Tales from the Foreign Service

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer
FIDE Grand Prix 2017; 2nd stage; Moscow, May 19, 2017
Catalan Opening E06

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qa4 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Be4 11. Qc1 c6 12. Rd1 Nbd7 13. Nc3 Bg6 14. a3 c5?! Hammer’s novelty does not seem too fortunate. The old way was 14. ... Nd5 15. b4 Bf6 16. Be1 Rc8 17. Ra2 Qb6 18. e3 Qa7 19. Ne2 Bd8 20. Nd2 a5 21. e4 N5f6 22. e5 Nd5 23. Nb3 axb4 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Bxb4 Re8 26. Nf4 Bg5 27. Re1 Bf5 28. h4 Bh6 29. Nc5 Nxc5 30. Bxc5 Qa5 31. Bb4 Qa7 32. Bc5 Qa5 33. Rae2 Bg4 34. Re3 Qd8 35. Kg2 Bxf4 36. gxf4 Re6 37. Rg3 Rg6 38. h5 Bxh5 39. f5 Rxg3+ 40. fxg3 b4 41. Bxb4 c5 42. Bxc5 Rb8 43. e6 fxe6 44. fxe6 Qf6 45. Qf4 Rb2+ 46. Kh3 Bg6 47. Re5 Bd3 48. Qxf6 gxf6 49. e7 1 : 0 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Jumabayev, 18th Asian Team Chess Championship, Tabriz 2014.
15. Be3! Qc7 16. Ne5! cxd4. 16. ... Nxe5 17. dxe5 Qxe5 18. Bf4 implies consequences similar to those of the game.
17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. Bxa8 dxe3 19. Nd5! exf2+ 20. Kf1 Qc5?! And this should lead to a virtually untenable ending, but also the comparatively better 20. ... Nxd5 21. Qxc7 Nxc7 22. Rxd7 Bf6 23. Rxc7 Rxa8 24. Rc2 would have left Black with insufficient compensation for the Exchange.
21. b4 Qxc1 22. Nxe7+ Kh7 23. Raxc1 Rxa8 24. Kxf2. 24. Rc8 appears to be even more convincing.
24. ... a5 25. Rd4! With the obvious threat of Rd4-h4+.
25. ... g5 26. h4 g4 27. Rc8 Ra6 28. Rc7 axb4 29. axb4 Ne5 30. Rc5 Nc4 31. Rxb5 Nd6 32. Ra5 Rb6 33. Kg2 g6 34. Rc5 Nb5 35. Rdc4 Kg7 36. Nc8 Rb8 37. Rc6 Na3 38. Rc3 Nb5 39. R3c4 Na3 40. Rc3. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) succeeded in reaching the time control without losing any of her material advantage, but before she can claim victory she still has to solve more than some technical difficulties.
40. ... Nb5 41. Rc1 Nd5 42. Kf2 Na3 43. Ra1 Nb5 44. Rc5 f5 45. Kf1 Kf6 46. Ra6 Nbc7 47. Rac6 Rxc8 48. Rxd5 Nxd5 49. Rxc8 Nxb4 50. Kf2 Nd5 51. Ke1 Ne3 52. Rb8 Ke5 53. Rb5+ Kf6 54. Rb3 Nc4 55. Rb4 Nd6 56. Kd2 Ke5 57. Kd3 Kd5 58. Ra4 Ke5 59. Ra5+ Kf6 60. Kd4 Ne4 61. Ra3 Nf2 62. Rb3 Ne4 63. Re3 Nd2 64. Rd3 Nf1 65. Ra3

65. ... f4? After so much suffering, and by now so close to a draw, Hammer suddenly gets ambitious making White’s win very easy. “My thought was I don’t risk anything and I may even win”, then Hammer admitted.
66. gxf4 Kf5. 66. ... g3 is met by 67. Ra5 followed by Ra5-g5.
67. Ra1 Nd2 68. Kd3 Nb3 69. Rb1 Nc5+ 70. Ke3 e5 71. Rb5 Nd7 72. fxe5 Nf8 73. e6+ Kf6 74. Kf4 Nxe6+ 75. Kxg4 Nd4 76. Rb6+ Kf7 77. e4 Kg7 78. e5 Kf7 79. Rf6+ Kg7 80. Kg5 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo © Valery Sharifulin/TASS.