Gibraltar Rd7: Finally Stopped

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2015"] [Site "Caleta ENG"] [Date "2015.02.02"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Howell, David W L"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B52"] [WhiteElo "2670"] [BlackElo "2776"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/8/8/3R3p/7r/5k2/2K5/8 b - - 0 62"] [PlyCount "13"] [EventDate "2015.01.27"] 62... Rh1 {After a long, fighting game, we have re ached this position. Only one move preserves the draw.} 63. Kb2 $2 {Right idea! Wrong execution...} (63. Rd3+ $1 Ke4 64. Rc3 $1 {Again, absolutely forced.} (64. Rb3 h4 65. Kb2 Kf4 { doesn't allow White to check on c2.})) 63... h4 64. Rd4 Ke3 $4 {Gifting the game right back} (64... Kg3 $1 65. Rd3+ Kf2 $1 66. Rd2+ (66. Rd4 h3 $19) 66... Ke3 67. Rc2 Rf1 $1 $19) 65. Rc4 {Now Black is too late to a void the checks as he cannot move the rook from the h-file (it must defend the h4 pawn). The rest is easy for Howell.} h3 66. Rc3+ Kd4 67. Rg3 Rh2+ 68. Ka1 Rh1+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2015"] [Site "Caleta ENG"] [Date "2015.02.02"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Yu, Yangyi"] [Black "Hou, Yifan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B82"] [WhiteElo "2724"] [BlackElo "2673"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2015.01.27"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be3 Nc6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O a6 10. g4 Nd7 11. g5 b5 12. Bd3 Nc5 13. Kb1 Bb7 14. h4 Rc8 15. h5 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 b4 17. Ne2 e5 {It's always difficult to describe exactly what is happening in a Sicilian. Black's last move is strategically desirable, but it is risky as it opens the f-file for the White queen.} 18. Bxc5 (18. fxe5 dxe5 19. g6 exd4 (19... hxg6 20. hxg6 Rxh1 21. gxf7+ Kd7 22. Qxh1 exd4 23. Nxd4 $13 {is not pretty either, but maybe still unclear after} Qe5) 20. Qxf7+ Kd7 21. Nxd4 {is not for us mortals to analyze, but it does look bad for Black.}) 18... Qxc5 19. g6 $1 hxg6 20. hxg6 Rxh1 21. Rxh1 Bf6 $1 {Very tenacious from Hou Yifan. This is probably the best way to try to hold this difficult position.} 22. Qg4 Ke7 23. gxf7 Rf8 24. f5 a5 $1 {It's amazing how Black's slow counterattack is actually sufficient in this position. White is not only unable to prevent the push a4-a3, but he is also unable to create real threats on the kingside.} 25. Ng3 a4 26. Nh5 a3 27. Qg1 {Yu Yangyi exchanges queens before things actually go wrong.} Rxf7 (27... Qxg1+ 28. Rxg1 d5 {was probably more exact, and actually Gave Black some winning chances.}) 28. Qxc5 dxc5 29. bxa3 bxa3 30. c4 Kd8 (30... Rf8 {to bring the rook around was far more natural. }) 31. Kc2 Bc6 32. Nxf6 gxf6 33. Kb3 Rg7 {Black will lose the a-pawn for sure, but her counterplay compensates it fully.} 34. Rh3 Rg4 35. Re3 Kc7 36. Kxa3 Kb6 37. Kb3 Ka5 38. a3 Rh4 39. Kb2 {White is completely tied down to e4, so the came is clearly a draw.} 1/2-1/2