Lopota 06: Chasing the World Champion

[Event "Lopota WGP 2014"] [Site "Lopota GEO"] [Date "2014.06.25"] [Round "6.6"] [White "Hou, Yifan"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B20"] [WhiteElo "2629"] [BlackElo "2532"] [PlyCount "97"] [EventDate "2014.06.19"] [SourceDate "2014.01.04"] 1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 {A way of avoiding the Sveshnikov and a couple of other annoying lines.} Nf6 $5 {One of the many ways of reacting against White's play. } 3. Nbc3 d5 4. exd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Nxc3 6. Nxc3 Bd7 7. d4 {New and sharp. Is it possible that Hou Yifan had analyzed this position before hand?} cxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 (8... Bc6 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Rg1 $14) 9. Qe4 f5 $5 {This sharpens the game up. The complications that come from this move are not easy to evaluate over the board.} 10. Qc4 $1 (10. Qe3 Nb4 11. Qe2 Bc6 12. f3 e5 {gives Black some counterplay.}) 10... Ne5 $6 11. Qd5 $1 Bc6 (11... Nc6 12. Bg2 {is definitely not what Black had intended.}) 12. Qxe5 Bxh1 13. Be2 $5 (13. Nb5 $1 {This direct approach was best.} Rc8 14. Nxa7 Rxc2 15. Qxf5 $1 Rc7 16. Bf4 $1 { Black's rook is suprisingly trapped!} e5 17. Bb5+ $1 Bc6 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Qe6+ Qe7 20. Bxc6+ {is winning but this is a nearly impossible variation to calculate.}) (13. Bf4 {was the stronger human move.} Qd6 $8 (13... Bc6 14. Nb5 Rc8 15. Rd1 $18) 14. Qxf5 Qf6 15. Qh5+ $1 g6 16. Bb5+ Bc6 17. Qe2 $16 {Black's position again seems difficult to hold; she doesn't have time for Bg7 because of Nd5.}) 13... Qd6 $1 14. Qxd6 exd6 15. f3 $1 {This was Hou Yifan's idea. She retains the advantage as Black's bishop is trapped on h1.} d5 16. Be3 $1 d4 $1 17. Bxd4 O-O-O 18. Bxa7 Bg2 19. Kf2 Bh3 {Black's double pawn sacrifice serves as a decoy for the dark squared bishop allowing her to bring her own trapped bishop to the game.} 20. Bd3 f4 21. g4 $1 {The bishop is still in danger!} g6 22. Ne2 h5 23. Nxf4 hxg4 24. Nxg6 Rg8 25. Nf4 Rd6 {The smoke has basically cleared and White's advantage is beyond doubt. Her powerful bishops and pawns will be hard to play against.} 26. Be3 Be7 27. Bf5+ Kd8 28. Nxh3 gxh3 29. Bxh3 Bh4+ 30. Ke2 Bf6 31. c3 Rh8 32. Bf4 Rb6 33. Rd1+ Ke7 34. Rd7+ Ke8 35. Bg4 Rxb2+ {Black recovers one of her pawns but she is still down material and her king is not very happy.} 36. Kd3 Rg8 37. Rc7 Rh8 38. a4 Rb6 39. Bd7+ Kd8 40. Bb5 Rh3 41. Rd7+ Kc8 42. Ke4 Rh4 43. Rf7 Kd8 44. Kf5 Be7 $1 {Keeping Black's hopes alive.} 45. Be5 (45. Rxe7 $2 Rxf4+ 46. Kxf4 Kxe7 {leads nowhere.}) 45... Rh5+ 46. Ke4 Rg6 47. f4 $1 {With the f5 threat looming it is hard to suggest something for Black. She blunders in desperation.} Rxh2 $2 48. f5 Re2+ { Dropping a full rook but the game was already over.} 49. Bxe2 {A wonderfully clean game by the World Champion.} 1-0