Tournament: World Women Chess Championship 2013
Game 1
White: Ushenina, Anna
Black: Hou, Yifan
Date: Wed Sep 11 2013
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Nb5 Be4 11. Qd1 Nb7 12. a3 Be7 13. Bf4 d6 14. Rc1 h6 15. b4 a6 16. Nc3 Bc6 17. Qb3 Rc8 18. Rfd1 Qe8 19. Qb1 e5 20. Bd2 b5 21. cxb5 axb5 22. e4 Ra8 23. Nh4 Rxa3 24. Nf5 Bd7 25. Be3
(This would have given Ushenina a strong position 25. Qb2 Ra8 26. Nxh6+ gxh6 27. Bxh6 +=)
Position after 27. Bxh6 in the side analysis
25… Be6 26. Nxe7+ Qxe7 27. Nd5 Nxd5 28. exd5 Bg4 29. Rd2 f5 30. Rdc2 f4 31. Rc7 Qf6 32. Bb6 Nd8 33. Qb2 Rd3 34. Qc2 Bf5 35. Qa2 Nf7 36. Bf1 Ng5 37. Ra7 fxg3 38. hxg3 Nf3+ 39. Kh1 Qg6 40. Bxd3 Qh5+ 41. Kg2 Bh3+ 0-1
Anna obtained a strong advantage early on in the game. She was on the right track to score her 1st victory of the match. But for inexplicable reason, she spent a lot of time in a “normal” position and got into severe time pressure.
At one point, she had to complete over a dozen moves in a minute or two (unofficially). After a series of inaccurate moves, she went from a big plus to completely losing and eventually got checkmate.
It is not over. She can come back. But she needs to get over this game immediately and focus on the next game. No time to look back right now.
The article is deceptive. Hou was never in any danger..just an ordinary slight white advantage. I wish these people actually knew something about chess. They should report on the weather or something. Congrats Mrs Hou..Though Ushenina DID play pretty badly in that time pressure to hand the win over.
She choked.
White clearly had a chance to obtain a big advantage around move 25. Magnus would have won this position easily.
A hard blow to Ushenina, now a strong mind is necessary to recover balance; a warrior character may win back in game 2, a weak one may collapse.
@ the anonymous who wrote that the report shows lack of chess knowledge: first of all when you insult someone you should be polite enough to sign with your own name, second you may disagree without necessary thinking the others are idiot. Third, isn’t this Susan Polgar blog?
Magnus had much BIGGER advantage over Aronia in their game yesterday in the Sinquefield Cup than Ushenina over Hou in that game last night. I remember that Magnus DID NOT do “would have won” that position easily. We use 3000+ computers to analyze the games but the players only use their brains while they are playing at the competition.
@ Mauro
I did’nt read an insult in Anoms comment…nor did I read anything about him calling anyone an idiot. Perhaps uninformed. But he was pretty dead on. Ushenina cracked…but didn’t seem to have as much pull as the article writer ( who;s probably not a chess player per se)imagined. Good luck to both players in the next round. Should be a fun match to watch..along with the Sinquefield cup goiong..lots of chess for everyone.
It seems…there’s a difference in a chair, sitting comfortably is big advantage…in chess. (IMO)