Hou-Ivanchuk: Game three is short but intense

The time control for the four games is 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes and a 30-second increment as of move one. Draws cannot be offered before move 30, and if the match ends in a 2-2 tie, a blitz tiebreak will take place at the rate of 5 minutes plus 3 seconds. If even this is tied, then a special super-bitz game will be used to decide the winner. This is not an Armageddon game. Instead, a single blitz game at the rate of 5 minutes plus 2 seconds will be played with the following condition: if it ends in a draw, the clock times are left as they are, the colors are reversed, and the players start a new game with those times left. This will continue until the tie is broken.

Game three

The official poster of the match

After the game, Hou Yifan commented, "This game is quite interesting although relatively short. The battle in the middle game contains a lot of changes and possibilities.  I think there may be some improvements for the moves of both sides in the early middle game." With limited time and intense complications possible, her instincts did not fail her, and improvements can be found in both the opening, and above all the crucial middlegame skirmish that ended in a draw, but with some missed opportunities.

Both Vassily Ivanchuk and Hou Yifan had professed a desire for interesting games and they have delivered

Vassily Ivanchuk vs Hou Yifan

The score after three games stands 1.5 - 0.5 in Ivanchuk's favor.