WGM Hou (2557) – GM Koneru (2622) [C95]
10.09.2008, Women’s World Championship – Nalchik
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 c5 13.d5 g6 14.Nf1 Nh5 15.Bh6 Re8 16.b3 Bf8 17.Be3 Nb6 18.a4 bxa4 19.bxa4 Nc4 20.a5 Bc8 21.N3d2 Nxa5? += Hou has just sacrificed a pawn but she has plenty of compensations for the pawn. I think it is a mistake bu Humpy to take the pawn. She would have been better off taking the Bishop on e3.
22.Ra3 Bd7
White can play 23.Qa1 then Rb1 with a good size advantage23.Qa1 Nb7
Rb1 is needed now to maintain the strong edge. Black has a serious problem with piece placement24. Rb1 Qc7 25. Rxa6 Rxa6 26. Qxa6 Nd8
Now Nc4 gives White a very strong position. Humpy will have a hard time defending this.27. Nc4 f5 28.Qb6 Qxb6 29. Nxb6 f4 30. Nxd7 fxe3 31. Nxe3 +-
As I have pointed out above, the big mistake for Humpy is taking the pawn on a5. I remember she grabbed a pawn against Stefanova in a recent tournament and lost as well. Hou now has a pawn up and big advantage.31…Bh6?!
Now g4 and Black has a problem finding squares for the Knight. If Ng7 then Nf632.g4 Re7 33. Ba4 Nf4 34. Rb8
Hou has taken advantage of Humpy’s mistake perfectly! This game is almost over.34…Kg7 35.Rxd8 Rf7
White is now up by a whole piece!36.Nd1?!
This is the first inaccuracy by Hou. 36.Nc4 would have been much stronger. White is still better but Black has some counter chances now.36…Nxh3+ 37.Kg2 Nf4+ 38.Kf1 Bg5 +- 39.Rb8 Nd3
White can start to peel of the d6 pawn with Rb6. What makes matters worse is Humpy is in serious time pressure.40.Rb6 Rf4 +- 41.Bb5 Nxf2 42. Nxf2 Bh4 43. Rxd6 Rxf2+ 44. Kg1 Rf4 45. Nxe5 +- Rxe4 46. Rd7+ Kg8 47. Nf3 Rxg4+ 48. Kf1 Bf6 49. Rc7
Humpy is trying the best she could to create counter play. However, being a piece up and having a strong pawn on d5, it does look good for Hou.49…g5 50.Rxc5 Rf4 51.Kg2 +- g4
White can simply retreat the Knight to d1 and Black has not much to look forward to.52.Nd4 h5 53.Rc8+ Kf7 54. d6 h4 55. Be8+ 1-0
Well played game by the young Hou to take advantage of Humpy’s lone error.GM Kosteniuk – GM Cramling
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 6. Bd3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8.Qxd2 f6 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Qxc3 fxe5 11. dxe5 Qe7 12. h4 Bd7 13. b4 a6 14. h5 O-O-O 15. Qd2 Kb8 16. c3 Rdf8 17. Qe3 Na7 18. a4 c5 19. bxc5 Rc8 20. Rb1 Qxc5 21.Qxc5 Rxc5 22. Bxa6 Rc7 23. Kd2 Bxa4 24. Rb4 Bd7 25. Rhb1 Bc8 26. Nd4 Re8 27. f4Ree7 28. Rb6 h6 29. g3 Re8 30. Rd6 Ree7 31. Bf1 Bd7 32. Bh3 Nc8 33. Bxe6 Nxd6 34. exd6 Bxe6 35. dxe7 Bd7 36. Nf5 White wins 1-0
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
She got the pawn back and kept initiative.
Hello Susan. Does this remind you of first Karpov vs Kasparov match. The positional player v.s. the young attacking genius. Ironically, Karpov said Humpy Koneru really understood chess in an event they played in together.
The match is very interesting and i think is very good for learning more chess.
@ Susan
You’re spoiling my afternoon with your great live commentary! I was planing to do plenty of things today and now I am sitting here glued to the monitor.
Anything you have to say in your defence? 😉
Hope Hou will win this…
Kosteniuk wins… there goes my first K.!
And now an H. follows… my forecast is half-hollow! 🙂
Nice game by Kosteniuk. She seems to be back in form. She has a good chance to take down that little Chinese brat.
Nice game by Kosteniuk. She seems to be back in form. She has a good chance to take down that little Chinese brat.
Oh really?
“Oh really”
Yes, really. Look up her career accomplishments. You will then see she has a “good chance.”
Unless you want to fight.
Better yet… a fierce attack!
Beautiful win of the Chinese teen… oh such a big grin!!! 🙂
in case you haven’t noticed, that brat is one of the two greatest female chess talents ever in the history.
Believe me he hás noticed it. 😉
That’s why he’s getting nervous.
if hou keeps playing she will surpass judit and any female that stands in her way, no doubt about it China is taking over.