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Round 1: Hou Yifan draws first blood |
 Anna Ushenina managed to get pleasant advantage with white pieces in the first game of the Women’s world championship match but spent too much time in the opening and didn’t find the precise way to make more troubles for her opponent. The position was about equal when Women’s world champion lost track and let her opponent to get a dangerous contra play on the king’s side. Hou Yifan moved her knight from unfortunate square b7 to g5 to help in decisive attack on the White’s king. The first game of the Match has finished after 41 moves.
Anna played very creatively, sacrificed a pawn on a3, managed to put her knight on f5 and almost paralyzed her opponent. One of the critical moments happened on the 26th move when World champion surprisingly changed her good knight on f5 for Black’s passive bishop on e7.
After 26.Nb5 instead of 26.Ne7 White could have won a pawn back and get better position. Anna called her move 26. Ne7 – the decisive mistake of the game. Hou Yifan saw Nb5 but pointed out she didn’t have any other choice but had to play 25…Be6.
After 36…Ng5 all Black pieces placed perfectly to attack the king of the opponent.
Spacious playing hall of the Match
The organizers of the World championship match assume numerous security measures. Hou Yifan and Anna Ushenina play on the stage which is separated from the spectator’s area.
The photographers and cameramen have an opportunity to take pictures and record videos next to the stage only for the first 5 minutes of the game. After that the spectator’s area plunges into darkness.
Everyone entering the playing hall, including the players, would be checked on metal detector as no electronic device can be present in the hall.
the players have their own entrance…
…and will be checked by deputy arbiter Carol Jarecki, who trains on one of the guards her new device.
Booked places for Chinese team. Every day the places will be changed according to the color of pieces of players. This measure is taken to avoid eye contact between players and seconds.
Ukrainian GM Anton Korobov occupied three chairs.
Anna Ushenina came first for the game today.
The clock in the first game of FIDE World Women’s Chess Championship Match has started at 3 PM on the 11th of September. The first move 1. d4 of Anna Ushenina was done by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the replying 1….Nf6 of Hou Yifan was made by director of Taizhou sports bureau Ge Zhihui.
At the press conference after the game Hou Yifan said she was happy to play in Taizhou: ”I have been living in Beijing for last 10 years but It’s always nice to come back to your native city. My friends and relatives came to support me here”. According to Anna Ushenina, the organization is good here but in any case it’s not comfortable to play on the territory of your opponent. |
