Light-in-Flight

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
Chinese Chess League Division A; 绍兴 (Shàoxīng), August 22, 2015
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qe2 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 b5 10. a3 Be7 11. g4 Rb8 12. Bg2 h6 13. Bh4 Bb7. For 13. ... b4 14. axb4 Rxb4 15. Bf2 g5 see 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – Negi, 11th Asian Continental Chess Championship, Ho Chi Minh City 2012. 14. Rhe1 Nb6 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. e5 dxe5 17. Ndxb5. Very bold play by 韦奕 (Wéi Yì). 17. ... axb5 18. Nxb5 Qc5. Another modus vivendi was 18. ... Qe7 19. Bxb7 Kf8 with a very unclear position. 19. b4. The immediate 19. Nd6+ followed by Nd6xb7 is probably the best. 19. ... Qe7 20. Nd6+ Kf8 21. Bxb7 exf4 22. Qf3 Nc4 23. Nxc4 Qxb7 24. Qxb7 Rxb7 25. Ne5 h5 26. Rd7 Rxd7 27. Nxd7+ Ke7 28. Nxf6 Kxf6 29. gxh5 e5 30. b5 Kf5 31. a4 f3 32. b6? Sinking into the abyss. Necessary was 32. Kd2 Kf4 33. Rb1 e4 34. b6 Rd8+ 35. Ke1 e3 36. Rb4+ Kf5 transposing into the same position of the game. 32. ... e4? Losing a vital tempo, which gives White King time to rush toward the enemy Pawns. The immediate 32. ... Kf4! left White with no resource. 33. Kd2 Kf4 34. Rb1 e3+ 35. Ke1 Rd8 36. Rb4+ Kf5 37. b7

37. ... Rd2? 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) was in serious time trouble and overlooked one really good opportunity here: 37. ... f2+ 38. Ke2 Rd2+ 39. Kxe3 Nf1+ 40. Kf3 Nxh2+ 41. Kg3 (or 41. Ke3 Nf1+) 41. ... Nf1+ drawing by perpetual check. 38. Rf4+! Surprise! 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) finds himself also in Zeitnot, nonetheless he shows all the elegance of his play. 38. ... Kxf4 39. b8=Q+ Kf5 40. Qc8+ Ke5 41. Qc7+ Ke4 42. Qe7+ Kd4 43. Qb4+ Kd5 44. Qb7+ 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: sinochess (@sinachess)

Peaceful Warrior

周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
49th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 14, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. dxc5 Qa5 9. Rc1 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 0-0 11. Nd4 Qxc5. This is a supposed improvement on 11. ... Re8 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 13. Bb5 Bd7 14. Bxd7 Nxd7 15. c6 bxc6 16. Nxc6 Qxa2 17. Nb4 Qc4 18. Qxd5 which left White with one not-too-meaningful Pawn more, 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd International Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2012. 12. Bf4 Nb6 13. Nb5 Bg4 14. Qd4 Rfc8 15. Be5 Bd7 16. Qxc5 Rxc5 17. Nd4 Re8 18. Nb3 Rc6 19. Bd4 Nc4 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21. Bxc4 dxc4 22. Nd4 Bf5 23. Nxf5 Rxf5 24. Ke2 Ra5 25. Rc2 Rd8 26. Rb1 b6 27. Rb4 Rc5 28. a4 f5 29. Rd2 Rxd2+ 30. Kxd2 Kf7

31. e4 fxe4 32. Ke3 Ke6 33. Kxe4 Re5+ 34. Kf4 Rf5+ 35. Ke3 Re5+ 36. Kf4 Rf5+ ½ : ½.

Matter Matters

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
44th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), April 24, 2013
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Nd7 7. Nc4 Qe7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bd2 Rd8 10. Rb1 f6 11. b4 Bd6 12. Nh4 Nf8 13. Nf5 Qf7 14. a4 Ne6

15. b5 cxb5 16. Ncxd6 cxd6 17. axb5 d5 18. exd5 Nc7 19. Qg4 Bxf5 20. Qxf5 Qxd5 21. Rb4 Qd7 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. f4 Nd5 24. Rb3 Nxf4 25. Bxf4 exf4 26. Rxf4 Re8 27. h3 Re2 28. Rf2 Re1+ 29. Kh2 Kf7 30. Kg3 h5 31. Rd2 g5 32. Kf2 Re6 33. d4 h4 34. c4 Re4 35. Rbd3 b6 36. c5 Rf4+ 37. Kg1 bxc5 38. dxc5 Rxd3 39. Rxd3 Rf5 40. Rd7+ Ke8 41. Rc7 Kd8 42. Rc6 Kd7 43. Rd6+ Kc7 44. Rc6+ Kd7 45. g3 hxg3 46. Kg2 Rd5 47. Rxf6 ½ : ½.

However, in a chess game it’s not only the moves to matter. Photos: go.sina.com.cn.

Beautiful That Way

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
43rd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 30, 2012
Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e5 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. a4 Qc7 9. Bd3 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Kh1 Nc5 12. Qe1 Re8. If 12. ... b6 there might follow 13. fxe5 dxe5 14. Bg5 Be6 15. Nh4 Nh5 16. Be3 Nxd3 17. cxd3 Rad8 18. Rd1 Bc5 19. Nf3 Rd7 20. Bxc5 bxc5 21. Qe3 h6 22. Rd2 Rfd8 23. Ne2 Qd6 24. Rc1 Rc7 25. h3 Bd7 26. Rc4 Be6 27. Rc3 Bd7 28. b3 Be6 29. Rdc2 Rb8 30. Nd2 Nf4 31. Nxf4 exf4 32. Qf2 Rd8 33. b4 c4 34. dxc4 Qxb4 35. Qxf4 Rdc8 36. Rg3 Qxa4 37. Qxh6 Qa1+ 38. Kh2 Qe5 39. Qe3 Bxc4?? 40. Qc3+− Re8 41. Qxe5 Rxe5 42. Rgc3 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Ghader Pour, 2nd Asian Indoor Games (Team Classical Chess), Macau 2007. 13. Nh4 exf4 14. Bxf4 Be6 15. Bg3!? Perhaps a novelty. On the other hand, the theoretical references weren't encouraging: 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. exf5 Nxd3 17. cxd3 Qb6 18. Qf2 Qb3 19. a5?! d5 and Black stands better, Nordby – Pytel, Skien 1978. Or 15. Bg5 d5 16. e5 Ng4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Nf3 Rad8 19. h3 d4! 20. Ne4 Ne3 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Qh4 h6 23. Rf2 Bd5 24. Qf4 Re7 25. Qxd4 Qxd4 26. Nxd4 Nxg2! 27. Kh2 Rxe5 28. Nf5 Ne3!−+ Goichberg – Pytel, Skien 1978. 15. ... Qb6 16. Rb1 Qb4 17. Bf4 d5 18. Bd2 dxe4 19. Nxe4 Qxa4? This could be the decisive mistake! 19. ... Nxd3 20. cxd3 Qxa4 was called for. 20. Nxc5 Bxc5 21. Rxf6! Bc4. Se 21. ... gxf6 allora 22. b4! with decisive interference on the fourth rank; for instance: 22. ... Bf8 23. Qe4 Bg7 24. Qxh7+ Kf8 25. Rf1 with overwhelming attack. 22. Qg3 Bxd3 23. cxd3 Qc2 24. Rbf1! Qxd2 25. Nf5 g6. 25. ... Bf8 is also met by 26. Rxf7! Kxf7 (neither 26. ... g6 27. Qh4!+− nor 26. ... Qxb2 27. d4 g6 28. Nd6+− are better at all) 27. Nxg7+ Ke7 (or 27. ... Kg8 28. Nxe8+ and mate in two moves) 28. Qc7 mate. 26. Rxf7!! The bolt from the blue. 26. ... Bf8 (26. ... Kxf7 27. Qc7++−)

27. Nh4?? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s blind spot! 27. Qh4!+− was a very worthy corollary of her shining combination: 27. ... Kxf7 28. Ne7+! Ke6 (28. ... Kg7 29. Qf6+ Kh6 30. Nf5+ Kh5 31. Qh4 mate) 29. Qe4+ Kd7 (29. ... Kd6 30. Rf6+ Kc7 31. Qe5+ Kd7 32. Qd6 mate) 30. Qxb7+ Kd6 (30. ... Ke6 31. Qd5+ Kxe7 32. Rf7 mate) 31. Qd5+ Kc7 (31. ... Kxe7 32. Rf7 mate) 32. Qc6+ Kb8 (32. ... Kd8 33. Qd6 mate) 33. Qb6 mate. 27. ... Bg7!= 28. Rxb7 Rf8 29. Nf3 Qxd3 30. Re1 Rae8 31. Rxe8 Rxe8 32. h3 Qd1+ 33. Kh2 Bf8 34. Rb6 Rd8 35. Rb8 Qd6 36. Rxd8 Qxd8 37. Kh1 Qd1+ 38. Qe1 Qxe1+ 39. Nxe1 Kf7 40. Kg1 Ke6 41. Kf2 Kd5 42. Ke2 Kc4 43. Kd1 Kb3 44. Nd3 a5 45. Kc1 Bh6+ 46. Kb1 Kc4 47. Kc2 Kd4 48. Nf2 a4 49. Nd1 Bf8 50. Nc3 Ke3 51. Nxa4 Kf2 52. g4 Kg3 53. Nc3 h6 54. Ne2+ Kxh3 55. Nf4+ Kxg4 56. Nxg6 Bd6 57. Kd3 Kg5 58. Ke4 Kxg6 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said: “I will not exclusively participate in men’s tournaments like Judit Polgár, I’m gonna play both women’s and men’s competitions. However, I still hope to play in more men’s tournaments, that would help me make progress. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).