 "Chess (#1103)")
In effect, Hou Yifan turned the 12-player GP event at Lopota, Georgia into a fight for second place.
The world champion, who has just turned 20, was in blazing form and she ended with an incredible 9 points from 11 games. That was a 2772 performance. It left her 2 points clear of the field. Ju Wenjun and Elina Danielian shared second place with 7 each. Nana Dzagnidzde was fourth on 6.5. Dronavalli Harika shared fifth-sixth place with Antoaneta Stepanova (5.5 each).
Humpy Koneru was in poor form and just managed a 50 per cent score.
Hou's new rating would be in the range of 2647. The Number 1 remains Judit Polgar who refuses to play women-only events. It is high time that Hou, whose traditional Chinese name is Yifan, played more in open events. She has obviously outgrown the challenge of the women's circuit and it is probably holding her back.
The discrepancy between the open rating list and the women-only list is marked. Polgar (currently 2676) is the only woman ever rated above 2700. Hou and Humpy are the only others rated above 2600. In the Open list, the three players tied in the 100th position are rated at 2653. Magnus Carlsen leads with 2877 and Levon Aronian is at 2805.
This is the classical rating list. The Rapids and Blitz lists, which are being released for the first time are rather different. Carlsen owns the triple crown but he doesn't lead all three lists. There are eight players rated above 2800 in the Rapid list with Fabiano Caruana on top at 2858 (Carlsen 2855). There are seven players rated at above 2800 in the Blitz list. Carlsen leads with the insane rating of 2948, while Hikaru Nakamura is in second spot at 2906. Polgar leads all three women's lists.
The DIAGRAM, WHITE TO PLAY (Anna Muzychuk Vs Hou Yifan Lopota GP 2014) indicates how intimidating even the best women players find Hou. In an equal position, white could develop with Bb2 or Rb1.
Instead she exchanged with 15.Qg5? Qxg5 16.Bxg5 h6 17.Bd2 a4! It's rare for an equal position to turn bad so quickly without gross blunders. The obvious 18.b4 Bxc4 19.bxc5 Bxb5 20.Rfb1 Bd3 is horrible for white.
18.Bd1 Nd4 19.Nc7 axb3! The exchange sacrifice is a forced win. The game concluded with 20.Nxa8 Rxa8 21.Bc3 Bxc4 22.a4 b5 23.axb5 Rxa1 24.Bxa1 Nxb5! Black doesn't need to recover material. After 25.Re1 Bd4 26.Bxd4 exd4 27.e5 dxe5 28.Rxe5 b2 (0-1). Assuming black sees the one-move threat of mate, she wins easily after 29. Bc2 Kf8 30. Rc5 d3 31. Bb1 d2.
The world champion, who has just turned 20, was in blazing form and she ended with an incredible 9 points from 11 games. That was a 2772 performance. It left her 2 points clear of the field. Ju Wenjun and Elina Danielian shared second place with 7 each. Nana Dzagnidzde was fourth on 6.5. Dronavalli Harika shared fifth-sixth place with Antoaneta Stepanova (5.5 each).
Humpy Koneru was in poor form and just managed a 50 per cent score.
Hou's new rating would be in the range of 2647. The Number 1 remains Judit Polgar who refuses to play women-only events. It is high time that Hou, whose traditional Chinese name is Yifan, played more in open events. She has obviously outgrown the challenge of the women's circuit and it is probably holding her back.
The discrepancy between the open rating list and the women-only list is marked. Polgar (currently 2676) is the only woman ever rated above 2700. Hou and Humpy are the only others rated above 2600. In the Open list, the three players tied in the 100th position are rated at 2653. Magnus Carlsen leads with 2877 and Levon Aronian is at 2805.
This is the classical rating list. The Rapids and Blitz lists, which are being released for the first time are rather different. Carlsen owns the triple crown but he doesn't lead all three lists. There are eight players rated above 2800 in the Rapid list with Fabiano Caruana on top at 2858 (Carlsen 2855). There are seven players rated at above 2800 in the Blitz list. Carlsen leads with the insane rating of 2948, while Hikaru Nakamura is in second spot at 2906. Polgar leads all three women's lists.
The DIAGRAM, WHITE TO PLAY (Anna Muzychuk Vs Hou Yifan Lopota GP 2014) indicates how intimidating even the best women players find Hou. In an equal position, white could develop with Bb2 or Rb1.
Instead she exchanged with 15.Qg5? Qxg5 16.Bxg5 h6 17.Bd2 a4! It's rare for an equal position to turn bad so quickly without gross blunders. The obvious 18.b4 Bxc4 19.bxc5 Bxb5 20.Rfb1 Bd3 is horrible for white.
18.Bd1 Nd4 19.Nc7 axb3! The exchange sacrifice is a forced win. The game concluded with 20.Nxa8 Rxa8 21.Bc3 Bxc4 22.a4 b5 23.axb5 Rxa1 24.Bxa1 Nxb5! Black doesn't need to recover material. After 25.Re1 Bd4 26.Bxd4 exd4 27.e5 dxe5 28.Rxe5 b2 (0-1). Assuming black sees the one-move threat of mate, she wins easily after 29. Bc2 Kf8 30. Rc5 d3 31. Bb1 d2.
Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player