Twice Queen of Chess

Humpy Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 8; Tirana, November 24, 2011
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 17, of China successfully defended her world crown by drawing the 8th game of the best of ten world match against Humpy Koneru, 24, of India. She won three games to Koneru’s zero, with five draws, so there was no need to play the remaining two games. 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 0-0 7. Qc2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 e5 9. a3. If 9. Nxe5 there might follow 9. ... Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ng4 11. Qb3 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 Qh4 13. g3 Qh3 14. Bf1 Qh5 15. Be2 Qh3 16. Bf1 Qh5 17. Be2 Qh3 ½ : ½ Chiburdanidze – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Women’s Grand Prix 2009–2011, 5h stage, Ulaanbaatar 2010. 9. ... Bd6 10. d5 Ne7 11. 0-0 a6 12. b4 Bd7 13. Bb2 Ng6 14. Ng5 Qe7 15. Nge4 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bf5 17. Bd3 Bxe4 18. Bxe4 Qg5

19. Bxg6 hxg6 20. e4 Rac8 21. Qc3 Qh4 22. f4 f6 23. Qg3 Qxg3 24. hxg3 Rfe8 25. fxe5 Bxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Rfe1 Kf7 28. Rac1 Ke7 29. Rc4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) two-time World Champion. Photo: EPA/ITAR-TASS.