Shāh Māt

Russian Woman Grandmaster Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya and Polish Grandmaster Radosław Wojtaszek on the cover of mat, the official Polish Chess Federation magazine. They got married in Moscow on July 9. Viswanathan Anand and his wife Aruna were among the guests of the ceremony.

Aida

David Navara – Radosław Wojtaszek
48th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 23, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. h3 Be7 9. g4. For 9. f4 exf4 10. Bxf4 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. 0-0-0 Nce5 see Navara – So, Prague 2015, match game 1. 9. ... d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Bg2 Nxe3 12. Qxd8+ Bxd8 13. fxe3 Bh4+ 14. Kf1 Nc6 15. Nc5. “I decided to play this line of the Najdorf, because previously I had only used it in training games with Pentala Harikrishna”, then Navara said. 15. ... Bc4+ 16. Kg1 0-0-0 17. b3 Bg5 18. Re1 Bh4 19. Rb1 Bg5 20. Kf2. “I did not want to repeat moves, so I decided to advance my King. Analysis with the computer showed that White is not worse, although he does have to find some only moves”, Navara said. 20. ... Bh4+ 21. Kf3 e4+ 22. Kf4 g5+ 23. Kf5 Rhe8 24. Rhd1 Re5+ 25. Kf6. “Up to here was all preparation...”, Navara said. 25. ... Rg8. “During preparation, I joked that if the game ended in a quick draw, I would be disqualified for pre-arranging it, and if it was not drawm I’d be disqualified for following computer help ...”, Navara said. 26. bxc4 Rg6+ 27. Kxf7 Re7+ 28. Kf8 Rf6+ 29. Kg8 Rg6+ 30. Kh8!! “Who says ‘the Chinese Immortal’? No, it’s Navara – Wojtaszek that will remain in history of chess forever. Phenomenal!”, Grandmaster Andrey Deviatkin jubilated.

30. ... Rf6. If 30. ... Bg3? (with a direct threat of mate) then 31. Rd5! Be5+ 32. Rxe5 Nxe5 33. Rxb7! and White wins! 31. Rf1 Bf2 32. Rxf2 Rxf2 33. Rf1 Rxg2. Black should first have played 33. ... Re8+ and only then (after 34. Kxh7) 34. ... Rxg2 avoiding the Rook’s penetration. 34. Rf8+! Kc7 35. Nd5+. All chess engines quite rightly recommend 35. N5xe4(!), but it is understandable that Navara wants to win back the Exchange. 35. ... Kd6 36. Nxe7 Kxc5 37. Rf5+ Kxc4 38. Nxc6 bxc6 39. Rxg5 Rg3. “After 39. ... Rxc2 I did not see anything convincing at the board, although there are many ideas. Yesterday I had dinner with the Poles and pointed out that previously, I had only beaten Radoslaw twice, both in drawn Rook endings. So, that means today is the third...”, Navara said. Indeed 39. ... Rxc2 40. Kxh7 Kd3 looks like a draw. 40. h4 h6? A fatal faux pas. The artificial line 40. ... Rxe3 41. Kxh7 Rg3 42. h5 e3 43. h6 Kc3 44. Kg6 e2 45. h7 e1=Q 46. h8=Q+ Kxc2 would lead to a very drawish position. 41. Rg6 Rxe3 42. Kg7 Rg3 43. Kxh6 e3 44. Kg5? Navara relaxes in accuracy. After 44. g5 Rg4 45. h5 White’s two united passed Pawns apparently run faster than Black’s e-Pawn, e.g. 45. ... Re4 46. Rxc6+ Kd5 47. Rb6 Re6+ 48. Rxe6 Kxe6 49. g6 e2 50. g7 e1=Q 51. g8=Q+ and White should win. 44. ... Kd5? The decisive mistake. Correct was 44. ... Kc3! 45. Rxc6+ Kd2 46. Rd6+ Kxc2 47. Re6 Kd2 leading to a drawn game. 45. Kf4 Rh3 46. h5 c5 47. Rg5+! Kd4 48. Re5! 1 : 0. “After losing, Radek behaved impeccably and even took part in a post-mortem”, Navara said.

David Navara
Photo: Biel International Chess Festival

Nigel David Short (@nigelshortchess)

的嗒糖

---

Just two lines by Goofy

---

Radoslaw Wojtaszek – Fabiano Caruana
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Rotterdam, January 15, 2015
Dutch Defence A88

1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 d6 7. Nc3 c6 8. Re1 Na6 9. b3 Ne4 10. Bb2 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 Nc5 12. Ng5!? A novelty. The alternative 12. Nd2 d5 is roughly even, 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – M. Bartel, 41st Women’s Chess Olympiad, Tromsø 2014. 12. ... d5 13. Nh3 Ne4 14. Bb2 Be6 15. Nf4 Bf7 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. Nd3 a5 18. a4 b5!? Perhaps a little too ambitious. Black is willing to give up a Pawn of minor importance hoping to get up some sort of an attack on the Kingside. Worth considering was 18. ... Rc8 19. e3 Rc6 20. Rc1 Rxc1 21. Qxc1 Qb6 22. Qc2 Nd6 23. Rc1 Rc8 24. Qd1 Rxc1 25. Bxc1 with an edge for White (Monokroussos’ analysis). 19. axb5 Qb6 20. e3 Rfb8 21. Bf1 Qxb5 22. Ra3 Qe8 23. f3 Nd6 24. Qa1. Mounting pressure against the a5-Pawn. 24. ... g5 25. Bc3 g4 26. f4 Ne4 27. Bxa5 h5 28. Rc1 h4 29. Be1 Bf6 30. Nc5 hxg3 31. hxg3 Nxc5 32. Rxc5. White stands better; furthemore he is a Pawn ahead. With only 5 minites on the clock against opponent’s 45, Fabi skilfully finds a clever resource:

32. ... e5! 33. Rxa8!?? After long thought, Wojtaszek maximizes his practical chances of winning the game by playing a move which is not objectively the best one! The first choice of engines is 33. fxe5! Rxa3 34. Qxa3 Be7 35. Qb2! Bxc5 36. dxc5 with overwhelming compensation for the Exchange. 33. ... Rxa8 34. Qb1 exd4 35. Qxf5 Qxe3+? This move seems quite natural, but is actually inaccurate. After the less obvious 35. ... Qe6! 36. Qxe6 Bxe6 Black has good survival prospects. 36. Bf2 Qe6. Too late! 37. Bd3 Qxf5 38. Bxf5 Ra1+. Fabi found himself in time trouble and eventually it won the vertigo-dread of losing control. Here or on the next move Black should have played 38. ... Ra3. 39. Kg2 d3? 39. ... Ra3 was compulsory as the consequences of 40. b4 d3 are double-edged. 40. Bxd3 d4 41. b4 Bb3? A much cooler resistance results from 41. ... Ra4 42. b5 Rb4 seeking some chances of salvation. 42. b5+- Be7 43. Rh5 Rd1 44. Be2 Rd2 45. Bxg4 Rb2 46. Bf3 Bb4 47. b6! 1 : 0. For if 47. ... Be1 then 48. b7 Bf7 (48. ... Bxf2 loses to 49. b8=Q+ and 48. ... Rxf2+ fails to 49. Kg1 Rxf3 50. b8=Q+) 49. b8=Q+ Rxb8 50. Rg5+ Kf8 51. Bxe1 finis.

Fabiano Caruana
Photo: 彭肇勤 (Péng Zhàoqín)

Snipe

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Radosław Wojtaszek
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 16, 2015
Sicilian Defence B70

1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 Nf6 3. Nbc3 d6 4. g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. e5!? This used to be Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk’s favourite. 9. ... Nd7 10. Qa4 0-0 11. exd6 Nb6. There are just two references to the line: A) 11. ... exd6 12. 0-0 Nb6 13. Qb4 a5 14. Qf4 Be5 15. Qf3 Bf5 16. Bf4 Re8 17. Bxe5 Rxe5 18. Qxb7 Rb8 19. Qa7 Bxc2 20. Rac1 Bf5 21. Rfd1 Rc8 22. Re1 Rcc5 23. Rxe5 Rxe5 24. h3 h5 25. Rd1 Rc5 26. h4 d5 27. a4 Be6 28. Ne4 Qc7 29. Nf6+ Kf8 30. Qa6 Rc1 31. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 32. Kh2 Qxb2 33. Qxa5 Qxf2 34. Qa7 Qxf6 35. Qxb6 Kg7 36. a5 Bc8 37. Qxf6+ Kxf6 38. Bxd5 g5 39. Kg2 gxh4 40. gxh4 Kf5 41. Kg3 Kg6 42. Kf4 f6 43. Be4+ Kg7 44. Bf5 Ba6 45. Ke3 Kf7 46. Kd4 Bb7 47. Be4 Bc8 48. Bf3 Kg6 49. Be2 Kh6 50. Bb5 Bb7 51. Be8 Ba6 52. Kc5 Bc8 53. Kd6 1 : 0 Onischuk – Tolnai, 33rd International Open, Zalakaros 2014; B) 11. ... Nc5 12. Qa3 exd6 13. 0-0 Bf5 14. Bf4 Bxc2 15. Rac1 Bf5 16. Rcd1 Bd3 17. Rfe1 Qb6 18. Nd5 Qxb2 19. Qxb2 Bxb2 20. Bxd6 Rfd8 21. Bxc5 Bc2 22. Be7 Bxd1 23. Bxd8 Rxd8 24. Rxd1 1 : 0 Onischuk – Miroshnichenko, Kocaeli 2014. 12. Qf4 Qxd6 13. Qxd6 exd6 14. 0-0

14. ... Nc4. This is an enterprising move at least. The game looks fairly even. 15. Nd5 Bxb2 16. Bxb2 Nxb2 17. Rfb1 Na4 18. Nc7 Rb8 19. Na6 Ra8 20. Bxb7 Bxb7 21. Rxb7 Rfc8 22. Re1 Nc5. Another way was 22. ... Rxc2 23. Ree7 Rf8 24. Nc7 (with the threat of Nc7-e6) 24. ... Nc5 25. Rxa7 Rc1+ 26. Kg2 Rc2 and the endgame has a very drawish nature. 23. Nxc5 Rxc5 24. Ree7 Rf5 25. Rbc7. Or 25. Rxa7 Rxa7 26. Rxa7 Rc5 with equality. 25. ... a5 26. Kg2 Rb8 27. a3 Rbb5 28. f4 h5 29. Kf3 Kg7 30. Ke3 Rb1 31. Kf3 Rf1+ 32. Kg2 Rd1 33. Kf3 Rf1+ 34. Kg2 Rd1 35. Kf3 Rf1+ ½ : ½.

La vie en rose. Photo: Alina l’Ami.

顯微鏡

---

Notes by Dennis Monokroussos

---

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Radoslaw Wojtaszek
Biel/Bienne, July 21, 2014
5rk1/5ppp/1rNq1b2/1P1b4/Q2PB3/4R1P1/2p2P1P/4R1K1 w - - 2 29

Hóu Yìfán had an excellent chance to take over solo second, but spoiled a winning position against Wojtaszek. Her 29. Qxc2 was very natural, eliminating a dangerous passed Pawn and consolidating her material advantage, but after a long series of exchanges her winning chances were minimal. Instead 29. Bxd5 Qxd5 30. Re8 (threatening 31. Qa4-a3!/Qa3-b4!) would have won. After 30. ... g5 (30. ... g6 31. Qa3! mates) 31. R8e5! (not 31. Qa3 this time, because after 31. ... Rxe8 32. Rxe8+ Kg7 33. Qf8 isn’t mate; here Black is even winning) 31. ... Qf3 (not 31. ... Bxe5?? 32. Ne7+) 32. Rc5 and now White will be two Pawns up, not just one, and will win. (Dennis Monokroussos, The Chess Mind, July 21, 2014).

Moviola

• Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Alvarez, Miraculous MVL, Chess News, 21 luglio 2014

月食 (Lunar eclipse)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Radoslaw Wojtaszek
47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”; Biel/Bienne, July 21, 2014
Réti Opening A09

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. c4 d4 4. e3 Nc6 5. exd4 cxd4 6. Bg2 e5 7. 0-0 Nf6. For 7. ... Bd6 8. d3 Nge7 see Tomashevsky – Khalifman, 58th Russian Chess Championship, Moscow 2005. 8. d3 Nd7 9. Na3 Be7 10. Nc2 0-0 11. Rb1 a5 12. b3 Rb8 13. Re1 Re8 14. a3 Qc7 15. b4 axb4 16. axb4 b5

17. Nfxd4!! A deeply conceived sacrifice. 17. ... exd4. On 17. ... Nxd4 may follow 18. Nxd4 exd4 19. Bf4 Qd8 20. c5! and White has ample compensation for the sacrificed Knight. 18. Bf4 Nce5 19. Nxd4 bxc4 20. Nc6. The position has become much complicated as a result of White’s Knight sacrifice. Black has various ways of allowing her opponent to regain the piece, none of which seem to be good. 20. ... c3. A little too ambitious. Nolens volens, Black should play 20. ... Bxb4, although after 21. Rxb4 (or 21. Nxb4) 21. ... Rxb4 22. Nxb4 White keeps an edge. 21. Qa4. Possibly still winning, but now Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is starting to lose the thread. Probably stronger – and perhaps winning – was the computer move 21. d4, and also after 21. Rxe5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Bd6 23. Bxd6 Qxd6 24. Nxb8 Qxb8 25. Qc2 Qe5 26. Bc6 Re7 27. d4! Qxd4 28. Rd1 Qb6 29. Qxc3 h6 30. b5 White has much the better ending. 21. ... Rb6 22. Bxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxe5. Slowly but surely White – with an extra Pawn – has made progress. 23. ... Be6 24. Rbe1 Bf6 25. R5e3 Rf8 26. b5 Qd6 27. d4 c2 28. Be4 Bd5. Unsatisfactory, but what else to make it easier? 29. Qxc2. In serious time trouble, Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fears to play 29. Bxd5 Qxd5 30. Re5! (or 30. Re8 g5 31. R8e5!) 30. ... Qd7 (of course not 30. ... Bxe5?? because of 31. Ne7+, whilst 30. ... Qd6 31. R5e2 implies similar consequences to the text) 31. Rc5 with a huge advantage to White. 29. ... Bxe4 30. Rxe4 Rxb5 31. Re8 g6 32. Qc4 Qd5 33. Rxf8+ Kxf8 34. Rc1 Qxc4 35. Rxc4 h5 36. Kg2 Rb3 37. Nb4 Kg7 38. Nc2. I would have preferred 38. h4, since after 38. ... Bd8 39. Nc6 Bb6 40. Rc2 White’s extra Pawn is not so symbolic as in the game. 38. ... h4 39. Kf1 Rb1+ 40. Kg2 Rd1. Black is now safe. 41. Kf3 Rd2 42. h3 Rd3+ 43. Kg4 Rd2 44. Kf3 Rd3+ 45. Kg2 hxg3 46. fxg3 Kg8 47. h4 Kg7 48. Kh3 Be7 49. Ne1 Rb3 50. Rc6 Bf6 51. Rd6 Re3 52. Nc2 Rd3 53. Kg4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Radoslaw Wojtaszek
Biel/Bienne, July 21, 2014
Photos: bielchessfestival.ch

共時性

Moka pot

Radoslaw Wojtaszek – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”; Biel/Bienne, July 15, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Qd6!? 7. Nd2. Another try is 7. Bxf6, e.g. 7. ... Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qd6!? 9. a3 Ba5 10. Qa4+! Nc6 11. e3 0-0 12. Bd3 Bg4 13. Nd2 Rad8 14. 0-0 and White stands slightly better, Riazantsev – V. Gaprindashvili, Alushta 2000. 7. ... Bf5 8. e3 Nbd7 9. Bf4. For 9. Qb3 c5 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. Bb5+ Ke7 12. 0-0 cxd4 13. exd4 Rhc8 14. Rfe1+ Kf8 15. Re5 see 修德顺 (Xiū Déshùn) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2013. 9. ... Qb6 10. Be2 c5 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. Be5 0-0 13. 0-0. Of course 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Nxd5 Qxb2 doesn’t bother Black. 13. ... Rad8 14. Bd4 Bxc3 15. bxc3!? This looks a little contrived. 15. ... Qc6 16. Qc1

19. ... Nfe4 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. f3. And not 18. Bxa7? on account of 18. ... b6. 18. ... Nd6 19. Qa3 a6 20. Qc5 Rc8 21. Qxc6 Rxc6 22. a4 h5 23. Ra2 Re8 24. Kf2 Re7 25. Rb2 Nc4 26. Bxc4 Rxc4 27. Ra1 f6 28. h4 Bg6 29. Rb4 Rec7 30. Rxc4 Rxc4 31. a5 Be8 32. Ra2 Ra4. Forcing an endgame with opposite-colored Bishops. 33. Rxa4 Bxa4 34. g4 hxg4 35. fxg4 Kf7 36. g5 fxg5 37. hxg5 Kg6 38. Kg3 Kxg5 39. Bxg7 Kf5 40. Kf3 Bd1+ ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) before sunset. Photo: @ChessBase

時間表

Biel/Bienne, 12-25 luglio 2014
47° Festival Internazionale di scacchi
Torneo dei Grandi Maestri “in memoriam Hans Suri”

童话镇

Da sinistra: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Anish Giri, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Alexander Motylev, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Foto: bielchessfestival.ch

Biel/Bienne, 12-25 luglio 2014
47° Festival Internazionale di scacchi
Torneo dei Grandi Maestri “in memoriam Hans Suri”

時間表

Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno

侯逸凡应邀参加比尔特级大师国际邀请赛 　　中国棋手、现任女子世界冠军侯逸凡应邀参加2014年比尔特级大师国际邀请赛。 　　第47届比尔国际象棋节（Biel Bienne Chess Festival）将于7月12日至25日在瑞士比尔小城举行。国际象棋节是比尔的传统项目，年年举行，由特级大师国际邀请赛、大师组公开赛、25分钟快棋赛、5分钟超快棋赛、960菲舍尔制国际象棋赛、青少年赛、国际象棋-网球联赛、特级大师车轮战表演赛等一系列赛事所组成。 　　今年特级大师国际邀请赛主题是纪念已故比尔国际象棋节活动组织者苏里（Hans Suri），邀请6名棋手名单如下： 法国棋手瓦谢埃－拉格拉夫（Maxime Vachier-Lagrave），24岁，等级分2766分，世界排名第10位；荷兰棋手吉里（Anish Giri），20岁，等级分2750分，世界排名第14位；波兰棋手沃伊塔泽克（Radoslaw Wojtaszek），27岁，等级分2733分，世界排名第22位，印度棋手哈里克里希纳（Pentala Harikrishna），28岁，等级分2726分，世界排名第27位，俄罗斯棋手、欧洲冠军莫蒂列夫（Alexander Motylev）35岁，等级分2698分，世界排名第48位；中国棋手、女子世界冠军侯逸凡，20岁，等级分2629分（以上均依据比赛官方网站资料）。 　　今年特级大师邀请赛所邀请的棋手平均等级分达到国际棋联规定19级比赛水平。比赛将采用双循环赛制，共10轮。 　　用时，第一时限100分钟40步棋，第二时限50分钟20步棋，第三时限15分钟至全局终，自第一步棋起每步棋加30秒。 　　比尔特级大师邀请赛是传统的国际象棋赛事之一。蒂曼、彼得罗辛、波尔蒂什、塔尔、斯梅斯洛夫、科尔契诺伊、棋王卡尔波夫以及现任世界冠军卡尔森等许多著名棋手都曾在这个比赛中崭露头角并成长起来。此前，中国棋手卜祥志（2007）、王皓（2012）、丁立人（2013）均曾参加过特级大师邀请赛，其中王皓曾在2012年比尔大赛上成绩超越挪威棋手卡尔森夺得冠军。 根据惯例，与特级大师邀请赛同时进行的还有大师组公开赛、普通组公开赛、快棋赛、超快棋赛、960菲舍尔制国际象棋赛和维纳通青少年赛等。 　　大师组公开赛为瑞士制11轮，7月14日至25日举行，用时90分钟40步棋 30分钟至全局终，自第一步棋起每步棋加30秒。 　　普通组公开赛为瑞士制9轮，7月16日至25日举行，用时与大师组相同。 　　快棋赛为瑞士制9轮，7月13日举行，用时15分钟，每步棋加5秒。 　　超快棋赛为瑞士制13轮，7月20日举行，用时3分钟每步棋加2秒。青少年赛为瑞士制7轮，7月20日举行。青少年赛由维纳通葡萄酒基金会提供赞助，免费参赛并为每位参赛棋手提供免费午餐（正餐）和颁发奖品。比赛采用瑞士制7轮，用时15分钟包干，一天赛完。此项比赛分18岁、13岁和10岁三个年龄组。 比赛官方网站：www.bielchessfestival.ch 比赛脸书帐户：www.facebook.com/bielchessfestival [blog.sina.com.cn]

侯逸凡在成都

比爾湖 (Lago di Bienne)

Biel/Bienne, 12-25 luglio 2014
47° Festival Internazionale di scacchi
Torneo dei Grandi Maestri “in memoriam Hans Suri”

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Francia) Anish Giri (Olanda) Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Polonia) Pentala Harikrishna (India) Alexander Motylev (Russia) 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (Cina)

Lago di Bienne