Humpy Koneru of India is continuing her steady improvement in the past few years. She recently completed Corus B group with a minus one score (2580 performance), beating Cheparinov, Smeets, Stellwagen and Lahno along the way.
Below is an exciting game between Humpy and Smeets:
Koneru, H. (2537) – Smeets, J. (2550) [D48]
Corus B, Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 01-22-2006
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0–0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 Qc7 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 14.Ng5 Nc5 15.Qf3 Bd6 16.Qh3 Qd7 17.Rd1 Qe7 18.e5 [18.Be3 Nfd7 19.Ne2 then Nd4 next] 18…Bxe5 19.Bg6+ Kf8 20.Be3 Ncd7 21.Nxe6+ [21.Bf7 would be another good option.] 21…Kg8 22.Bc2 [22.Bf5 would have been a more aggressive move.] 22…Re8 23.Ng5 g6?! [23…Bc8!=] 24.Re1 Qb4 25.Rab1 Bc8? [25…Bxc3 26.bxc3 Qxc3=] 26.Qf3 [26.Nge4! Nxe4 27.Nxe4 Nf6 28.Qh4+-] 26…Kg7 27.Nd5 Qa5 28.Nf4 Nf8 29.h4 Bxb2 30.h5 h6 31.Ne4? [31.Nf7! Kxf7 32.hxg6+ Kg7 (32…Kg8 33.Nh5!+-) 33.Nh5++-] 31…Nxe4 32.Bxe4 [32.hxg6! Ng5 (32…Bf5 33.Nh5+ Kxg6 34.g4!+-) 33.Qc6+-] 32…g5 33.Nd5 Ne6?? 34.Bb6! Beginning the combination to trap the Queen 34…Qa3 35.Re3 [35.Bd4+!! wins instantly! 35…Nxd4 (35…Bxd4 36.Qxa3+-) 36.Qf6+ Kg8 37.Bh7+ Rxh7 38.Rxe8+ Qf8 39.Rxf8#] 35…Qxa2 36.Nb4 Qa4 37.Rxb2 Rhf8 38.Qg3?? [38.Qe2 a must move to trap the Queen.] 38…Nf4?? Black missed a golden chance to draw this game. [38…Qd1+ 39.Kh2 Qxh5+=] 39.Rb1 Kg8 40.Bc2 Rxe3 41.Qxe3 1–0 
yea, I agree, she is doing slow and steady progress, age is on her side..I am sure one day she will be womens world champion.
She is the top rated player at the womans championships. pretty good.
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2910
She certainly has a great chance to become world womens champion. she has a regular GM title.
Dear Ms. Polgar,
I sincerely hope this finds you well. I wonder if you’d be good enough to explain something. Is the chess position you gave above Ms. Koneru’s game a puzzle? If yes, who is to move? & is that player supposed to move to win or mate? Thank you kindly for your assistance. Take very good care & have yourself a most joyous day, every day.
Love And Light
Cogano
I am very inspired by all this improvements from women chess particularly from Koneru.
I personally heard an IM said how scared he was to play against her because it was like playing against an ‘unstoppable robot’. Although ‘robot’ should be taken in a positive context.
I just started a blog on women chess too.
Here’s a shameless plug:
http://ChessQueens.blogspot.com