Mundial femenino P8: Hou Yifan, a medio punto

[Event "Women's World Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.03.12"] [Round "8"] [White "Muzychuk, Mariya"] [Black "Hou, Yifan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A46"] [WhiteElo "2563"] [BlackElo "2667"] [Annotator "Adrian Mikhalchishin"] [PlyCount "88"] [EventDate "2016.03.12"] [SourceDate "2016.03.12"] {The match has certainly become more interesting, with Mariya obtaining an advantage in all three of the last games, including this one. Unfortunately, she was unable to capitalize on them, scoring only 1.0/3. A step in the right direction at least.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 {Mariya shows that she wants to play Catalan, but wishes to avoid the Bb4 variation. This move order allows Black to prevent c2-c4 with} b5 $1 {a very popular choice recently.} 5. O-O Bb7 {Personally, I think this move is useless move as the bishop can be placed on a6 later. Other moves are better.} (5... c5 6. c3 Nbd7 7. a4 b4 8. cxb4 cxb4 9. Ne5 Ba6 10. Bg5 Nxe5 11. dxe5 h6 12. Be3 Nd7 13. Bd4 Bc5 14. Re1 Bxd4 15. Qxd4 Qb6 {with great game, Bruzon Batista,L (2668) -Ivanchuk,V (2741)/Havana 2010}) ({and} 5... Nbd7 6. Ne5 Bb7 7. c4 bxc4 8. Nxc4 c6 9. Ncd2 Qb6 10. Qb3 c5 11. Nc3 Ba6 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Qxb6 axb6 14. b4 Ncd7 15. a3 Rc8 16. Bb2 Bd6 17. Rfc1 O-O 18. h3 Rc7 {Black has a strong center and better endgame, Van de Mortel,J (2401)-Naiditsch,A (2586)/Belgium 2002}) 6. a4 b4 7. c4 {[#]} ({There are two very interesting options here} 7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. c4 bxc3 9. Nxc3 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. e4 c6 12. exd5 cxd5 13. Qe2 Rc8 14. Rd1 Be7 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Rac1 Qb8 17. Nb5 a6 18. Rxc8+ Bxc8 19. Nd4 Bb7 {White keeps a queenside pawn majority, Adly,A (2591)-Gashimov,V (2759)/Bursa 2010}) (7. a5 c5 8. c3 bxc3 9. Nxc3 Nbd7 10. Qa4 Rc8 11. Ne5 a6 12. e4 dxe4 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nxd7 Qxd7 16. Nxe4 Qxa4 17. Rxa4 {with a slightly better endgame, Istratescu,A (2651)-Iordachescu,V (2582)/Haguenau 2013}) 7... a5 {This seems to be new idea.} ({Other logical moves have also been tried here, such as} 7... bxc3 8. Nxc3 Be7 (8... Nbd7) 9. Qb3 Ba6 10. Ne5 O-O (10... c6 11. Rd1 Nfd7) 11. Re1 c6 12. e4 Nfd7 (12... Qb6 $1 13. Qxb6 axb6 14. b3 Rc8 $11) 13. Nf3 Bc4 14. Qc2 Na6 15. Bf1 Nb4 {with initiative, Fernandes,A (2395)-Iordachescu,V (2645)/ Istanbul 2012}) ({Too risky was} 7... dxc4 $2 8. Bg5 Nbd7 (8... c5) 9. Nbd2 Be7 (9... c3 10. bxc3 bxc3 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. Qb3 Bd5 13. Qxc3 c5 14. Qd3 cxd4 15. Rfc1 $44) 10. Nxc4 O-O 11. Qb3 c5 12. Rfd1 cxd4 13. Nxd4 {White tries to obtain serious control over the c6 square, Grigoryan,A (2608)-Pashikian,A (2616)/Martuni 2011}) 8. Bg5 ({A simple plan that would have led to a certain advantage was} 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bf4 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Rc1 Nbd7 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. Nfd4) 8... Nbd7 9. Nbd2 Be7 10. Rc1 ({The same similar solution was possible here} 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 O-O 12. Nb3 Bd6 13. Re1 Re8 14. Bh3) 10... h6 ({Sooner or later Black will be forced to play the artificial } 10... c6) 11. Bxf6 {A tricky move.} ({Also strong was} 11. cxd5 hxg5 12. dxe6 fxe6 13. Nxg5) 11... Bxf6 ({After} 11... Nxf6 {White would have a very strong grip.} 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Ne5 O-O 14. Nb3 Bd6 15. Nc5) 12. Qc2 ({White would get a very nice center after} 12. cxd5 Bxd5 13. e4 Bb7 14. Qc2 O-O 15. Rfd1 Nb6 16. b3) 12... c6 13. e4 O-O {[#]} 14. e5 $1 {In such positions White has to close the center sooner or later because of Black's Bishop pair. A good decision by the World Champion.} Be7 15. c5 g5 $5 {Although this might seem risky, weakening the king's position, this is in fact a sound positional decision by Hou Yifan.} 16. h3 ({Also possible was a slightly different appraoch with} 16. Nb3 Kh8 17. Nfd2 Ba6 18. Rfe1 Rg8 19. Qd1) 16... Kg7 17. Rfe1 {[#]} Rh8 {In spite of the extremely tight space, Black starts to reshuffle her pieces on the eighth rank as in the famous game by the great Sam Lloyd!} 18. Bf1 Qg8 19. Re3 Kf8 {[#]} 20. Ne1 $1 {A very strong transfer of the Knight to g2, where it will support f2-f4.} h5 21. Ng2 Ke8 22. Kh2 $6 { Not necessary.} ({The immediate} 22. Bd3 {was better.}) 22... Nf8 23. Bd3 ({ Faster was} 23. f4 h4 24. g4 gxf4 25. Nxf4 Bg5 26. Rf3) 23... Ba6 24. f4 Bxd3 25. Qxd3 Qh7 {[#]} 26. Rf1 ({White would get slightly better chances after} 26. Qe2 Ng6 27. Rf1 h4 28. Qd3 hxg3+ 29. Rxg3 Qh5 30. Nb3) 26... Qxd3 27. Rxd3 gxf4 28. Nxf4 Ng6 29. Nb3 ({The same line as in the game was} 29. Nxg6 fxg6 30. Rdf3 Bg5 31. Nb3) 29... Bg5 ({White would have a serious advantage after} 29... Nxf4 $2 30. gxf4 Rg8 31. f5 Bh4 32. Rdf3) 30. Nxg6 fxg6 31. Rdf3 Ra7 32. Kg2 $6 ({ Better was the immediate} 32. Na1 Rg7 33. Nc2 Rgg8 34. Rf7 Rf8 35. Rxf8+ Rxf8 36. Rxf8+ Kxf8 37. Nxb4 $1 axb4 38. a5 {and the pawn cannot be stopped.}) 32... Rg8 {[#]} 33. Kf2 $2 ({The knight transfer} 33. Na1 {was still possible.} Rh7 34. Nc2 Rhh8 35. R1f2 Be7 36. Na1 $1) 33... Rf8 {After one rook is exchanged, a second one will soon follow. White's space advantage has been neutralized.} 34. Kg2 ({A bit better was} 34. Ke2) 34... Rxf3 35. Rxf3 {[#]} Bd8 $1 {Now the bishop frees the passive rook and a draw is inevitable.} 36. Nc1 g5 $1 37. Nd3 Rg7 38. g4 h4 $1 {It is necessary to close all the windows for White's pieces.} 39. Nc1 Rg8 ({Why not the immediate} 39... Rf7 {?}) 40. Nb3 Rg7 41. Kf2 Rf7 42. Rxf7 Kxf7 43. Kf3 Ke8 44. Kf2 Kf7 1/2-1/2