Reply #10: Hou Yifan - T. Sabure, Round 8, Ekaterinburg

[Jack Rabbit]

Hou Yifan
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Hou Yifan (China) vs. Tuduetso Sabure (Botswana)
Women's World Team Championship, Round 8
Ekaterinburg, May 2007

Moorish Game: Dragon Defense (Pirc Defense)

1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Nf3 0-0

• 5. -- c6 6. Qd2 0-0 7. h3 b5 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. 0-0 Qc7 10. Ne2 c5 11. c3 e5 12. Ng3 a6 13. a4 exd4 14. cxd4 Bb7 15. Bh6 bxa4 16. Rxa4 Qc6 17. Ra3 d5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. e5 Ne4 is equal (J. Geller-Akopian, Russian TCh, Sochi 2004).

6. Qd2

• If 6. h3 c6 7. a4 Nbd7 8. a5 then:
• 8. -- Qc7 9. Be2 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. 0-0 Rd8 12. Qb1 Nf8 13. Qa2 Be6 14. Qa3 Nh5 15. Rfd1 Nf4 16. Bf1 Bf6 17. Rxd8 Qxd8 18. Rd1 Nd7 19. a6 Be7 20. Qa1 Qc7 21. axb7 Qxb7 is unclear (Loginov-Azmaiparashvili, Ol, Manila 1992).
• 8. -- e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qd6 Ne8 11. Qd2 Qe7 12. Bc4 Nc5 13. b4 Ne6 14. Bxe6 Bxe6 15. Bc5 Qc7 16. 0-0 Rd8 17. Qe3 Nd6 18. Bxa7 gives White more space (Tal-Quinteros, IT, Rio de Janiero 1987).

6. -- Re8!?

• Black breaks from the book.
• 6. -- c6 7. h3 b5 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. 0-0 Qc7 10. Rfe1 e5 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Ne2 Bb7 13. Ng3 Rfe8 14. c4 a6 15. a4 bxc4 16. Bxc4 c5 17. Rac1 Bc6 18. b4 gives White a significant lead in space (Akopian-Nikolic, Eur Club Cup, Halkidiki (Greece) 2002).

7. Bd3

• White responds by overprotecting her d-pawn.
• If 7. 0-0-0 c6 8. Bh6 then:
• After 8. -- d5 9. Bxg7 Kxg7 10. e5 Ng8 11. Qf4 b6 12. h4 White has a clear advantage in space.
• 8. -- Bxh6 9. Qxh6 d5 10. Ng5 dxe4 11. Ncxe4 e6 12. h4 gives White a strong attack on the Black King.

7. -- Nbd7 8. Bh6 Nf8?

• Black is cramped and should exchange to relieve the lack of space.
• 8. -- Bxh6 9. Qxh6 e5 10. d5 a6 11. h3 c5 12. 0-0 b5 is level. /li]

9. e5 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nd5

• Now even exchange may not help.
• 10. -- Bxh6 11. Qxh6 Nd5 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Nxd5 Bxb5 14. 0-0-0 White's edge in space is crippling Black.

11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. 0-0-0 Be6

• Black is busted. She can't move her pieces without having them trip over each other.
• After ]12. -- c6 13. Bc4 Be6 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Bxd5 Qc7 16. Bxe6 Nxe6 17. Qd7 White has an extra pawn.

Black: Tuduestso Sabure
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White: Hou Yifan
Position after 12. -- Bc8e6

13. h4!

• The formula push-sac-mate works against the Sicilian Dragon, why not the Moorish Dragon as well?

13. -- Nb4

• Black can do nothing to disrupt White's position.
• 13. -- Nxc3 14. Qxc3 Qc8 15. h5 Bxa2 16. e6+ f6 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. Qd2 finds White focusing on the complex of squares around the enemy King.

14. h5 Nxd3+

• After 14. -- Qc8 15. Hxg6 Nxd3+ 16. Qxd3 fxg6 17. Qd4 c5 18. Qf4 Bg4 19. Rd3 White continues to enjoy an overwhelming spatial advantage.
• 14. -- Bf5 15. h6+ Kg8 16. Bxf5 Qxd2+ 17. Rxd2 gxf5 18. a3 Nc6 19. Nd5 leaves White with a distinct spacial edge.

15. cxd3 Bg4 16. hxg6 fxg6

• Black must keep the h-file closed; 16. -- hxg6 loses immediately to 17. Qh6+!.

Black: Tuduestso Sabure
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White: Hou Yifan
Position after 16. -- fg6:p

17. Rh6!

• White's winning plan is to open the h-file and force mate.

17. -- Bxf3 18. gxf3 e6 19. Rdh1

• Black can no longer keep the file closed.

19. -- Re7 20. Ne4 Qd5 21. Qg5 Rf7

• 21. -- Qc6+ allows 22. Kd2 Rf7 23. Nf6 Rxf6 and now White forces mate: 24. Qxf6+ Kg8 25. Rxh7 Nxh7 26. Qxg6+ Kf8 27. Rxh7 Qxf3 28. Qg7+ Ke8 29. Qe7#.

22. Nf6 Kh8 23. Nxd5 1-0

• This is good enough, but prettier is 23. Qxg6!! Rg7 24. Rxh7+ Nxh7 25. Rxh7+ Rxh7 26. Qxh7#
• Ms. Sabure resigns.