[Event "2010 Wch Women"]
[Site "Antakya"]
[Date "2010.12.20"]
[Round "61.1"]
[White "Yifan, Hou"]
[Black "Ruan, Lufei"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2591"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi"]
[PlyCount "146"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 $5 {# A bold decision by Hou, who is seeking the title
of "youngest world champion ever". You know who holds the title, right? Here
is a hint, her name is not Gary. Let us not to forget that this line became
fashionable with the help of Mr. "unpredictable genius" Ivanchuk!} dxe4 ({the
more fighting is} 3... Qb6 4. a3 $146 (4. a4 e6 5. c3 c5 6. exd5 exd5 7. Bb5+
Bd7 8. Qe2+ Be7 9. dxc5 Qxc5 {0-1 Nepomniachtchi,I (2695)-Ivanchuk,V (2741)/
Havana 2010/CB24_2010 (54) with reasonable position for black}) 4... e5 5. exd5
Nf6 6. dxe5 Bc5 7. exf6 Bf2+ 8. Ke2 O-O 9. Qd2 Re8+ 10. Kd1 Re1+ 11. Qxe1 Bxe1
12. Kxe1 Bf5 13. Be2 Nd7 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Bd1 Re8+ 16. Ne2 Nxf6 17. Nbc3 Bc8
18. a4 a5 19. Rf1 Ba6 20. Rf2 h5 21. Ra3 h4 22. g3 h3 23. g4 Rd8 24. Nf4 Nd7
25. Rb3 Qd4 26. Nfe2 Re8 27. Ne4 Qxa4 28. Bd2 Qa1 29. Bc3 Ne5 30. Ra3 Qb1 31.
Nd2 Qc1 32. Rxa5 Ng6 33. Rxa6 Nf4 34. Ra8 {Diagram # 1-0 Ivanchuk,V (2754)
-Jobava,B (2710)/Khanty Mansiysk 2010/CB39_2010}) 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bc4
Nd7 7. c3 {#According to two surveys in CBMs 133 and 134 this move should
enable white to get a promising position, however I personally do not believe
that this assessment is fully correct.} b5 {This is considered the main line. 
The prophylactic Bh5, which is played by Konstantin Landa, would be the next
choice in this line.} 8. Bd3 Ngf6 9. O-O Bd6 10. Bg5 O-O 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bh4
Qc7 {White has a fine edge due to black's weakened queenside.} 13. Qc2 Nh5 14.
h3 Be6 15. Rae1 Nf4 16. Bg3 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 Rad8 18. Bf2 a6 19. Nh4 $6 {
Understandable but premature. The Chinese prodigy had to accede to the solid
b3 or Qc2.} Nb6 (19... exd4 $5 20. cxd4 Rfe8 {and black's bishop pair has a
wider scope and white has to accept the retreat of knight to f3}) 20. b3 Rfe8
21. Qf3 b4 22. Rc1 bxc3 23. Qxc3 exd4 24. Bxd4 c5 $2 {A serious mistake which
could cost the underdog the whole point.} (24... f6 25. Nf5 (25. Qxc6 $2 Bh2+
26. Kh1 Qxc6 27. Rxc6 Rxd4 28. Kxh2 Rxd2 29. Rxb6 Rxa2 {with a better ending
for Black.}) 25... Bxf5 26. Rxf5 Re6 {is an unbalanced position with equal
chances for both sides}) 25. Bxg7 Bf4 26. Nhf3 Rxd2 27. Nxd2 Bxd2 28. Qxd2 Kxg7
29. Qc3+ Kh7 30. Qxc5 Qxc5+ 31. Rxc5 {#White's advantage is clear now.} Ra8 32.
Ra5 $6 {This is the first of a number of inaccuracies by Hou Yifan which let
the win slip out of her hands.} (32. Rc6 $1 Nc8 (32... Nd7 33. Rxe6 fxe6 34.
Rf7+ {and White wins.}) 33. Rd1 Ne7 34. Rc7 Ng6 35. Rd6 {There is no forced
line but it is clear that White dominates and sooner or later the a6 pawn
falls.}) 32... Nc8 33. Rc1 Nd6 34. e5 $6 {It is obvious that Hou does not want
to give counterplay to her opponent, nevertheless she should have played Ra4
in order to keep Black's minor pieces restricted.} Nf5 35. Kf2 h5 36. Rc2 Nd4
37. Rd2 Nc6 38. Rc5 Ne7 39. b4 Kg6 40. a3 Kf5 41. Ke3 $6 {White's advantage
evaporates with this, however I do not see a clear way to improve.} Rg8 42. Ra5
Rg3+ 43. Kf2 Rb3 44. Rxa6 Nd5 {White may have three pawns but in compensation
Black has four strong active pieces! Do not forget to include the king!} 45.
Ra5 Ne3 46. Rc5 Nc4 47. Rc2 Nxa3 48. R2c3 Rb2+ 49. Kg3 Nb1 50. Rf3+ Kg5 51. h4+
Kg6 52. Rc7 Kg7 53. Rf6 Kg8 54. Rf4 Rb3+ 55. Kh2 Rb2 56. Rc5 Na3 57. Rc3 Nb5
58. Rg3+ Kf8 59. Rg5 Nc7 60. Rxh5 Nd5 61. Re4 Kg7 62. Rg5+ Kh7 63. Rc4 Rb3 64.
Rg3 Rb2 65. Rg5 Rb3 66. Rd4 Nxb4 67. Rg3 Rb2 68. Rc3 Nd5 69. Rcd3 Ne7 70. Rd2
Rb5 71. Re2 Ng6 72. Rde4 Bf5 73. e6 Bxe6 {and the draw is sealed after a
breath-taking fight between the two ladies!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "2010 Wch Women"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.12.21"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Ruan, Lufei"]
[Black "Hou, Yifan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B83"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2591"]
[Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi"]
[PlyCount "116"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Be3 O-O 9. f4 e5 $5 {#An odd choice. This move became fashionable thanks to
the 9th world champion Boris Spassky.} 10. Nxc6 (10. Nb3 a5 11. a4 Nb4 12. Bf3
Be6 13. Kh1 Qc7 14. Rf2 Rfd8 15. Rd2 Bc4 {0-1 Karpov,A (2700)-Spassky,B (2650)/
Leningrad 1974/Candidates (63) With a very rich game that requires class and
understanding from both sides.}) 10... bxc6 11. Kh1 exf4 12. Bxf4 Be6 13. Bf3
Qb8 {The safest choice. Qb6 is rather risky in face of Qe1 and Nd5 as shown by
Kamsky.} (13... Qb6 14. b3 Rfd8 15. Qe1 Nd7 16. Nd5 cxd5 17. exd5 Bg4 18. Qxe7
Bxf3 19. Rxf3 Nf6 20. Be3 Qa5 21. Rxf6 gxf6 22. Qxf6 Re8 23. Qg5+ Kf8 24. Bd2 {
1-0 Kamsky,G (2671)-Svidler,P (2743)/Sofia 2006/CBM 113}) 14. b3 Qb4 15. Qe1
$146 (15. Qd2 Rfd8 16. Rad1 Rac8 17. Qe3 d5 18. Be5 Qa5 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Nxd5
cxd5 21. Bh5 d4 22. Qe4 g6 23. Bf3 Bf5 24. Qf4 Bg5 25. Qxg5 Qxe5 26. Bg4 h6 27.
Rxf5 Qg7 28. Qe7 gxf5 29. Bxf5 Re8 30. Qd6 Rcd8 31. Qa6 Qg5 32. Bd3 Re7 33. Rf1
Kg7 34. g3 Qd5+ 35. Kg1 Rd6 36. Qc8 Qe6 37. Qb8 Rb6 38. Qd8 Rd6 39. Qb8 Rd5 40.
Rf4 Rg5 41. Rf3 Qe5 42. Qd8 h5 43. Rf2 Re6 44. Qd7 Rf6 45. Re2 Qf4 46. Re4 Qf2+
47. Kh1 h4 {0-1 Svidler,P (2727)-Movsesian,S (2732)/Nanjing 2008/CBM 128})
15... a5 16. Rd1 Rfe8 17. e5 dxe5 18. Bxe5 Rac8 19. Qg3 g6 20. Na4 $6 {#What
should one call this? Decentralization? Eccentricity? I can't seem to find a
suitable word to describe it.} (20. Bd4 c5 (20... Rcd8 $2 21. a3 $1 Qxa3 22.
Bxc6 {with advantage for White.}) 21. Bxf6 ({Or keeping the tension by} 21. Be5
$5 Red8 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 {[%csl Gd5,Rf6] # The one who
attacks with the opposite-colored bishop is a piece up. Botvinnik, I presume?!}
) 21... Bxf6 22. Nd5 Qh4 23. Nxf6+ Qxf6 24. Bd5 Qe7 {could make things
difficult for Hou.}) 20... Nd5 21. Bxd5 cxd5 22. Bc3 Qg4 23. Qxg4 Bxg4 24. Rxd5
Bb4 25. Bxb4 axb4 26. Rd2 (26. h3) 26... Bf5 27. Kg1 $6 {The second inaccuracy
which makes the day more difficult for the Chinese fighter!} Rxc2 28. Rxc2 Bxc2
29. Kf2 Bd3 {White should be able to hold by winning the b-pawn in exchange
for her queenside pawns, leaving a primitive 3-2 on the kingside, however...
one step at a time!} 30. Re1 Rc8 31. Ke3 Bb5 32. Rd1 $2 {A decisive error
which Yifan does not forgive!} (32. Rb1 $1 Ra8 (32... Rc2 33. Rb2) 33. Rb2 Bxa4
34. bxa4 Rxa4 35. Kd3 $11) 32... Re8+ $1 {This simple check makes it a gloomy
day for Ruan Lufei!} 33. Kf4 Re2 34. g4 Bxa4 35. bxa4 Rxa2 36. Rd4 Rxa4 37. h4
{The rest is the matter of technique.} Kf8 38. Re4 f6 39. Rc4 Ke7 40. Rd4 Ke6
41. Ke4 Ke7 42. Kf4 h6 43. h5 gxh5 44. gxh5 Kf7 45. Re4 Kf8 46. Kg4 f5+ $1 {
Finally! By returning a pawn Hou puts her rook behind her passed pawn. Dr.
Mueller might like the idea! Though I believe she could also do it by getting
her king to e6.} 47. Kxf5 Ra5+ 48. Kg6 Ra6+ 49. Kh7 Rb6 50. Rf4+ Ke7 51. Rf1 b3
52. Kg7 b2 53. Rb1 Ke6 54. Kxh6 Kf5+ 55. Kg7 Kg5 56. Kf7 (56. h6 Rb7+ 57. Kf8
Kxh6 58. Ke8 Kg5 59. Kd8 Kf4 60. Kc8 Rb3 {would not have changed the result.})
56... Kxh5 57. Ke7 Kg4 58. Kd7 Kf3 {A precious win for the Chinese prodigy!}
0-1

