Costly time pressure

Chennai: Koneru Humpy’s defence failed her at a crucial time as the Indian challenger went down to world champion Hou Yifan of China in the third game at Tirana ( Albania) on Thursday.

Humpy seemed to have done enough to take a third draw in the 10-game series for the women’s world chess championship when she overlooked a decisive attack by the Chinese and lose in 37 moves. Yifan leads the series 2-1 after her black win.

Hou had come prepared to test Humpy as she chose the Ragozin variation of Queens Gambit Declined. It was obvious that the Chinese was looking for small weaknesses in the white camp. She found one, as Humpy had to accept doubled pawns but in the process she also conceded a pawn weakness to the Indian.

Humpy could concentrate on the backward pawn of Yifan as just after 17 moves the game headed for an ending where the players were analysing how to get the better of the exchanges with only the queen, rooks and the same-coloured bishops remained on the board.

Just when it looked they have entered an uneventful ending, Yifan stretched the position somewhat though not to the extent of handing any big advantage to Humpy. The Chinese had to go for an open position to get something while the Indian banked on keeping all the pieces that were left on the board. Yifan tried to attack on the queenside but in the process her kingside got weakened.

At one stage the Indian could have easily taken a draw by simply pushing her king-rook pawn but she went on an attacking spree with her rook and bishop, unmindful of what was coming from the other side. However, the champion showed her attacking skills when she paralysed Humpy’s queen and rook and unleashed a decisive attack. Left to make 17 moves in five minutes (of course, each move bring an additional 30 seconds to the clock), Humpy could not find the right moves. Yifan had 23 mimutes at the same stage and could analyse the position properly. The equation came further down to 12 moves in one minute for Humpy, who tried to trade the queens and buy time.

The exchange did not work for the Indian as Yifan promoted her central pawns and pocketed the point effortlessly.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar