Humpy fights her way back, takes match into tie-breaker
Nalchik, Sep 11 : Koneru Humpy came back into contention as her young Chinese
opponent Hou Yifan blundered in the crucial stage of the Women's World chess semi-finals
Thursday.
Humpy won the second game to get back into the match. Humpy, who had lost the first
game with white thus equalised with black to send the match into a tie-breaker. He won in
36 moves after an opening in the English Symmetrical.
In the other semi-final Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia) needing only a draw to get onto
the final stage of the Women's World Chess Championship played a solid game with no
surprises or novelties to beat Pia Cramling of Sweden. The game was in Queen's Gambit
declined and lasted 40 moves.
Kosteniuk made the final after seven years and she will now play the winner of
Humpy-Yifan match in the final.
The 21-year-old Humpy favourite and top seed here came out with a slight advantage from
the opening phase but could not find a strong continuation despite the desperation to win.
Yifan pushed the pawn to d5 and gave a chance for exchanging the light pieces which could
have been a nice way for a possible draw.
Humpy took her chance and avoided the full exchange and took a risky line but after
that her position started to gradually loose momentum and deteriorated.
But her luck into came play as Yifan blundered and provided a chance for White to mate.
Hou resigned after a few more moves as Humpy saw the line and went for it.
Humpy and Yifan will now clash in a tie break on Friday.
In the first game, Yifan played maturely to score an upset over the top-seed. Humpy
played the first part of the game in her usual manner but out of the blue things changed
greatly. Having captured a "poisoned pawn" Humpy lost her way and the game.
So upset was she that she kept sitting at the table for five minutes after the match
trying to find a reason for her poor play.
--IANS
