Kosteniuk: The new Womens World Champion!

[AdminX]

I'm calling it here. The game is still in progress, but I really think she will win it. Text book stuff.


[d]8/5k2/R4p2/6p1/4P3/8/p5PK/r7 w - - 0 47

[Eelco de Groot]

[Event "FIDE WCC Women"]
[Site "Nalchik/Russia"]
[Date "2008.09.16"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "China"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nd2 Re8 13. c3 Nxb3 14. Nxb3 c5 15.
Qh5 g6 16. Qf3 f6 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. c4 Qd7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Qg3 g5 21. Be3
Rac8 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Bd6 24. Rec1 Kf7 25. Nd2 Be5 26. Rc2 Be6 27. Ne4 c4
28. dxc4 Rxc4 29. Rxc4 bxc4 30. Rd1 Rb8 31. b3 cxb3 32. axb3 Rxb3 33. Bd4 Bxg4
34. f3 Bxd4+ 35. Rxd4 Be6 36. Rd6 a5 37. Nc5 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Bf5 39. Ra6 Rb5 40.
Ne4 Bxe4 41. fxe4 Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. Kg3 a4 44. Kf3 a3 45. Kg3 Ra1 46. Kh2 a2
47. Kg3 Ke7 48. Kh2 Kd7 49. Kg3 Kc7 50. Kh2 Kb7 51. Ra3 Kb6 52. Ra8 Kb5 53.
Rb8+ Kc4 54. Ra8 Kd4 55. Ra4+ Kd3 56. Kg3 Ke3 57. Kh2 Kf4 58. e5+ Kxe5 59. g4
Kd5 60. Kg2 Kc5 61. Ra8 Kb4 62. Ra6 *

[d]8/8/R4p2/6p1/1k4P1/8/p5K1/r7 b - - 0 62

Can't be won I think, with or without textbook..

Regards, Eelco

[Rolf]

I see a draw.

[AdminX]

I hate when your right!!

[Event "FIDE WCC Women"]
[Site "Nalchik/Russia"]
[Date "2008.09.16"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[PlyCount "143"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "China"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nd2 Re8 13. c3 Nxb3 14. Nxb3 c5 15.
Qh5 g6 16. Qf3 f6 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. c4 Qd7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Qg3 g5 21. Be3
Rac8 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Bd6 24. Rec1 Kf7 25. Nd2 Be5 26. Rc2 Be6 27. Ne4 c4
28. dxc4 Rxc4 29. Rxc4 bxc4 30. Rd1 Rb8 31. b3 cxb3 32. axb3 Rxb3 33. Bd4 Bxg4
34. f3 Bxd4+ 35. Rxd4 Be6 36. Rd6 a5 37. Nc5 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Bf5 39. Ra6 Rb5 40.
Ne4 Bxe4 41. fxe4 Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. Kg3 a4 44. Kf3 a3 45. Kg3 Ra1 46. Kh2 a2
47. Kg3 Ke7 48. Kh2 Kd7 49. Kg3 Kc7 50. Kh2 Kb7 51. Ra3 Kb6 52. Ra8 Kb5 53.
Rb8+ Kc4 54. Ra8 Kd4 55. Ra4+ Kd3 56. Kg3 Ke3 57. Kh2 Kf4 58. e5+ Kxe5 59. g4
Kd5 60. Kg2 Kc5 61. Ra8 Kb4 62. Ra6 Kc4 63. Ra3 Kd4 64. Ra6 Ke5 65. Ra4 Ke6 66.
Ra8 Ke5 67. Ra4 Re1 68. Rxa2 Kf4 69. Rf2+ Kxg4 70. Rxf6 Re2+ 71. Kg1 Kg3 72.
Rf1 1/2-1/2

[Uri Blass]

[Event "FIDE WCC Women"]
[Site "Nalchik/Russia"]
[Date "2008.09.16"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[WhiteTeam "China"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nd2 Re8 13. c3 Nxb3 14. Nxb3 c5 15.
Qh5 g6 16. Qf3 f6 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. c4 Qd7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Qg3 g5 21. Be3
Rac8 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Bd6 24. Rec1 Kf7 25. Nd2 Be5 26. Rc2 Be6 27. Ne4 c4
28. dxc4 Rxc4 29. Rxc4 bxc4 30. Rd1 Rb8 31. b3 cxb3 32. axb3 Rxb3 33. Bd4 Bxg4
34. f3 Bxd4+ 35. Rxd4 Be6 36. Rd6 a5 37. Nc5 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Bf5 39. Ra6 Rb5 40.
Ne4 Bxe4 41. fxe4 Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. Kg3 a4 44. Kf3 a3 45. Kg3 Ra1 46. Kh2 a2
47. Kg3 Ke7 48. Kh2 Kd7 49. Kg3 Kc7 50. Kh2 Kb7 51. Ra3 Kb6 52. Ra8 Kb5 53.
Rb8+ Kc4 54. Ra8 Kd4 55. Ra4+ Kd3 56. Kg3 Ke3 57. Kh2 Kf4 58. e5+ Kxe5 59. g4
Kd5 60. Kg2 Kc5 61. Ra8 Kb4 62. Ra6 *

[d]8/8/R4p2/6p1/1k4P1/8/p5K1/r7 b - - 0 62

Can't be won I think, with or without textbook..

Regards, Eelco

Correct

king rook and 4 pawns cannot win against king rook and one chinese pawn
so you cannot expect king rook and 3 pawns to win against king rook and one chinese pawn.


Alexandra Kosteniuk is still favourite to win the match.
These chinese pawns only give Hou 2 draws and Hou needs a win with the black pieces to have a chance to get the title.

Uri

[Jouni]

But this 14 years(!) old Hou is a stunning prodigy: he is stronger than e.g.
Magnus Carlsen at same age...

Jouni

[Uri Blass]

But this 14 years(!) old Hou is a stunning prodigy: he is stronger than e.g.
Magnus Carlsen at same age...

Jouni

To be more correct
She is slightly older than 14.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hou_Yifan

born February 27, 1994

Magnus Carlesn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Carlsen

born 30 November 1990
we need to go back 3.25 years on time to do fair comparison
I did some comparison to see who had better rating at the same aga.

july 2008 of Hou is translated to april 2005

http://ratings.fide.com/id.phtml?event=1503014
http://ratings.fide.com/id.phtml?event=8602980

Here is magnus ratings and at the same line Hou rating at similiar age
July 2005 2528 oct 2008 2557+22.6 Hou better
Apr 2005 2548 Jul 2008 2557 Hou better
Jan 2005 2553 Apr 2008 2549 Magnus better
Oct 2004 2581 Jan 2008 2527 Magnus better
Jul 2004 2567 Oct 2007 2502 Magnus better
Apr 2004 2552 Jul 2007 2523 Magnus better
Jan 2004 2484 Apr 2007 2513 Hou better
Oct 2003 2450 Jan 2007 2509 Hou better
Jul 2003 2385 Oct 2006 2481 Hou better
Apr 2003 2356 Jul 2006 2488 Hou better

Uri

[Jérémy Pages]

This endgame is commented on Susan Polgar's blog :

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/09 ... lchik.html.

It seems that both sides made mistakes.

[Eelco de Groot]

This endgame is commented on Susan Polgar's blog :

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/09 ... lchik.html.

It seems that both sides made mistakes.

Yes, Susan is critical of White's play around move 42, 43, 44, 45. I only watched the game later on Playchess, a computer program analyzing gives Kosteniuk the advantage but there is no progress in the scores. So the programs are of limited use to judge the endgame, but I could not see any way foward. Usually I understand nothing about Rook endgames though. And I believe Susan is something of an endgame specialist! Judith is also very tough to beat in an endgame. It's often the hallmark of a true champion. I'm glad that it seems Judith will not be alone anymore in a class of her own for women's chess. Alexandra Kosteniuk has also made more progress than I thought she would a couple of years ago, she has become really good!

Eelco

[Rolf]

This endgame is commented on Susan Polgar's blog :

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/09 ... lchik.html.

It seems that both sides made mistakes.

Yes, Susan is critical of White's play around move 42, 43, 44, 45. I only watched the game later on Playchess, a computer program analyzing gives Kosteniuk the advantage but there is no progress in the scores. So the programs are of limited use to judge the endgame, but I could not see any way foward. Usually I understand nothing about Rook endgames though. And I believe Susan is something of an endgame specialist! Judith is also very tough to beat in an endgame. It's often the hallmark of a true champion. I'm glad that it seems Judith will not be alone anymore in a class of her own for women's chess. Alexandra Kosteniuk has also made more progress than I thought she would a couple of years ago, she has become really good!

Eelco

So nobody understood how brave and ingenious Hou played that game for the second time right now. The first game, people suffer of too weak longterm memory as it seems, was normally won for Hou. In my books if both couldnt win their won games, but Hou failed only 1 time, then Hou must be the better practical player of the two. She will win tomorrow(today) and then also fantastically win in the ties.

As a true computerchess freak I must make a confession. In too many cases Hou played exactly what Rybka advised and that were difficult moves. So what is with this metal radio receiver, Hou wears on her head? Just asking.