百慕達三角 (Bermuda Triangle)

17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) posing amidst her two seconds 倪华 (Ní Huá) (right) and 王玥 (Wáng Yuè) (left). Especially 倪华 (Ní Huá) has been 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s personal trainer since 2016, after she expressly asked him for help in making her dream to become Women’s World Champion a reality. Since they both were born and live in 上海 (Shànghǎi), it hasn’t been difficult to set up hard training sessions both at the 上海 (Shànghǎi) Chess Academy and at 倪华 (Ní Huá)’s home. Photo: sohu.com.

黑瞎子岛 (Большой Уссурийский)

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – 倪华 (Ní Huá)

China – Russia Challenge Match; 抚远 (Fǔyuǎn), 黑瞎子岛 (Hēixiāzi Island), July 31, 2015

Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Re1 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 0-0 12. Re2 a6 13. Bf4 Qd7 14. Rae1 Rae8 15. c4. If, instead, 15. Qe3 might follow 15. ... f6 16. Qe6+ Qxe6 17. Rxe6 Kf7 18. Bxc7 Ba3 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Rb1 b5 and Black’s position seems to compensate for the Pawn, Nepomniachtchi – Fridman, 12th European Individual Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 15. ... dxc4 16. Qxc4 Bd6? A hasty move by which Black only gets to simplify the game in the opponent’s favour. After 16. ... b5 17. Qd3 Bf6 18. c3 White has only a slight plus. 17. Rxe8 Rxe8 18. Rxe8+ Qxe8 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. d5 Ne7. Clearly not 20. ... Ne5?? on account of 21. Nxe5 dxe5 22. d6 and wins.

21. Qc7! Very accurately calculated. 21. ... Nxd5 22. Qxb7 Nc3 23. Qxa6 Qb8 24. g3 h6 25. a4 Qb1+ 26. Kg2 Qxc2. Although Black has won back his Pawn, White will easily win the game by virtue of his passed a-Pawn. 27. Qc8+ Kh7 28. a5 Qb2 29. Qc6. Whereas 倪华 (Ní Huá) was hoping for 29. a6?? Nd1 when White has nothing better than the perpetual (30. Qc8+). 29. ... d5 30. Qb6 Qa2? Tougher resistance is offered by 30. ... Qb5, although after 31. h4! Black cannot hope to save the game. 31. a6 Ne4 32. a7 g5 33. Ne5 Kg7 34. Nd3 d4 35. Qxd4+ Nf6 36. Nc5. Threatening both Nc5-d7 and Nc5-e4. 1 : 0. For after 36. ... Qxa7 37. Ne6+ White wins the Queen.

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin vs. 倪华 (Ní Huá)
Photo: sinochess (@sinachess)

The Woman in the Wood

倪华 (Ní Huá) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
40th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), June 5, 2009
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 Nxe4 6. cxd6 Nxc3 7. bxc3 exd6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. 0-0 Nc6. After 9. ... 0-0 10. Rb1 Nd7 (or 10. ... Qxa2 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. Re1↑ Yandemirov – Dubinsky, Smolensk 1997) 11. Re1 Bf6 12. Rb5 Qxa2 13. Ng5↑ White’s initiative more than compensate for the Pawn, Benjamin – Kudrin, 4th Toronto International Open, Toronto 1998. 10. Re1 0-0 11. Rb1 Qc7TN 12. Be4 Bg4 13. Qd3

13. ... Kh8? (⌓ 13. ... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Rab8⩲) 14. Nd4 Nxd4. Now after both 14. ... Rab8 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rxb8 Rxb8 17. Qe4 and 14. ... Ne5 15. Rxb7! White would win at least a Pawn. 15. cxd4 f5

16. Rxb7 Qa5 (16. ... fxe4 17. Qxe4+−) 17. Qd2 Qxd2 18. Bxd2 Bf6 19. Bd5 h6 (19. ... Bxd4 20. h3 Bh5 21. Rb4 Bc5 22. Rh4 Bf7 23. Bxa8+−) 20. c3+− Rae8 21. f3 Bh5 22. Rxa7 Rxe1+ 23. Bxe1 Re8 24. Ra8 Bd8 25. Kf1 Kh7 26. Bc6 Rf8 27. a4 Bf7 28. d5 f4 29. a5 Bg6 30. Ke2 1-0