Hou Yifan vs Humpy Koneru - both the youngest women to earn the GM title (not WGM, but the GM one) although Hou later bested Humpy's record. Is anyone tuning into this one?

round one turned into a 3 pawn vs 2 pawn on one side of the board draw , which is a draw I've gotten but didn't deserve because I'm not 100% sure of the mechanics behind it - (basically I guess you hope it turns into a Philidor assuming you've kept your pawn structure from going to hell)

On a side note - seeing China vs India is a good indication of world politics in 20 years but I digress -

[Event "Women's World Chess Championship 2011"]
[Site "Tirana/Albania"]
[Date "2011.11.14"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Koneru, Humpy"]
[Black "Hou, Yifan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E05"]
[WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2578"]
[Annotator "Robot 4"]
[PlyCount "159"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"]

1. d4 {30} Nf6 {0} 2. c4 {30} e6 {0} 3. g3 {30} d5 {30} 4. Bg2 {90} Be7 {30} 5.
Nf3 {30} O-O {30} 6. O-O {0} dxc4 {0} 7. Qc2 {30} a6 {0} 8. Qxc4 {30} b5 {30}
9. Qc2 {0} Bb7 {0} 10. Bd2 {0} Be4 {60} 11. Qc1 {30} Bb7 {0} 12. a4 {30} b4 {
1080} 13. Bf4 {150} Nd5 {90} 14. Bg5 {30} Nd7 {420} 15. Bxe7 {150} Qxe7 {30}
16. Ne5 {90} Nxe5 {1110} 17. dxe5 {0} a5 {30} 18. Nd2 {240} Ba6 {30} 19. Nc4 {
390} Qc5 {360} 20. Ne3 {90} Qe7 {210} 21. Rd1 {1290} Rad8 {450} 22. Nxd5 {1110}
exd5 {0} 23. Qc6 {390} Bxe2 {600} 24. Rxd5 {30} Rxd5 {0} 25. Qxd5 {30} c5 {0}
26. Re1 {630} Bg4 {330} 27. Rc1 {105} Rc8 {630} 28. Qc4 {317} h5 {62} 29. Bd5 {
424} Qd7 {240} 30. Re1 {182} Rd8 {148} 31. e6 {100} fxe6 {5} 32. Bxe6+ {13}
Bxe6 {5} 33. Rxe6 {7} Qf7 {187} 34. h4 {225} Rf8 {60} 35. Qe2 {3} Qf3 {46} 36.
Qxf3 {75} Rxf3 {1} 37. Re5 {13} c4 {14} 38. Rxa5 {34} Rb3 {6} 39. Rc5 {25} Rxb2
{0} 40. Rxc4 {0} Kf7 {0} 41. Kg2 {307} b3 {55} 42. Rb4 {90} g6 {30} 43. Kf3 {0}
Ra2 {30} 44. Rxb3 {90} Rxa4 {30} 45. Re3 {30} Kf6 {30} 46. Re4 {90} Ra3+ {90}
47. Kf4 {30} Ra2 {30} 48. f3 {0} Ra5 {30} 49. Rc4 {150} Rf5+ {0} 50. Ke3 {30}
Re5+ {0} 51. Re4 {30} Ra5 {30} 52. Rf4+ {0} Kg7 {0} 53. Rc4 {60} Ra6 {60} 54.
Rc5 {90} Kf6 {30} 55. Rd5 {30} Ra3+ {30} 56. Ke4 {30} Ra6 {0} 57. Rd4 {30} Re6+
{30} 58. Kf4 {64} Ra6 {0} 59. Rb4 {44} Rc6 {0} 60. g4 {78} hxg4 {30} 61. Kxg4 {
107} Rc5 {0} 62. Rb6+ {33} Kg7 {30} 63. Re6 {36} Kf7 {30} 64. Re4 {14} Ra5 {330
} 65. f4 {83} Ra1 {90} 66. Re3 {31} Kf6 {0} 67. Rb3 {28} Rg1+ {0} 68. Rg3 {9}
Ra1 {30} 69. Rg2 {22} Rb1 {0} 70. Rh2 {18} Rg1+ {0} 71. Kf3 {9} Kf5 {0} 72. h5
{12} gxh5 {30} 73. Rxh5+ {5} Kf6 {0} 74. Ra5 {23} Rf1+ {0} 75. Ke3 {4} Re1+ {30
} 76. Kf2 {9} Rb1 {0} 77. Kg3 {18} Rg1+ {0} 78. Kf3 {5} Rf1+ {0} 79. Kg4 {8}
Rg1+ {0} 80. Kf3 {30} 1/2-1/2

bleh, catalans can be so bland

shows what I know - I thought it was QGD but the same sentiment applies

RB

openings aren't boring, moves are. Check some recent games after 7. ...b5. Or 4. ...dxc4 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 c6

round 2 looks like it's going to draw in the Petroff

Seems like Humpy has gotten an edge on both games but Hou has been able to hold on

i really hope they don't alternate Catalans and Petroffs until someone blunders and has to start risking more. Unfortunately, this is also a very real scenario for the Anand-Gelfand match.

Seems over already. Nice Spanish game.

Very nice Espanol game indeed.

R vs. R+g+h pawns is a fun ending.