Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2012 (Closing Ceremony)
Hou Yifan's success in Gibraltar
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 10th February 2012
IM Malcolm Pein reports on Hou Yifan's performance in Gibraltar and looks at her exciting final round draw against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Hou Yifan. Photo © | http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com
The women's world champion Hou Yifan made a great leap forward at the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters as she finished equal first with Nigel Short on 8/10. Hou faced seven players in the elite 2700+ bracket, scoring 5/7 and defeating four of the world's top 50 ranked players. She was unafraid to sacrifice pawns for the initiative and her last round game against the world number 14 Shak Mamedyarov was typical. Hou has clearly become a 2700+ player. It is simply, as Michael Adams pointed out, a case of the rating list not keeping pace with a player's improvement.
Hou Yifan - S Mamedyarov
Tradewise Gibraltar Masters
Pribyl Defence
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.h3 Bh5
Black is ready to play d5. Hou preempts this
8.e5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxe2 10.Nxe2 Nbd7 11.c4 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd7 13.Bf4 Qa5 14.a3 Nxe5 15.b4 Qc7 16.Qd4 f6 17.Rad1
White has good play for the pawn and soon gives up another
17...a5 18.Qe4 Kf7 19.Bg3! axb4 20.axb4 Bxb4 21.Nd4 Bc5 22.f4 Bxd4+ 23.Rxd4 Nd7
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
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Hou Yifan
Position after 23... Nd7
24.Qxe6+! Kxe6 25.f5+ Ke7 26.Bxc7 Rhe8 27.Rb1 Ra7
White has all the play but was unable to find a clear path to advantage
28.Rbd1 Nf8 29.Rb1 Kf7 30.c5 Re7 31.Bd6 Rd7 32.Rdb4 h5 33.Rh4 Nh7 34.Rxh5 Kg8 35.Rh4 Ra8 36.Rb6 Ng5 37.Rhb4 Ra7 38.Bb8 Ra1+ 39.Kh2 Rd5 40.Rxb7 Rxf5 41.Bd6
(41.Re7 Rf2 42.h4 Re1 43.Rxe1 Nf3+ 44.Kg3 Nxe1 45.Kxf2 Nd3+ 46.Ke3 Nxb4 47.Ke4 Nd5)
41...Ra2 42.Rg4 Rf3 43.h4 Rh3+ 44.Kg1 Ra1+ 45.Kf2 Ra2+ 46.Kg1 draw
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
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Hou Yifan
Final position after 46.Kg1
Mamedyarov had reached a queen and pawn endgame with an extra pawn on move 39. 65 moves later, how did he convert?
Varuzhan Akobian
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Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
White to play and win
Answer:
104.Qd8+! 1-0 Mamedyarov-Akobian White forces a queen exchange.
The Aeroflot Open has begun in Moscow, it's cut and thrust as usual.
I Sokolov - G Pap
Queen's Gambit Exchange
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 a6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 c6 6.Qb3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e3 0-0 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.0-0 Re8 11.Rad1 Ne4 12.Bf4 Ndf6 13.Ne5 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Nh5 15.Qb1! g6 16.Bh6 Bd6 17.f4 Ng7 18.e4! f6 19.exd5! cxd5
(19...fxe5 20.fxe5 Bf8 21.Bxg6 hxg6 22.Qxg6 Qe7 23.d6 Qd7 24.Rxf8+! Rxf8 25.e6!)
20.Bxg6!! hxg6 21.Qxg6 Bf8 22.f5 fxe5 23.f6 Re6 24.Bxg7 1-0
