Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2012 (Playoff)
Nigel Short's playoff win against Hou Yifan in Gibraltar
IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 6th February 2012
IM Malcolm Pein takes a look at Nigel Short's convincing win in a playoff against women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan.
Nigel Short and Hou Yifan at the start of their Gibraltar playoff. Photo © | http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com
Today we will look at Nigel Short's play-off victory over the Women's World Champion Hou Yifan at the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters. Short caught the 17 year old Chinese girl by defeating the Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran, rated 2700, with black. Short, and Michael Adams, who finished equal third on 7.5/10, were undefeated.
N Short - Hou Yifan
Sicilian Grand Prix Attack
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5+ Nc6
(5...Bd7 6.Bc4 has been played by Gawain Jones and Stuart Conquest. White claims the Bd7 is misplaced not 6...Bg4 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Ng5+)
6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.d3 Nf6
(Black has to create counterplay before White gets his standard attack going 7...c4 is an attempt to get the Bc8 into the game 8.dxc4 Qb6 9.Qe2 Ba6)
8.0-0 0-0 9.Kh1 Rb8 10.Qe1 Nd7 11.b3 e5 12.f5! gxf5 13.Nh4 f4!
(13...fxe4 14.Nf5 is already a winning attack after 14...Nf6 15.Nxg7 Kxg7 16.Bg5and 14...f6 15.Qg3 Rf7 16.Nxe4)
14.g3 Bf6 15.Nf5 Nb6 16.gxf4
(16.Nh6+ Kh8 17.gxf4)
16...Bxf5 17.fxe5?!
Hou Yifan
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Nigel Short
Position after 17.fxe5. Hou had one chance to turn the tables, can you find it?
17...Bxe5 18.Rxf5 Kh8 19.Bf4 Nd7 20.Qd2 Qh4 21.Rf1
White is better on the kingside
21...Rbe8 22.Ne2 Rg8 23.Rxf7 Qh3 24.Ng1! Qg4 25.Nf3 Qh3 26.Qf2 Bxf4 27.Rxf4 Rg6 28.Nh4 Rg5 29.Nf5 Reg8 30.Nxd6 Ne5 31.Nf7+ Nxf7 32.Rxf7 R5g6 33.Rf8 Qh5 34.Rxg8+ Rxg8 35.Qf6+ Rg7 36.Rg1 1-0
Hou Yifan
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Nigel Short
Final Position
Answer: Both players missed 17...Bh4! 18.Qe2 Bg6
Short agrees a draw in a won position to secure play-off victory
Hou,Yifan - N Short
French Classical
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Qb6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.Nexd4 Nc6 9.c3 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Bc5 11.Rb1 Bxd4 12.cxd4 Nb8
Blockading strategy. If Black can prevent f4-f5, exchange bishops and control the 'c' file he will be very well placed. Short achieves his aims
13.b4 Nc6 14.Be3 Bd7 15.Be2 Ne7 16.a4 a6 17.0-0 Rc8 18.Bf2 0-0 19.Qb3
(19.g4!?)
19...Qc7 20.Qh3?! Bxa4 21.Bd3 h6 22.Bh4 Bb5 23.Bxb5 axb5 24.Rf3 Nf5 25.Bf2 Qc2 26.Rf1 Rc4 27.Rd3 h5! 28.Rfd1 g6 29.Be1 Qe2 30.R3d2 Qe4 31.Bf2 Qxf4 32.Qa3 Rfc8 33.g3 Qg4 34.Qd3 Rc1 35.Qf1 Rxd1 36.Rxd1 Rc4 37.h3 Qf3 38.Rd3 Qe4 39.Qd1 Rc1 40.Qxc1 Qxd3 41.Qc8+ Kg7 42.Qd8 Nxd4 43.Qf6+ Kg8 44.Qd8+ Kg7
(44...Kh7 45.Qf6 Ne2+ 46.Kg2 Qf5 wins)
45.Qf6+ Kg8 draw
