Game one draw

Game 1: draw

The first game of the match finished with a draw. Although there is no anti-draw rules at the event and the players can agree for a peaceful result anytime, Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru played until the late endgame.

Indian played chose a rare line in Catalan (12. a4) and reached a pleasant position. Although, later White made exchanges in the center that simplified the position. In a time trouble, Hou Yifan confidently went for a pawn less rook ending, where the draw was soon agreed.

About Hou Yifan

Hou Yifan (born February 27, 1994, in Xinghua, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China) is a Chinese chess prodigy.

She is the reigning Women’s World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest ever female player to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.

At the age of 12, she became the youngest ever player to participate at the FIDE Women’s World Championship (Yekaterinburg 2006) and at the Chess Olympiad (Torino 2006). In June 2007, she became China’s youngest ever National Women’s Champion.

She achieved the titles of Woman FIDE Master in January 2004, Woman Grandmaster in January 2007, and International Master in September 2008 by reaching the final of the Women’s World Championship.

In 2010, she became the youngest World Chess Champion in history (men’s and women’s!) by winning the Women’s World Championship in Hatay, Turkey at the age of 16.

Hou became a winner of Women Grand Prix 2010-2011 and will defend her world champion title in the Women’s World Chess Championship 2011 against Koneru Humpy later in 2011. S recently became a winner of two stages of FIDE Women Grand Prix in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) and Shenzhen (China) and keeps leading in the new circle of FIDE Women Grand Prix 2011/2012.

In January 2011, Hou Yifan was recognized as the best Sportsperson of the Year in China involved in a non-Olympic sport.

About Humpy Koneru

2011 FIDE Elo rating is 2614, placing her number two in the world for women (behind Judit Polgár).

In 2007 she surpassed the rating of 2577 set by Susan Polgar to become the second-highest ranked female player in history. She became the second female player ever, after Judit Polgár, to exceed the 2600 Elo mark.

From 2002 through 2008, Humpy held the record as the youngest woman ever to become a grandmaster (not merely a Woman Grandmaster), which she achieved at the age of 15 years, 1 month, 27 days, beating Judit Polgár’s previous mark by three months; however, this has since been surpassed by Hou Yifan.

In 2001 she won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship. In 2006 she participated in the Women’s World Chess Championship, but was eliminated in the second round. In the Women’s World Chess Championships 2008 and 2010 she made it to the semi-finals, but was beaten by Hou Yifan.

In 2006 She won 2 Gold Medals in Asian Games at Doha.In 2007 She won HSG international open in Netherlands and Kaupthing International open in Luxembourg. In 2008 she won 2 gold and 2 silver medals in Asian Indoor Games in Macau. In 2009 she tied for 1st-4th with Alexander Areshchenko, Magesh Panchanathan and Evgenij Miroshnichenko in the Mumbai Mayor Cup.

Humpy participated in the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–2011 and finished in overall second position, in turn qualifying as challenger for Women’s World Chess Championship 2011.

Official website: http://www.wwcc2011tirana.com