Get Lucky

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 刘庆南 (Liú Qìngnán)
64th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 24, 2015
Pirc Defence B09

1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. e5 Ng4 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. h3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Nc6 11. Qe4 Nh6 12. Be3 Nf5 13. Bf2 dxe5 14. fxe5 Qe6. Another way – not after all a better one – was 14. ... Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Qe6 16. 0-0-0 Bxe5 17. Rhe1 Bxc3 18. Qxb7 Qc8 19. Qxc8+ Rxc8 20. bxc3 Rc7 21. g4 Ng7 22. Bg3 Rb7 23. Re4 h5 24. Rc4 0-0 25. Rb4 Rb6 26. Rd7 hxg4 27. hxg4 Ra6 28. a4 Ne6 29. Rxe7 Nc5 30. Be5 Rc8 31. Rc7 1 : 0 Shirov – Zaragatski, Schachbundesliga 2014/2015, Eppingen 2015. 15. 0-0-0 Nxe5 16. Rhe1 Nc6 17. Qa4 Qc8 18. g4 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Ng7 20. Nd4 Ne6 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. Qb3 Na5 23. Qb5+ Nc6 24. Be3 0-0 25. Bh6 Rf3 26. Rf1 Rxf1 27. Rxf1 Qc7 28. Rf2 Re8 29. Qe2 Ne5! 30. Qb5 Rd8 31. Qf1 Qc8 32. Rf4 g5! Black has defended very well and is still holding on his extra Pawn. 33. Rf2 Ng6 34. Qe1 Qc4 35. Kb2 Qb5+ 36. Ka1 Rd6

37. Rd2?? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) committs a grave mistake that... wins the game! Objectively, White has nothing better than 37. Qf1 Qxf1 38. Rxf1 Rd5 defending the endgame a Pawn behind. 37. ... Rxd2?? Incredibly enough, White’s blunder worked out! The right course was 37. ... Rb6 38. Qc1 Qc4 virtually winning for Black. 38. Qxe6+! 1 : 0. For after 38. ... Kh8 39. Qc8+ – the move possibly overlooked by 刘庆南 (Liú Qìngnán) – there follows mate in three moves.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: sports.sina.com.cn

優先佇列 (Priority queue)

刘庆南 (Liú Qìngnán) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
45th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 16, 2014
Sicilian Defence B89

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 a6 8. Bb3 Qc7 9. Qe2 b5 10. 0-0-0 Na5 11. Bg5 Be7 12. f4 Nxb3+ 13. axb3 b4 14. Na4 h6 15. Bh4 Bb7 16. f5 Nxe4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. fxe6 0-0 19. Nb6 Rad8 20. Qg4 fxe6 21. Qxe6+ Qxe6 22. Nxe6 Nf2 23. Nxd8 Rxd8 24. Rhg1 Nxd1 25. Kxd1 Rf8 26. Nc4 Be4 27. Nd2 Bc6 28. Ke1 Re8+ 29. Kd1 Rf8 30. Ke1 Re8+ 31. Kf2 Rf8+ 32. Kg3 Rf5 33. Nc4 d5 34. Ne3 Re5 35. Kf2 d4 36. Nc4 Rh5

37. Nd2!= (37. h3 Be4) 38. ... Rxh2 38. Nf3 Bxf3 39. Kxf3 Rh5 40. Ke4 Rh4+ 41. Kf3 g5 42. Ra1 Rf4+ 43. Ke2 Re4+ 44. Kf2 Re6 45. Rd1 Rc6 46. Rd2 Kf7 47. Kf3 Rf6+ 48. Ke2 Rf4 49. g3 Re4+ 50. Kf3 Re3+ 51. Kf2 Re4 52. Kf3 Re3+ 53. Kf2 Re4 ½ : ½.

White lace, black velvet. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).

At Last

刘庆南 (Liú Qìngnán) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
43rd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 29, 2012
Sicilian Defence B25

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Bc4 e6 5. Nge2 Nf6 6. 0-0 a6 7. d3 b5 8. Bb3 Nxb3 9. axb3 Bb7 10. Bg5 d6 11. f4 Be7 12. Ng3 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. f5 (14. Qe2 b4 15. Nd1 0-0 16. Kh1 g6 17. e5 dxe5 18. fxe5 Bg7 19. Nf2 h5 20. Nh3 Qd4 21. Rae1 Qxb2 22. Ng5 Qd4 23. Nxh5 Qh4 24. Nxg7 Qxg5 25. Rf6 Kxg7 26. Qf2 Rae8 27. h3 Re7 28. Kg1 Rc8 29. h4 Qh5 30. Rf1 Rcc7 31. Qg3 Bc6 32. R1f4 Be8 33. Rg4 Rcd7 34. Rg5 Qd1+ 35. Kh2 Qxc2 36. Rf3 Rd4 37. h5 Qd2 38. Rf6 Rxd3 39. hxg6 fxg6 40. Rgxg6+ Kh8 41. Rh6+ 1 : 0 Degraeve – Roser, 23th Cappelle-la-Grande Open, Cappelle-la-Grande 2007) 14. ... Bd4+ 15. Kh1 Qg5 16. Nge2 Be5 17. fxe6 fxe6 18. Ng1 Qg6

Now Black might pay the price for her failure to castle: 19. Nxb5! d5! The best reply. If 19. ... axb5? then 20. Rxa8+ Bxa8 21. Qa1! Bc6 (or 21. ... Bb7 22. Qa7 Bc8 23. Qc7+−) 22. Qa6 Kd7 23. Qa7+ Kc8 24. Rf7+− winning at once. 20. Nc3 Bxc3 21. bxc3 dxe4 22. dxe4 Qxe4 23. Rf2 Qd5 24. Rd2 Qg5 25. Rf2 Rf8 26. Rxf8+ Kxf8 27. Qd6+ Kg8 28. Qxe6+ Kh7 29. Nf3 Qh5 30. Qe2 Re8 31. Qf2 Qf5 32. Rf1 Re6 33. Kg1 Bxf3 34. gxf3 Qg5+ 35. Kh1 Re3 36. c4 Qe5 37. Qg3 Qf5 38. Rf2 Re1+ 39. Kg2 Re6 40. Qh4 Qe5 41. Qe4+ Qxe4 42. fxe4 Rxe4 43. Kf3 Re6 44. Rd2 Kg6 45. Rd8 Kf5 46. Rc8 Ke5 47. Rxc5+ Kd4 48. Rd5+ Kc3

49. Rd3+ Kxc2? After defending wonderfully, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) finally misses her best opportunity: 49. ... Kb4! 50. Re3 Rf6+ 51. Ke4 Re6+ 52. Kd3 Rd6+ 53. Ke2 a5 with a likely draw. 50. Re3 Rb6 51. Ke4 a5 52. c5 Rb8 53. Kd5 Rd8+ 54. Kc4 Rd2 55. h3 Kb2 56. Kb5 Rc2 57. c6 g5 58. Kb6 Ka3 59. c7 1 : 0.