Yuan Yuanling strikes first!
Yuanling takes first game by storm!
Photo courtesy of E.Kublasvili
A big upset in round one of the Women’s World Championship in Sochi. Canadian Yuan Yuanling, rated some 200 points lower than her rival, won a tough game that saw the advantage slip back and forth in a complex and difficult middlegame.
Yuan, Y–Muzychuk, M
Sochi, today
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Be4 Na6 11.c3 Nc7 12.Qd3 Bg6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.c4 Qd7 15.Be3 g5 16.Nd2 g4 17.hxg4 Qxg4 18.Ne4 Be7 19.Ng3 g6 20.Qe4 Qd7 21.Rad1 Kg7 22.d5 cxd5 23.cxd5 Nb5 24.Qf3 Rh8 25.Ne4 f5 26.Ng3 Rh4 27.Bf4 Rah8 28.Rfe1 Bd6 29.Bg5 Rg4 30.Bc1 Qc7 31.Rd3 Rgh4 32.Bg5 Rg4
The Ukrainian grandmaster has strong pressure against Yuan’s Kingside, but has found it difficult to break the Canadian’s tough defence. Black’s last move (32…Rg4) was a mistake , giving Yuan an opportunity to get a clear advantage with 33.Nxf5+! After 33…PxN 34.Qxf5 Rxg5! (nothing better) 35.QxR+ Kf8! 36.Rh3! RxR 37.PxR White has both a material and positional advantage.
33.Bd2?! Qd8 34.b3 Qh4 35.a4?!
Now Black misses the chance to get a clearly better game with 35…Bc5!! (threatening …Rxg3 and mate on h1) After the forced 36.Kf1 Nd4! and White must give up the exchange in order to avoid getting mated.
35…Nc7?! 36.Bc3+ f6 37.Kf1 Rf4 38.Qd1 Bc5 39.Rf3 Qg4?!
Now Yuan does not let slip her new opportunity to gain a strong counterattack and end the game in her favour!
40.d6! Rxf3 41.Re7+! Kf8 42.gxf3 Qh3+43.Ke2! Qg2 44.Be1! Ne8 45.Qd5! Nxd6 46.Qe6!
