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GM Hou Yifan defeated GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 12.5-9.5 to safe her spot within the Julius Baer Girls’s Velocity Chess Championship 2023 Ultimate.
The hotly contested 22-game match noticed simply three attracts. Kosteniuk led by one level on the finish of every of the primary two segments, however within the bullet video games, the ladies’s world number-one took over and received almost each single one.
Within the upcoming Ultimate, Hou will play towards the winner of GM Kateryna Lagno vs. GM Harika Dronavalli. The Lagno-Harika semifinal match can be on Friday, November 17 beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET / 17:00 CET / 9:30 p.m. IST.
Hou 12.5-9.5 Kosteniuk | Semifinals
Final 12 months, Hou eradicated Kosteniuk within the Quarterfinals after successful 14.5-11.5. On this 12 months’s version Hou once more received the match with a three-point margin, one level greater than predicted by SmarterChess.
Hou’s stellar efficiency within the bullet portion got here as a shock.
5+1: Hou 3.5-4.5 Kosteniuk
The primary two segments have been intently contested, although Kosteniuk saved the sting with a nagging one-point lead.
The very first recreation, which heading towards a draw, immediately ended with Hou’s king getting checkmated.
A tense first recreation gave the impression to be headed to a draw, however Kosteniuk pounced on a Hou Yifan blunder to offer checkmate and take the early lead! #SpeedChess #WSCC pic.twitter.com/KaCih5nbcG
— chess24.com (@chess24com) November 16, 2023
After Kosteniuk missed a win within the second recreation, which led to one of many uncommon attracts of the match, it was Hou who hit again with two back-to-back wins.
Within the second, a grasping pawn seize led to fast capitulation from the white items.
After Kosteniuk received video games six and 7 back-to-back, every participant received with the white items to shut out the phase, leaving the Swiss grandmaster within the lead.
The final recreation was a pleasant lesson in utilizing the king as an lively piece within the endgame.
3+1: Hou 3.5-3.5 Kosteniuk
As soon as once more, a intently fought phase left Kosteniuk up by some extent within the bullet.
Hou received the primary recreation with a kingside assault that labored with out sacrificing any materials. Though the primary wave did not break the protection, her forces received to the king after they tried once more. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes our Recreation of the Day beneath.
However Kosteniuk received the subsequent recreation, albeit solely on the clock after a very long time in a shedding place.
Hou Yifan barely reacts after shedding on time when making an attempt to transform a successful place! #SpeedChess #WSCC pic.twitter.com/g6zk1CPcLo
— chess24.com (@chess24com) November 16, 2023
After shedding one other recreation, Hou was down two factors within the match, however she evened the rating as soon as once more over the subsequent two video games.
Within the first, she received a pure opposite-color bishop endgame regardless of its excessive drawish tendencies.
The ultimate place of the second was like a portray. After 52…Qe6!, organising the lethal found checks, one of many high engine strikes is already 53.Qxc4. So, as a substitute, White selected to resign.
Simply as Hou introduced the match again to a stability, Kosteniuk received the final recreation on time—ready the place she was significantly better however not but clearly successful. Recreation on!
1+1: Hou 5.5-1.5 Kosteniuk
Properly, the shut match of the primary two segments didn’t final, because the bullet portion turned out to be a blowout. Hou revealed within the interview that she consciously tried to play quicker, and it evidently labored. Kosteniuk managed to win solely the final recreation, when it was already too late to return again within the match.
Hou began with 4 straight wins earlier than they made their third and final draw within the match.
We’re speaking about one-minute chess right here, in fact, so there have been just a few errors. Within the first recreation, White missed a dangling rook and went on to lose:
Hou Yifan ranges the scores once more within the first bullet recreation, although errors have been made: right here Kosteniuk moved her king out of examine… as a substitute of simply taking the rook on f8! https://t.co/3DefT8ZlLS#SpeedChess #WSCC pic.twitter.com/hMpG6RcVOP
— chess24.com (@chess24com) November 16, 2023
Hou then squeezed with the area benefit to win one other, captured a blundered piece to win the subsequent, and, lastly, traded right into a trivially successful opposite-color bishop endgame to win after that.
After a draw, she received the penultimate recreation in 28 strikes with a brutal assault and a satisfying geometric sample ultimately:
Kosteniuk received the final recreation and, though it did not matter for the match, this ultimate place can be like a portray and is price sharing. Black can do nothing in regards to the mate on g7:
Hou takes residence $6,000 for successful the match plus $3,409.10 by win proportion. Kosteniuk exits the event incomes $2,590.90 by win proportion.
After her wonderful efficiency within the bullet phase, Hou quipped within the interview: “Am I taking part in sharp!?”
How does Hou Yifan keep sharp regardless of not taking part in typically these days?
“Am I taking part in sharp!? I did not actually really feel like that. It is arduous to say, in all probability it is one thing born in nature…” #SpeedChess #WSCC pic.twitter.com/XSz7j31MyI
— chess24.com (@chess24com) November 16, 2023
Hou’s performed each Harika and Lagno in WSCC Ultimate earlier than. In 2021, she beat Harika to win the title; however she misplaced towards Lagno final 12 months. Whomever she performs subsequent Wednesday, it is certain to be an thrilling match contemplating the latest historical past.
The 2023 Julius Baer Girls’s Velocity Chess Championship (WSCC) is an internet competitors that includes a few of the strongest ladies chess gamers on this planet, with the principle occasion beginning on November 13. The WSCC includes a $75,000 prize fund.
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