WWCC R07: Hou Yifan wins again, now has three-point lead
11/23/2011 – This is very bitter for the Indian challenger, GM Humpy Koneru, the second highest rated player in the history of the game. In game seven she lost to the World Champion (and world number three) GM Hou Yifan, who is all of 17 years old. With three games to go the score is now 5:2, which means Humpy must win them all to draw even. Illustrated report with GM commentary.
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The FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship Match between the current World Champion Hou Yifan of China and her challenger, Koneru Humpy of India, is being staged in the Triana International Hotel from November 14 to 30. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. The winner of the ten-game match is the first player to reach 5.5 points or more. The prize fund is 200,000 Euro, with 60% going to the winner. The games start at 15:00h local time, which is also Central European Time = 17:00 Moscow, 19:30 New Delhi, 22:00h Beijing and 09:00 New York. You can find the starting time for other locations here.
Game seven
The reigning women's world champion Hou Yifan had the white pieces. Challenger Humpy Koneru managed to equalize in a Ruy Lopez that was played for the third time in the match. But in the middle game the challenger started to take risks and gave her opponent a chance to win a pawn. This was immediately grabbed by Hou Yifan, and in the endgame the Chinese player got another, enough to secure her victory. The game was analysed for us by GM Alejandro Ramirez.
World Champion Hou Yifan waiting for the start of game seven
The challenger, second strongest female player in history, Humpy Koneru of India
The wonder girl from China, just 17 years old
Arbiter Carol Jarecki starts the clock and the game
Press chief WGM Anastasiya Karlovich discusses the games with Yifan and
Humpy
Yifan analysing with Fritz 13 in the press conference...
... after which her second GM Ye Jiangchuan speaks to the Chinese media
Score
| Players | Rating |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Total |
Perf. |
+/– |
| Hou Yifan | 2578 |
½ |
½ |
1 |
½ |
½ |
1 |
1 |
5.0 |
2759 |
+17 |
|||
| Koneru Humpy | 2600 |
½ |
½ |
0 |
½ |
½ |
0 |
0 |
2.0 |
2419 |
–17 |
Remaining schedule
| Thursday | 24 November 2011 | Game eight |
| Friday | 25 November 2011 | Rest day |
| Saturday | 26 November 2011 | Game nine |
| Sunday | 27 November 2011 | Rest day |
| Monday | 28 November 2011 | Game ten |
| Tuesday | 29 November 2011 | Rest day |
| Wednesday | 30 November 2011 | Tie-break, closing |
The eighth game, on Thursday, November 24, may decide the competition, e.g. if it ends in a draw of a win for Hou Yifan. The Chinese girl would then have 5.5 points and keep her World Champion title. Humpy Koneru needs to will all three remaining games to equalise the score and force a tie-break.
Photos and news from Tirana by WGMs Anastasiya Karlovich
and Anna Burtasova, with kind permission of FIDE
LinksThe games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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