The young Chinese phenom Yifan Hou seems to be invicible in Nalchik. She scored 5-0 until today’s game. That changed when IM Sedina (Italy) scored a win against the young Hou to tie up their match. They will head to the rapid playoff tomorrow.
IM Sedina (2344) – WGM Hou (2557) [B53]
04.09.2008, Women’s World Championship
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bd7 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.e5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 e6 10.0–0 Be7 11.Rd1 Qb6 12.Qc4 Rd8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Be3 Qc7 15.Nxd7 Rxd7 16.Rxd7 Qxd7 17.Rd1 Nd5 18.Bc5 Qb7 19.Nxd5 exd5 20.Qe2 Kd8 21.Bd4 Re8 22.Re1 f6 23.Qe3 Qc7 24.b4 f5 25.Bxg7 Rg8 26.Be5 Qb7 27.Qxh6 Qxb4 28.c3 Qg4 29.Bg3 Rg6 30.Qh8+ Kd7 31.Qb8 Qg5 32.Qc7+ Ke8 33.h4 Qf6 34.h5 Rg4 35.Bd6 Re4 36.Qxc6+ Kf8 37.Bxe7+ Qxe7 38.Rxe4 Qxe4 39.Qa8+ Ke7 40.Qxa7+ Kd6 41.Qd4 Qb1+ 42.Kh2 Ke6 43.h6 Qb7 44.Qg7 Qb8+ 45.g3 Qb2 46.Kg2 White wins 1–0
Click here to replay the game.
Can you comment on this game? There is no obvious mistake for Black, although it’s slow in development. And suddenly, the game went to beyond save….
Elena Sedina would have had to face Irina Krush and perhaps Maia Chiburdanidze if they had not withdrawn. We’ll never know what might have happened.
And now Toni Tenielle will sing “Muskrat Love”…