The Hoogeveen Masters Matches, paused for a rest day on Wednesday 19th October. The players came out fresh the day after, however, and resumed with gusto! Nigel Short and Jorden Van Foreest must have had their Weetabix, because they each played a very fine game and allowed their opponent nothing.
This is very unfortunate for Women’s World Champion, Yifan Hou, who finds herself having to win game five if she is to save her match against Nigel Short. The Chinese Grandmaster had a very bad game in this round, and went down in flames. The players got in to an Advance French, with Yifan blundering with her 18.Nf3(?!). It allowed Nigel to take a firm grasp on the position, with the superior development, immense activity, and tempi threatened all over the place. White did not defend well, but in fairness to her, the position was already critically bad and Black gradually piled on the pressure, while having an extremely safe and tidy position himself, until White collapsed. Short leads the match by two-points, with two games to play, and clearly has his tail up.
By contrast, the match between Ivan Sokolov and Jorden Van Foreest is finely poised. Van Foreest trailed by a point going in to this round, but used the game well in order to level the match once more. Interestingly, all games in this match have been decisive and won by White. In this case, Black allowed White a little too much room, White comfortably doubled rooks along the h-file. After 22…f5(?) 23.exf6 gxf6 24.Rh7+ (c2-c4 was perhaps even better!) White did not look back. With nice controlled dominance, Van Foreest kept Sokolov on the back foot and wrapped the game up very confidently.
Standings, after 4 of 6 rounds:
Short 3 vs 1 Hou
Sokolov 2 vs 2 Van Foreest
[Site “Hoogeveen NED”]
[Date “2016.10.20”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Van Foreest, Jorden”]
[Black “Sokolov, Ivan”]
[Result “1-0”]
[BlackElo “2623”]
[BlackFideId “14400030”]
[BlackTitle “GM”]
[ECO “B12”]
[EventDate “2016.10.16”]
[Opening “Caro-Kann”]
[Variation “advance variation”]
[WhiteElo “2615”]
[WhiteFideId “1039784”]
[WhiteTitle “GM”]
{ Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.dxc5 e6 6.a3 Bxc5 7.b4 Bb6 8.Bd3 Nge7 9.O-O a5 { This is a new move, …Qc7 had been tried before, along with …Ng6, which is slightly better. } 10.b5 Nd4 ( 10…Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bd4 12.Nxf7 ( 12.Ra2 Bxe5 { is good for Black. } ) 12…Kxf7 13.Ra2 { with favour towards White. } ) 11.Re1 { Slightly inaccurate, best was to back the Nf3 up with Nbd2, here. } 11…Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Ng6 { Black will be quite happy, here, having achieved equality quite comfortably. } 13.Bb2 Qg5 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 { White would have to be judged slightly better, here. He has the more active stance at this point in time. } 15…h5 16.Nd2 h4 17.gxh4 { This is better than giving the h-pawn the possibility of advancing to h3. } ( 17.g4 h3 18.gxh3 Nf4 19.Bf1 { and Black is swinging things upon …a4 or …Bd7. } ) 17…Rxh4 18.g3 Rg4 19.Kf1 { A prudent move, getting the King out of the way of the Black rook. } 19…Bd7 20.Ke2 { Right square, wrong piece, this hands Black time to target the b5-pawn. More correct was Be2. } 20…a4 21.Rh1 Ke7 { Just one way of guarding against Bxg6 and Rh8+, the others were …Rc8 (slightly the better, prophylactic move), or …Bc5. White now enjoys very natural development. } 22.Rh5 { Preparing to double up with Rad1. } 22…f5 { ? Slightly mistake. Black’s best option was probably to go down the counter-play route, with …Rc8. …Rf4 is also very interesting, but after Rf1 White should be fine. } ( 22…Rc8 23.Rah1 Rc7 { and it’s not easy for White to make progress here, a very unclear position. } ) 23.exf6+ gxf6 24.Rh7+ { one way to go, but 24.c4 sees Black’s position on the brink. } ( 24.c4 Nf8 { stopping Rh7+, which was a very serious threat. } ( 24…dxc4 25.Nxc4 { is winning, with both Nxb6 and Rh7+ being threatened. } ) ( 24…d4 25.Rh7+ Kd8 26.Ne4 { and Black is completely impotent in both attack and defence. Infact, he may have nothing better than sacrificing the exchange on e4. } ) 25.cxd5 exd5 { and the very simple Rxd5 sees White with the much better game. } ) 24…Kd6 25.Bxg6 { again, c4 would have been most testing, but this is very adequate. } ( 25.c4 { firstly, it is important to note, that Black’s d-pawn can not be advanced — White plays f3 the Ne4+ } 25…Rd8 { the Bd7 is in a very precarious situation. } ( 25…dxc4 { ?? } 26.Nxc4+ { sees the Bd7 filling its britches. } ) 26.cxd5 exd5 27.Rf7 Re8+ 28.Kf1 Re6 29.Be2 { Is very unpleasant for Black. } ) 25…Rxg6 26.Nc4+ { ! a super way to continue, Black is struggling from here. } 26…dxc4 { this gives Black a fighting chance, compared to other options. } ( 26…Kc7 27.Rxd7+ { with Nxb6 to follow } ) ( 26…Kc5 27.Nxb6 Bxb5+ 28.c4 { winning of course } ) 27.Rd1+ Kc5 28.Rhxd7 { this is fine — another way was Bd4+ } ( 28.Bd4+ Kxb5 29.Rb1+ Kc6 30.Rxb6+ Kc7 31.Rxe6 { and Black’s situation is critical. } ) 28…Kxb5 29.R1d6 { Van Foreest continues in the best way, he knows exactly where he is in this position. } 29…Rc8 { A little bit of denial, here, Black intends to play c3, but really had to defend b7. } 30.Rxe6 c3 31.Bc1 Rc7 32.Rd5+ { Sokolov’s position deteriorates from here, Van Foreest has far too much going on for him to sort out. } ( 32.Rxc7 Bxc7 33.Be3 { gives White a very solid and flexible position, with Bd4, Kd3, Rb6, Re4 all threats, depending on how Black continues. } ) 32…Kc4 33.Rf5 Bd4 34.Re4 Rg8 35.Be3 Rd7 36.Rxf6 b5 { Alarmingly, there was little better than this. } 37.g4 { The immediate Bxd4 was also adequate. } ( 37.Bxd4 Rxd4 38.Rxd4+ Kxd4 39.Rf4+ Kc5 40.Kd3 { and Black can resign } ) 37…b4 38.Bxd4 Kd5 { I am not quite sure what this move is, but Sokolov resigned without Van Foreest having to play his move. A very confident game from White! } ( 38…Rxd4 39.Rxd4+ Kxd4 40.Rf4+ { and the game is over. } ) 1-0
[Event “Short-Hou Yifan m”]
[Site “Hoogeveen NED”]
[Date “2016.10.20”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Hou, Yifan”]
[Black “Short, Nigel D”]
[Result “0-1”]
[BlackElo “2670”]
[BlackFideId “400025”]
[BlackTitle “GM”]
[ECO “C02”]
[EventDate “2016.10.16”]
[Opening “French”]
[Variation “advance, Wade variation”]
[WhiteElo “2649”]
[WhiteFideId “8602980”]
[WhiteTitle “GM”]
{ Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 { another French Defence, as in game 2, however, Yifan Hou has no desire to repeat that game. } 3.e5 { The Advance Variation, Hou had played Nc3 in game 2. } 3…c5 4.c3 Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.O-O Ne7 10.Qe2 a5 { Keeping White packed on the Queenside. We are in new territory here, as far as I am aware, …Ng6 and c6-c5 having been tried before. } 11.Nd2 { Aimaing to play c3-c4. } 11…c5 12.c4 Nc6 13.f4 g6 14.Kh1 Be7 { Having played g7-g6, I am not quite sure why Short opted for this instead of …Bg7 } 15.b3 O-O 16.f5 { If White wants to play for anything, this move was necessary. Other moves are inadequate for an intiative. } 16…exf5 17.cxd5 Nxe5 18.Nf3 { ? a mistake. Crucially, on this square the knight does not eye the Black Queen — c4 was the better square. } ( 18.Nc4 Nxc4 19.Qxe7 Qd6 20.Qxd6 Nxd6 { = } ) 18…Nxd3 19.Qxe7 { The only way to equal the material, Qxd3 would of course have been met by Bb5, but that move comes anyway with gain of time. } 19…Bb5 20.Qh4 { Obviously, White is pre-occupied about her Queen safety. However, she had to develop and seek activity, here. } ( 20.Bd2 Rad8 { Black does not need to rush to hit the Queen. } 21.Bc3 Nb4 22.Qe5 f6 23.Qe6+ Qxe6 24.dxe6 Bxf1 25.e7 Bb5 26.exd8=Q Rxd8 { and White will have a hard time. } ) 20…f6 21.Bd2 Rad8 { the immediate …Nb4 was also good. } ( 21…Nb4 22.Rfc1 Nxd5 ) 22.Bc3 Rxd5 { Black has such a powerful positon already that this game is virtually a miniature. } 23.Qh6 { a bit lame this really, white is seeking a snap mate or perpetual, but her opponent is unlikely to allow that. It is very interesting to note that what has pretty much nothing available here, she is at Black’s mercy. } 23…Qc7 24.a4 Ba6 25.Qe3 { It is a waste of time to leave the Queen on h6 now, Black’s Queen guards the 7th rank. } 25…Qd7 { Ready to activate another piece with Re8. This whole situation boils down to activity, Black has oodles of it whereas White’s pieces are extremely untidy and muted. } 26.Bxa5 Re8 27.Qg1 { White’s position steadily deteriorates, while Black’s goes from strength to strength. It is very difficult to suggest things for Hou, here, Short has inflicted a position upon her which is ultimately un-defendable. } 27…Re2 28.Bc3 Rd6 29.h3 Rc2 30.Ba5 Bb7 { Short decides that his bishop is better served on the long diagonal, now, and he is totally right. The Nf3 is quite fixed in its position. } 31.Qh2 f4 32.Qg1 { The final mistake, but as I have earlier said, there were no real playable options for the Women’s World Champion. Short finishes the game nicely. } 32…Ne5 33.Ne1 Rxg2 34.Nxg2 Qxh3+ { The point — as soon as the g2-pawn vanishes this is always going to follow. This is perhaps partly the reason why Short chose to defend f6 with the rook and not the Queen on his 28th. } 35.Qh2 Bxg2+ 36.Kg1 Bxf1 { And Yifan Hou resigned. An extremely bad day at the office for her. A lovely game from Nigel Short, who showed himself still to be a very powerful player. } 0-1
[/pgn]
