1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4
b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Be4 11. Qc1 Bb7 12. a4 b4 13. Bf4 Nd5 14. Bg5 Nd7 15.
Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 a5 18. Nd2 Ba6 19. Nc4 Qc5 20. Ne3 Qe7 21. Rd1
Rad8 22. Nxd5 exd5 23. Qc6 Bxe2 24. Rxd5 Rxd5 25. Qxd5 c5 26. Re1 Bg4 27. Rc1
Rc8 28. Qc4 h5 29. Bd5 Qd7 30. Re1 Rd8 31. e6 fxe6 32. Bxe6+ Bxe6 33. Rxe6 Qf7
34. h4 Rf8 35. Qe2 Qf3 36. Qxf3 Rxf3 37. Re5 c4 38. Rxa5 Rb3 39. Rc5 Rxb2 40.
Rxc4 Kf7 41. Kg2 b3 42. Rb4 g6 43. Kf3 Ra2 44. Rxb3 Rxa4 45. Re3 Kf6 46. Re4
Ra3+ 47. Kf4 Ra2 48. f3 Ra5 49. Rc4 Rf5+ 50. Ke3 Re5+ 51. Re4 Ra5 52. Rf4+ Kg7
53. Rc4 Ra6 54. Rc5 Kf6 55. Rd5 Ra3+ 56. Ke4 Ra6 57. Rd4 Re6+ 58. Kf4 Ra6 59.
Rb4 Rc6 60. g4 hxg4 61. Kxg4 Rc5 62. Rb6+ Kg7 63. Re6 Kf7 64. Re4 Ra5 65. f4
Ra1 66. Re3 Kf6 67. Rb3 Rg1+ 68. Rg3 Ra1 69. Rg2 Rb1 70. Rh2 Rg1+ 71. Kf3 Kf5
72. h5 gxh5 73. Rxh5+ Kf6 74. Ra5 Rf1+ 75. Ke3 Re1+ 76. Kf2 Rb1 77. Kg3 Rg1+
78. Kf3 Rf1+ 79. Kg4 Rg1+ 80. Kf3 1/2-1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O
8. Qd2 Qe8 9. O-O-O Qa4 10. Kb1 Nc6 11. h4 Be6 12. b3 Qa5 13. Nd4 Nxd4 14. cxd4
Qxd2 15. Rxd2 d5 16. h5 h6 17. Bd3 a5 18. a4 Bb4 19. Rdd1 Bc3 20. Rh4 c6 21.
Bc1 Bd7 22. Bb2 Bb4 23. Ka2 Rfe8 24. Rhh1 b5 25. c3 Bf8 26. axb5 cxb5 27. Rde1
Bd6 28. Ba3 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 b4 30. Bb2 a4 31. bxa4 Bxa4 32. Kb1 bxc3 33. Bxc3
Rb8+ 34. Ka2 Ra8 35. Kb2 Kf8 36. Ra1 Rb8+ 37. Kc1 Bf4+ 38. Bd2 Rc8+ 39. Kb2
Rb8+ 40. Kc1 Rc8+ 41. Kb2 Rb8+ 42. Kc1 Rc8+ 1/2-1/2

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8. e3
c4 9. Be2 g5 10. Bg3 Ne4 11. Rc1 Qa5 12. Ne5 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 Nc6 14. O-O O-O 15.
Bf3 Nxg3 16. fxg3 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Be6
After a bunch of trades occur, both sides have shattered pawn structures. Black's is less shattered, but ironically more vulnerable. White should have a slight edge.
18. Bh5 Qxa2 19. Rf6 Qb2 20. Rxh6 Bf5
Nothing more than a B and a Q, but it's preventing White from reaching a coordination that would crush the unbelievably vulnerable kingside.
21. Rf6 Be4 22. Bf3 Bd3 23. Qe1 Rae8 24. Bxd5 Rxe5 25. e4 Kg7 26. Rf2 Qb6
Black is solid. She did a brilliant job in restricting White, and now enjoys every single advantage the position offers. Better pieces, better pawn structure, more space, a passed a-pawn. White isn't dead yet, mainly thanks to the powerful d5 bishop, but it is not a pretty sight.
27. Qd2 Rd8 28. Qb2 f5 29. Qxb6 axb6 30. Bxb7 fxe4 31. Rb2 Re7 32. Bc6 Rd6 33. Ba4 e3
34. Re1 e2 35. Bc2 Rf7 36. Bxd3 cxd3 37. Rd2 Rdf6
And Humpy resigned without waiting for the last move. A flawless, wonderful game by Hou Yifan. The precision exhibited by this 17-year old is astounding. Humpy committed a few innacuracies, but no big mistakes, and suddenly she found herself in a very uncomfortable situation. Yifan made sure she never had an opportunity to come back into the game.
0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 Be7 11. Bc2 d4 12. Nb3 d3 13. Nxc5 dxc2 14. Qxd8+ Rxd8 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Be3 Rd5 17. c4 bxc4 18. Rac1 Nb4

Hou Yifan: I remembered that I played this line before, but could not recall the game.

19. a3 Nd3 20. Rxc2 Kd7 21. Bd4 Rb8 22. Bc3 c5

Numpy Koneru: I was also thinking about another move here which is 22...Bc5 23.g3 Rf8 24.Kg2 - it was also possible to play this;

22...Rf8 was also possible here.

23. Nd2 Nxe5 24. f4

Humpy Koneru: After this move I think White is better in the endgame. I have weak pawns. But the question is how to convert it into a win. It was a tough game, I had to defend a lot.

24... Ng4 25. Nxc4 Bf6 26. Re1 Bd4+ 27. Bxd4 Rxd4 28. h3 Nf6 29. Ne5+ Kd6 30. Nf7+ Kd7 31. Ne5+ Kd6 32. Nf7+ Kd7 33. Rxc5 Rxb2 34. Ne5+ Ke8



35. Nf3

Humpy Koneru: I think White could have tried 35.Rc7 - this would have been better for White than the actual game.

35... Re4 36. Rxe4

Hou Yifan: I think I could play better. Maybe I missed some good chance today. For example if I played 36.Rd1 here, I don't know what would happen, but it could be a better continuation.

36... Nxe4 37. Re5 Nc3

Is there any difference if Black would play 37...Ng3? Humpy Koneru: When the knight is on c3, it also controls the “a” pawn, so I think it is better.

38. Rxe6+ Kf8



39. Rxa6

The commentators of the tournament asked if Hou Yifan considered to play 39.Kh2 here with the possible line 39...Ne2 40.Re4, and the game continues. Hou Yifan: Yes, I missed this line, I could be better to play it. Humpy Koneru: Of course it was better for White to try this out.

39... Ne2+ 40. Kh2 Nxf4

Hou Yifan: After we passed the time-control on the 40th move, the position was already a draw

41. Kg3 Nxg2 42. Re6 h6 43. Ne5 Ra2 44. a4 g5 45. Rxh6 Ne1 46. Rf6+ Kg7 47. Rg6+ Kh7 48. Rxg5 Rxa4 49. h4 Ra3+ 50. Kg4 Ng2 51. h5 Ne3+ 52. Kf4 Nd5+ 53. Kf5 Ra5 54. Rg1 Ra2 55. Ng4 Ra5 56. Ke4 Nc3+ 57. Kd3 Nd5 58. Ke4

Draw agreed

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd6 9. Qc2 a6 10. a3 e5 11. dxe5

( Koneru: “This move is not a novelty, there were few games played in this variation before”. )

11... Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. f4 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Qe7 15. O-O Qxe3+ 16. Kh1

( Hou Yifan: “I was spending a lot of time here as I knew White has a better position so I tried to find some plan”. )

16... Qb6 17. f5 Bd7 18. Bb4 Rfe8

( 18... Ng4 was advised at the press-conference. Hou Yifan: “Already at this moment in the game I had a little time. I saw this move, but decided to simply move the rook”. )

19. Rad1 Qc6 20. Qb3

( Both players calculated also 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qb3+ Be6 22. fxe6+ 6. Koneru: “In this position I did not see a proper plan for White”. Although, the Indian admitted that White has a small edge in this position. )

20... Kh8 21. Rc1 Qb6

( Black could use a tiny trick: 21... Re5 and if 22. Bxf7 then 22... Rxf5 )

22. Bxf7 Re5 23. Bc3 Qxb3 24. Bxb3 Re3 25. Bc4 Rae8 26. Bd4 R3e7 27. Ba2 Re2 28. Bf7 R8e7 29. Bc4 R2e4

( Koneru: “After this move I had already bad position”. )

30. Bc5

( Koneru: “I saw the move 30. Bxf6 before, but I missed it in this position!” White has the initiative after 30... gxf6 31. Bd5 )

30... Re8 31. Bf7 R8e5 32. Ba2 Bc6 33. Rg1 Re2 34. Bd4 Rxf5 35. Bc4 Rd2 36. Bc3 Ne4 37. Rge1 Ng3+ 38. hxg3 Rh5+