A Circle Squared

And finally, here is the awarding ceremony of the 2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University which was held on Saturday evening. Circle pictured second from left: Sophie Milliet, Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Miguel Santos Ruiz, Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov, Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli, Amador González de la Nava, Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, Karina Szczepkowska-Cyfka, and Fernando Castaño. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.

Sensorium

If nothing else, one secret will stay buried in the library of Salamanca University, as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) succeeded in scoring the consolation goal on her last round game against the winner of last year’s inaugural edition of the “Torneo Magistral”, Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, by turning a very drawish Queen and Knight (♀) vs. Queen and Bishop (♂) ending into a winning bet, and thus finishing in fourth place behind Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli, Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov, and Miguel Santos Ruiz. The score of the game was not yet made public, apparently due to a broadcasting blackout. Photo: Ángel Almeida/La Gaceta de Salamanca.

Crashdown

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 30, 2019

Caro-Kann Defence B10

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Nxe4 (5. ... Nbd7?? 6. Nd6 mate, Keres – Arlamowski, Szczawno Zdrój 1950) 6. Qxe4 Qd5 7. Qh4 Qe6+ 8. Be2 Qg4 9. Qg3 Qxg3 10. hxg3 g6 11. a4!? An interesting strategic novelty which will provide White with a lasting initiative, though in the end 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) won’t achieve more than a drawish endgame, probably due to some omissions along the way. Proof theory gave 11. d4 Bg7 12. Bh6 Bf6 13. Ne5 Be6 14. 0-0-0 Nd7 15. f4 Rg8 16. g4 Rd8 17. c4 Bxe5 18. fxe5 Nb6 19. b3 g5 20. Kc2 f6 21. exf6 exf6 22. Kc3 Kf7 23. Rdf1 Rg6 24. Bd3 Bxg4 25. Bxg6+ Kxg6 26. Re1 Nc8 27. c5 Rg8 28. a4 a5 29. b4 axb4+ 30. Kxb4 Rd8 31. Kc3 b6 32. Kc4 Bf5 33. Re3 Bc2 34. Bxg5 Kxg5 35. Rg3+ Kf5 36. Rxh7 Bxa4 37. Rh5+ Ke6 38. Re3+ Kf7 39. Rh7+ Kg6 40. Rc7 Bb5+ 41. Kc3 bxc5 42. dxc5 Kf5 43. g3 Kg6 44. Kb4 Rd4+ 45. Kc3 Rd8 46. Kb4 Rd4+ ½ : ½ Bacrot – Topalov, 3rd Grand Chess Tour, 1st stage, Rapid Tournament, Paris 2017. 11. ... Bg7 12. a5 Bf5 13. c3 e5 (13. ... Nd7 14. d4 0-0 15. 0-0 Rfd8 16. Re1⩲) 14. d3. After 14. d4!? exd4 15. Nxd4 Bxd4 16. cxd4 0-0 17. g4 Be6 “Two Bishops and the better King gives White the upper hand”, says Grandmaster Vasif Durarbayli. 14. ... Nd7 15. Be3 0-0 16. Nd2 Nf6 17. Nc4 (17. f3⩲) 17. ... Nd5 18. Bc5 Rfd8 19. Nd6 b6 20. Nxf5 bxc5 21. Nxg7 Kxg7 22. Rh4 Rab8 23. Ra2 f5 24. Rc4 Rb5 25. Kd2 Nf6 26. Kc2 Ne8 27. Rca4 Nd6 28. a6 Kf6 29. Ra5 Rdb8 30. c4 Rxa5 31. Rxa5 Rb6 32. f4 e4 33. dxe4 Nxe4 34. g4 fxg4 35. Bxg4 Nd6 36. Rxc5 Rxa6 37. Bf3 Nf5 38. Kc3 Ne7 39. Re5 h5 40. b4 Ra3+ 41. Kd4 Ra4 42. Kc5 a5 43. b5 cxb5 44. cxb5 Rxf4 45. Re1 Rf5+ 46. Kb6 Nc8+ 47. Ka6 Re5 48. Rc1 Re6+ 49. Kxa5 Nd6 50. b6 h4 51. Bg4 Re5+ 52. Ka6 Re4 53. Bd7 Re2 54. Ka7 Rxg2 55. Rd1 Ra2+ 56. Kb8 Nc4

57. Rf1+. A pretty drawing variation is 57. b7! Na5 58. Rd6+ Ke7 59. Ra6 Kxd7 60. Rxa5 Rxa5 stalemate. 57. ... Ke7 58. b7?? Crashdown. 58. Kc7 should still be enough for White to draw the game. 58. ... Kxd7 59. Rd1+ Nd6 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is still struggling to recover her best form after her year of full-time study at the University of Oxford. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.

Time to Think

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 28, 2019

English Opening A13

In her fourth round game against Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) wasn’t able to handle the “slow rapid” time control, and the melodramatic way in which she “self-mated” shows how far from the board she has taken herself, since she has been spending her sabbatical year studying at the University of Oxford. 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. b3 Be7 5. Bb2 0-0 6. Qc2 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. h4 Nxc3. Alternatively, a key line may be 9. ... h6 10. g4!?∞↑ Carlsen – Ganguly, 5th World Rapid Chess Championship, Doha 2016. 10. Bxc3!? A new take on quite a recent game: 10. dxc3 f5 11. Rd1 Qe8 12. g4 fxg4 13. Ng5 Qh5 14. Bg2 Ne5 15. c4 with an ideal attacking position, Cornette – Niemi, 5th TV2 Fagernes International, Fagernes 2018. 10. ... Nb4 11. Qb1 Nd5 12. Ng5 f5 13. Bb2 Bf6 14. Bc4 Bd7 15. e4 Bxb2 16. Qxb2 fxe4 17. Qe5 Rf5 18. Qd6 (18. Qxe4? Qf6 19. 0-0 h6∓)

18. ... Qc7 19. Qxc7 Nxc7 20. Nxe4? 20. 0-0 h6 21. Nxe4 Bc6 is somewhat easier for Black, but quite tenable. 20. ... Bc6 21. Ng3 Re5+ 22. Kf1 Rd8 23. Rd1 Bb5? (23. ... Nd5!∓) 24. f3 Red5 25. Ne4 b6 26. Ke2 Bxc4+ 27. bxc4 Rd3 28. a4 e5 29. a5 Ne6 30. axb6 axb6 31. Rb1 Nf4+ 32. Kf1 R8d4 33. Rxb6 Rxc4 34. Kf2 h6 35. Rb8+ Kh7 36. Ra1 Rd7? 36. ... Rxe4! 37. fxe4 Rxd2+ 38. Kf3 Rd3+ 39. Kg4 Nxg2 is dynamically balanced. 37. Raa8 Kg6 38. Ra6+ Kh7 39. g3 Nh5? 40. g4? Simply 40. Ke3 would have left Black short of good moves. 40. ... Nf6 41. Rxf6 Rxe4 42. Rff8. 42. Rxh6+ Kxh6 43. fxe4 Rxd2+ 44. Ke3 Rh2 is a dead draw. 42. ... Rxd2+ 43. Kg3 Ree2 44. h5?? And here is 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s blundering self-mate. 44. Rh8+ Kg6 45. Rb6+ Kf7 46. g5 hxg5 47. h5! gives White sufficient counterplay for a draw. 44. ... Rg2+ 0 : 1. For mate in two follows.

Dataclisma

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Miguel Santos Ruiz

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 28, 2019

Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3. In her round one game against Ponomariov, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) continued instead with 5. Bxc6. 5. ... 0-0 6. 0-0 d6 7. h3 Ne7 8. Ba4 Bb6 9. Re1 Ng6 10. Nbd2 c6 11. d4 exd4. The alternative 11. ... Re8 leaves White with a lasting initiative: 12. Bc2 h6 13. a4 Bc7 14. Nf1 d5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. f4 Bc7 18. e5 Ne4 19. Bxe4 dxe4 20. Qh5 Be6 21. Ng3 Bb6+ 22. Be3 Qd3 23. Nf1 Rad8 24. f5 Bb3 25. f6 Qd5 26. Bxb6 axb6 27. fxg7 Qxe5 28. Qxh6 Qxg7 29. Qh4 Rd3 30. Re3 Re6 31. Rae1 Rh6 32. Qf4 Rxh3 33. Rxd3 Rxd3 34. Rxe4 Be6 35. Ne3 Rd8? 36. Re5! 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Bacrot, 50th Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2017. 12. cxd4 d5 13. e5 Nh5 14. Bc2 Nhf4 15. Nf1 f6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) entered a variation which is assessed as quite uncomfortable for White. 16. Ng3. After 16. Bxf4 Nxf4 17. Qd2 fxe5 18. Rxe5 Qf6 19. Re3 Be6 20. Rae1 Rae8 White’s position deteriorated very quickly in Kasimdzhanov – Giri, 3rd HMC Calder Cup Élite, Rosmalen 2014 (maybe because in a rapid tournament): 21. Ng3 c5 22. Ne5 cxd4 23. Rf3 Qg5 24. Qb4 d3 25. Bxd3 Nxh3+ 0 : 1. 16. ... fxe5 17. Nxe5. Only relatively better is 17. Bxg6 Nxg6 18. Bg5 Qc7 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 (Svidler – Anand, Candidates Tournament, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014) and now Anand ought to have capitalised on his advantage with 20. ... Rxf2!∓ remaining a clear Pawn to the good.

17. ... Qh4? Much stronger was 17. ... Qf6!→ with too many threats to meet, Antipov – Ragger, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015. 18. Bxg6 Nxg6 19. Nxg6 hxg6 20. Be3 Bc7 21. Qd2 Bxg3. The “dual” 21. ... Bxh3!? 22. gxh3 Rf3! 23. Kg2 Raf8 is obviously more unclear, but it seems that Black has enough compensation for at least a draw. On the other hand, after the text the draw follows as a matter of course. 22. fxg3 Qxg3 23. Bf2 Qd6 24. Bh4 Bd7 25. Re5 Rae8 26. Rae1 Rxe5 27. Rxe5 Re8 28. Bg3 Rxe5 29. Bxe5 Qe7 30. Qa5 Bf5 31. Qxa7 Be4 32. Qb8+ Kh7 33. Qc7 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) took some risk in the opening, but not so much as to make her opponent feel like a winner. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.

Thoughts and Memories

Karina Szczepkowska-Cyfka – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 27, 2019

Modern Benoni A61

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. h3 a6 8. a4 Qe7 9. Nd2. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) never abandoned her inconstant devotion to the Modern Benoni, perhaps also to exorcise a bad memory: 9. Bf4 Nbd7 10. e3 Bg7 11. Be2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nd2 Ne8 14. Nc4 b6 15. Qd2 f5 16. Rfe1 Ne5 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. e4 f4 20. d6 Nxd6 21. Rad1 Rd8 22. Qc2 Kg7 23. Kh2 Qh4 24. Bf1 Be6 25. Nd5 Nf7 26. g3 fxg3+ 27. fxg3 Qh5 28. Qc3 Ng5 29. Nf4 Qh6 30. Qxe5+ Kg8 31. Qc7 Rdc8 32. Qd6 Bb3 33. Rd3 c4 34. Rxb3 cxb3 35. Qd5+ Nf7 36. Bc4 Qg7 37. Re2 Rd8 38. Qe6 Re8 39. Qd7 Rbd8 40. Qb7 Rb8 41. Qa7 Qf6 42. Nd5 Qf3 43. Nf4 1 : 0 Bobrowska-Soćko – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament, Khanty-Mansiysk 2012, tie-break game 2 (time control: 25minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 9. ... Nbd7 10. e4 Bg7 11. Be2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Nb6 Qc7!? Possibly a new move in place of 14. ... Ned7 15. Nxc8 (Shabtai – Lev, Tel Aviv 1992) and now Black should have retaken by 15. ... Rbxc8 with near equality. 15. a5 Ned7 16. Nc4 b5 17. axb6 Nxb6 18. Na5 Nbd7 19. Nc4 Ne8 20. Bf4 Rb4 21. Na2 Rb8 22. Nc3 Nb6 23. Na5 f5 24. Nc6 Ra8 25. Bg5 Bb7. Black has clearly lost the theoretical duel, and after, let’s say, something like 26. Re1! it is hard to imagine how she may get out of her bad situation. 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. exf5 Bf6 28. Bxf6+ Nxf6 29. Nc6 gxf5. 29. ... Nbxd5!? 30. Nxd5 Qxc6 31. Ne3 gxf5 32. Bf3 Ne4 might have been a little better. Nonetheless, in the next few moves White probably let her grip relax a bit too much. 30. Bf3 Rae8 31. Qd3 Nbd7 32. Rfe1 Bxc6 33. dxc6 Ne5 34. Qd1 Nxc6 35. Rxe8 Rxe8 36. Nd5 Nxd5 37. Qxd5 Nd4 38. Rxa6 Qe7 39. Bh5? Overlooking a tactical point.

39. ... Rd8? Here 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses 39. ... Qg5! which wins material for Black, for if 40. Bxe8?? then 40. ... Qc1+ 41. Kh2 Ne2 with inevitable mate. 40. Ra1 Rb8 41. b4 Qf6 42. Ra8 Rxa8 43. Qxa8+ Kg7 44. bxc5 dxc5 45. Qa7+ Kh6 46. Bd1 Qe5 47. Qb6+ Kg7 48. Qb7+ Kf6 49. Qb6+ Qe6 50. Qd8+ Kg7 51. Qc7+ Kg6 52. Qxc5. By now White can even afford to leave her Bishop to its fate without running any risk of losing the game. 52. ... Qe1+ 53. Kh2 Qxd1 54. Qd6+ Kh5 55. Qd5 Kg6 56. Qd6+ Kh5 57. Qd5 Qd2 58. Qf7+ Kh6 59. Qf6+ Kh5 60. Qf7+ Kh6 61. Qf6+ Kh5 62. Qf7+ Kh6 ½ : ½.

Luck on the Line

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 27, 2019

Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Bg4 7. Nc4. If 7. h3 then 7. ... Bh5 8. Nf1 Nd7 9. Ng3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g6 11. Be3 Qe7 12. 0-0-0 0-0-0 with approximate equality, Anand – Carlsen, Chennai 2013, World Chess Championship match game 7. 7. ... Nd7 8. h3 Be6. 8. ... Bh5 transposes into well-known fields; for instance: 9. g4 Bg6 10. Qe2 Qe7 11. Bd2 0-0-0 12. 0-0-0 f6 13. Ne3 Nf8 14. Nf5 Qf7 15. Kb1 Ne6 16. Be3 Rhe8 17. Bxc5 Nxc5 18. Qe3 b6 19. Rhe1 Ne6 20. d4 Bxf5 21. gxf5 Nxd4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Rxd4 Rxd4 24. Qxd4 Qh5 25. Qe3 g6 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. f4 Rh8 28. Rh1 g5 29. fxg5 Qxg5 30. Qf3 Kb7 31. b3 ½ : ½ Láznička – Goganov, 17th European Individual Chess Championship, Gjakova 2016. 9. Na5 Rb8. 9. ... Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Bxa5 11. Bxa5 c5 12. Bc3 f6 also seems finely balanced, Warmerdam – Swinkels, 10th BPB Limburg Open, Maastricht 2016. 10. 0-0 f6 11. Qe1 0-0 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. Qxe3 c5 14. a3 c6 15. b4 Qc7 16. Nd2 b6 17. Nab3 Qd6 18. bxc5 Nxc5 19. Nxc5 bxc5 20. Rfb1 Rb6 21. a4 Rfb8 22. Rxb6 axb6 23. a5!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gives up the a-Pawn in order to force a Queen ending a Pawn down, feeling confident that she would be able to save it. Quite probably 23. c4!? Rd8 24. a5! bxa5 (not 24. ... Qxd3?? on account of 25. Qxd3 Rxd3 26. axb6 Rxd2 27. b7+−) 25. Nb3= would have set White on a safer way towards a draw. 23. ... Ra8 24. Nb3. 24. a6 Bc8 must ultimately lead to the fall of the a-Pawn anyway, with little difference with respect to the game. 24. ... Bxb3 25. cxb3 Rxa5 26. Rxa5 bxa5 27. Qe2 Kf8 28. Qg4 Qxd3 29. Qc8+ Kf7 30. Qxc6 Qd4 31. g4 h6 32. Qc7+ Kg6 33. Qxa5 Qxe4 34. Qxc5 Qb1+ 35. Kg2 Qxb3 36. Qc6 Qd3 37. h4 e4 38. Qe6 Qf3+ 39. Kg1 Qf4 40. Kg2 Qe5! The best offer. 41. Qxe5?? It sounds like a curse for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to go into a dead lost Pawn endgame! The best and almost only move was 41. Qd7! keeping the Queens on the board with pretty good drawing chances. 41. ... fxe5 42. Kf1

42. ... h5? Luckily for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Ponomariov misses his big chance: 42. ... Kf6!!−+ 43. Ke2 g5! 44. h5 Ke6 45. Kd2 Kd6! winning by force. 43. gxh5+ Kf5 44. Ke1 Kg4 45. Ke2 Kf4 46. h6! The only move to save the game. 46. ... gxh6 47. h5 e3 48. f3 e4 49. fxe4 Kxe4 50. Ke1 Kf3 51. Kf1 Kg4 52. Ke2 Kf4 53. Ke1 Kf3 54. Kf1 e2+ 55. Ke1 Ke3 stalemate.

Well, there’s not much to say except that Pawn endings can be tricky. Photo: Manuel Laya/El Norte de Castilla.

From Stage to Screen

The presentation of the 2nd Masters Tournament of Salamanca University was held today in the Palacio de Figueroa in Salamanca, Spain in the presence of the four women and four men participating, with four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and former FIDE World Chess Champion and winner of last year’s inaugural edition Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (both pictured below) to lead the respective gender groups. Photos: CD Ajedrez Salamanca.