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14. Ni Hua - Hou Yifan, Round 8

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[center]Ni Hua[/center][font size="1"]Photo by Lightex (http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Lightex&action=edit&redlink=1) in Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ni_Hua) (Public Domain)
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Ni Hua - Hou Yifan
3rd Danzhou Tournament, Round 8
Danzhou, 6 June 2012

Open Norman Sicilian Game: Scheveningen Defense (Yugoslav Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 Be7 7.f4 0-0 8.Qf3 e5

• White already has a fair advantage in space.
• For a survey of the Scheveningen Defense/Yugoslav Opening, see Munguntuul-Sukandar, Asain Ch, Ho Chi Minh City, 2012.[/i

9.Nf5 Bxf5 10.exf5 Nbd7

• If [font color="red"]10...Qa5 11.0-0-0 e4 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.Qb5 Qc7[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]14.Rg1 Ng4 15.Bd4[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]15...d5 16.Be2 Bf6 17.Bxg4 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Qxf4+ 19.Kb1 Nc6 20.Rxd5 Qxg4 21.Rd7[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]21...Re8 22.Qxb7 Ne5 23.Re7 Nf3?[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]23...Qxf5! 24.Nd5! Rf8 25.Rxe4 Qg5 26.h4[/font] when he has two extra pawns (Sang Cao-Stocek, 1st Saturday October, Budapest, 1997).
• [font color="burgundy"]24.Nxe4 Nc4 25.b3 Rec8 26.Ka1 Ne3 27.c4[/font] gives White a fair advantage in space.
• [font color="darkpink"]21...e3 22.Qd5 Rf8 23.Rxb7 Nd4 24.Rd7 Nxf5 25.h3[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Ehlvest-Jansa, Keres Mem, Tallinn, 1983).
• [font color="darkorchid"]15...Bf6 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.g4 d5 18.g5[/font] gives White a powerful initiative (Oll-Boensch, Keres Mem, Tallinn, 1983).
• If [font color="darkred"]14.Be2 Nbd7[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]15.g4 a6 16.Qb4 b5 17.g5 a5 18.Qb3[/font] gives White a fair asdvantage in space (Oll-Salov, Soviet Ch ½-final, Ivano Frankovsk, 1982).
• [font color="magenta"]15.Rd2 a6 16.Qb4 Bf8 17.Nxe4 Nd5 18.Qb3[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Sendera-W. Schmidt, Op, Katowice, 1990).

11.0-0-0 Rc8?!

• If [font color="red"]11...Qa5 12.g4 Rac8 13.g5 Rxc3 14.gxf6[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]14...Nxf6 15.bxc3 d5 16.Kd2 d4 17.Bxd4 exd4[/font] gives Black stronger pawns and a safer King (Rubery-Kulashko, Ol, Elista, 1998).
• [font color="darkred"]14...Rxe3 15.Qxe3 Bxf6 16.Bc4 exf4 17.Qxf4 Nc5 18.Qf3[/font] gives White a fair advantage in space (Leko-Theissen, Op, Dortmund, 1992).

12.Bb5?!

• [font color="red"]12.fxe5 Nxe5 13.Qxb7 Rxc3 14.bxc3 d5 15.Bd3 Ba3+ 16.Kd2[/font] gives White a fair advantage in space (Lintchevski-Timofeev, Russian Ch HL, Taganrog, 2011).
• If [font color="blue"]12.Qxb7[/font] then:
• [font color="blue"]12...Ng4 13.Bxa7 exf4 14.Nd5 Bf6 15.Bb5[/font] gives White a substantial advantage in space (Fritz 13).
• [font color="darkblue"]12...Nc5 13.Bxc5 Rxc5 14.fxe5 Rxe5 15.Qxa7[/font] gives White two extra pawns.

[center]BLACK: Hou Yifan[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ni Hua[/center][center]Position after 12.Bf1b5[/center]

12...Rxc3!

• Black has a moble pawn center and White has more space.

13.bxc3 d5 (N)

• [font color="red"]13...Qc7 14.Bxd7 Nxd7 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Qd5 Qxc3 17.Qb3 Qc6 18.Qd5 Qc3 19.Qb3 Qc6 20.Qd5[/font] draw (Hoffmann-Babula, Bundesliga 0809, Germany, 2008).

14.Rxd5?!

• Hou Nushi's novelty is a good one, but Ni Xiansheng makes it even better with inaccurate play.
• Better is [font color="red"]14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qf4 Nc6 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Qa4[/font] with equality.

14...Ba3+!?

• Black has a stronger pawns and a small advantage in space. White has the exchange for a pawn, but he has structural damage on both wings.
• If [font color="red"]14...e4! 15.Rxd7 Ba3+ 16.Kd2 Qxd7+ 17.Bxd7 exf3[/font] gives Black a comfortable advantage.

15.Kb1 Qa5!?

• Black has stronger pawns, but allows White to repair structural damage on the kingside.
• If [font color="red"]15...e4! 16.Qd1 Qa5 17.Bc4 Qxc3 18.Qd4 Qb4+[/font] leaves Black with a small advantage.

[center]BLACK: Hou Yifan[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ni Hua[/center][center]Position after 15...Qd8a5[/center]

16.fxe5!

• The game is equal.

16...Nxe5 17.Rxe5 Qxc3 18.Bc1 Qxe5 19.Bxa3 Ne4?!

• Black threatens 20...Nd2+, but this is easily parried.
• [font color="red"]19...Qxb5+ 20.Qb3 Qxb3+ 21.axb3 Rd8[/font] remains equal.

20.Bb4?!

• White parries the fork at d2, but still leaves himself open to other threats.
• Best is [font color="red"]20.Qd3![/font] (covering both d2 and the Bishop at b5) [font color="red"]20...Nc3+ 21.Ka1 Nxb5+[/font] when:
• If [font color="red"]22.Bb2! Qc5 23.c4 Qd6[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]24.Qxd6 24...Nxd6 25.Ba3 Nxc4 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Re1[/font] gives Black only a pawn for the exchange.
• [font color="burgundy"]24.Rd1?! Qxd3 25.Rxd3 Nc7 26.Rd7[/font] gives White only a comfortable advantage in space.
• If [font color="darkred"]22.Kb1?? Nc3+ 23.Ka1 Nd1+[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]24.Kb1 Nf2 25.Qf1 Nxh1 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Qxh1 Qxf5[/font] gives Black an extra pawn.
• [font color="magenta"]24.c3 Nf2 25.Qf1 Nxh1 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Qxh1 Qxf5[/font] gives Black an extra pawn.

[center]BLACK: Hou Yifan[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ni Hua[/center][center]Position after 20.Ba3b4[/center]

20...Qxb5!

• White has only a small advantage, but things could have been a lot worse for Black.

21.Qxe4 Re8!?

• White is temporarily a piece to the good and Black sould aimply win it back while she can.
• If [font color="red"]21...a5![/font] (winning back the piece) [font color="red"]22.Rd1 axb4 23.Qe7 Qb6 24.g4 h6 25.h3[/font] continues to give White small advantage in space.

22.Qd4!

• This gives White a fair advantage in space.

22...a5

• Black finall wins back the piece./li]

23.a4!

• White has a comfortable advantage in space.
[23.Qc5?! Qxb4+! 24.Qxb4 axb4 25.Rd1 g5 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.Rd2[/font] is equal.

23...Qxb4+ 24.Qxb4 axb4

[center]BLACK: Hou Yifan[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ni Hua[/center][center]Position after 24...ab4:Q[/center]

25.Rd1!

• It's time to activate the Rook.
• [font color="red"]25.a5?! Re5! 26.Rd1 h5 27.Rd8+ Kh7 28.Rd7 Rxf5[/font] is equal.

25...g6

• [font color="red"]25...h5 26.Rd4 Re7 27.Rxb4 Kh7 28.Kb2 Rc7 29.h4[/font] continues to give White a comfortable advantage in space.

26.f6!

• White limits Black's freedom by confining the Rook to the back rank to guard against mate on d8.

26...h5

• White has a substantial advantage in space.
• If [font color="red"]26...Ra8[/font] then White wins a pawn after [font color="red"]27.Kb2 h6 28.Kb3 Rc8 29.Rd4.[/font]

27.Kb2 Re6?

• Although Black has given herself some room for he king, roving the Rook from the back rank still courts disaster.
• If [font color="red"]27...Ra8 28.Kb3[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]28...Rc8 29.Rd2 Rc3+ 30.Kxb4 Rc6 31.Rd8+ Kh7 32.Rd7[/font] wins the important f-pawn.
• If [font color="darkred"]28...Re8?[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkred"]29.a5 Rc8 30.Rd2 Kh7 31.Kxb4 Rc6 32.Kb5.[/font]

[center]BLACK: Hou Yifan[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ni Hua[/center][center]Position after 27...Re8e6[/center]

28.Rd8+! Kh7 29.Rd7 b6

• If [font color="red"]29...Kh6[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]30.Rxb7 Rxf6 31.Rxb4 Rf5 32.Rb5.[/font]

30.Rxf7+ Kh6 31.Rf8 Kh7

• If [font color="red"]31...g5[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]32.g3 Rd6 33.f7 Kg7 34.Rg8+ Kxf7 35.Rxg5.[/font]

32.h4 Rc6 33.Kb3

• Even stronger is [font color="red"]33.g3 g5 34.hxg5 Rc3 35.Rb8 Kg6 36.Rxb6.[/font]

33...Rc3+ 34.Kxb4 Rxc2 35.Rb8 Rf2

• If [font color="red"]35...Rb2+[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]36.Ka3 Rf2 37.Rxb6 Rf5 38.Kb4 Rf4+ 39.Kb5.[/font]

36.Rxb6 Rxg2

• If [font color="red"]36...Rb2+[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]37.Kc5 Ra2 38.Rb8 Rf2 39.Rb7+.[/font]
• The rest needs no comment.

37.a5 g5 38.f7 Kg7 39.Rf6 Kf8 40.hxg5 Rxg5 41.a6 Rg1 42.a7 Ra1 43.Rh6 1-0

• [font color="red"]43...Kg7 44.f8Q+ Kxf8 45.a8Q+ Rxa8 46.Rh8+[/font] wins the Rook and the game.
• [font color="blue"]43...Kxf7[/font] then White wins after [font color="blue"]44.Kb5 Rb1+ 45.Ka6 Ra1+ 46.Kb7 Rb1+ 47.Rb6.[/font]

Hou Nushi resigns.