rxa4 46. Kxe2 with a draw at hand. 41. ... Kxa1 42. Rxf7 Re4 43. Re7 Rxf4 44. f7 Nh6 45. Kxe2 Nxf7 46. a5 Nd8 47. Ra7 Rf6 48. h4 Nc6 49. Rg7 Nxa5 50. h5 Nc6 51. Rg6 Rxg6 52. hxg6 Ne7 53. g7 a5 54. Kd3 Kb2 55. Kd4 a4 56. Ke5 a3 57. Kf6 Ng8+ 58. Ke5 0 : 1.

 

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Nana Dzagnidze. Photos credit: Anastasiya Karlovich.

毒兵變著 (Poisoned Pawn Variation)

Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 1st stage; Geneva, May 3, 2013
Sicilian Defence B97

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6!? 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 h6 11. Bh4 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Bd3. The alternative is 16. Be2 Be7 17. Bh5+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7 20. Rxb7 [20. Rf7 Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rf8 22. Rxg7 Rc8 23. h3 Rc6 24. Qxh6 Kc8 25. Bg4 Qxc2 26. Re1 Qc3 27. Rxe6 Rxe6 28. Bxe6 Rf1+ 29. Kh2 Qe5+ 30. Rg3 Qe1 31. Qh8+ Kc7 32. Qc3+ Qxc3 33. Rxc3+ Kd6 34. Bxd7 Kxd7 35. h4 Ke6 36. h5 Kf6 37. Rc7 Kg5 38. Rxb7 Kxh5 39. Rb6 d4 40. Rxa6 d3 41. Rd6 Ra1 42. Kg3 Rxa2 43. Rd5+ Kg6 44. Rxd3 Ra6 45. Rd4 Rb6 46. Kf4 Ra6 47. Kg3 Rb6 48. Rg4+ Kh6 49. Kh4 Ra6 50. Rg8 Kh7 51. Rg5 Kh6 52. g4 Rb6 53. Rc5 Kg6 54. Rg5+ Kh6 55. Rh5+ Kg6 56. Rg5+ Kh6 ½ : ½ N. A. Kosintseva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, Rostov-on-Don 2011] 20. ... Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rb8 22. Rxb8+ Nxb8 23. Qe2 Qb5 24. Qxb5 axb5 25. Rf7 Nc6 26. Rxg7 Rf8 27. Kg1 Nb4 28. Rb7 Nxc2 29. Rxb5 Ke7 30. a4 Ra8 31. Rb2 Ne3 32. Kf2 Nc4 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. Bd1 e5 35. Rh7 Nb2 36. Rxh6+ Kc5 37. Bc2 Nxa4 38. h4 Nc3 39. Bf5 Ra2+ 40. Kf1 Ra1+ 41. Kf2 Ra2+ 42. Kf1 Nd1 43. g4 Ne3+ 44. Ke1 Kd4 45. Bc8 Ng2+ 46. Kd1 e4 47. h5 e3 48. Ba6 Nf4 49. Rb6 Nd3 50. Bxd3 Kxd3 51. Rb3+ Ke4 52. h6 d4 53. h7 Rh2 0 : 1 Shirov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2012. 16. ... Be7 17. Bg6+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7! 20. Rf7. Probably better than 20. Rxb7 Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Ra7 22. Rb3 Rf8 23. Rxf8+ Nxf8 24. Rb8+ Ke7 25. Bh5 g6 26. Qxh6 Qf2 27. Qg7+ Kd6 28. Qxf8+ Qxf8 29. Rxf8 gxh5 30. Rc8 e5 31. h4 d4 32. Kg1 Rf7 33. Ra8 Kd5 34. Rxa6 Rc7 35. g4 Rxc2 36. gxh5 d3 37. Ra8 d2 38. Rd8+ Ke4 39. Kf1 Ke3 0 : 1 Motylev – Sutovsky, 39th Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010. 20. ... Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rf8 22. Rxg7 Rf6! It seems an improvement on 22. ... Kc7 23. Qe1!↑ T. A. Kosintseva – Forsaa, 9th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2011.

23. Bd3. If 23. Qxh6 then 23. ... Qf8 (23. ... Qb4!? might also be good for Black) 24. h4 Ne5 25. Qh7 Rf1+ 26. Rxf1 Qxf1+ 27. Kh2 Qf4+ with perpetual check. 23. ... Kc7 24. c4 d4 25. Qe2 Raf8 26. Qe4 b6 27. Qh7 Rd8 28. a4 Qe5 29. h3 Qc5 30. Ra1 Kd6 31. Rb1 Kc7 32. Kg1 Qe5 33. Kh1 ½ : ½.

Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich