The world watched with bated breath when the strongest female chess player in history was paired with the current women’s world champ.

IT IS not often that the chess world gets excited over a chess game but at the Gibraltar masters tournament last week, there was little else being discussed except for the first-ever encounter between Judit Polgar and Hou Yifan.

Polgar is the most talented of the three Polgar sisters who emerged from Hungary in the 1980s and 90s. She was never the women’s world champion but this was because she had always refused to play in the women’s world championship cycles. Instead, she had played almost exclusively in tournaments against the best male chess grandmasters.

Even today, everyone regards Polgar as the most talented woman chess grandmaster in the history of the game. At her strongest, which was just seven years ago, she was ranked eighth in the international rating list. Her ratings have consistently stayed above the 2700 points level.

Hou Yifan-Judit Polgar, position after 47. f5

There was much excitement in the chess world when it became known that Polgar had been paired against 18-year-old Hou Yifan in the seventh round of the Gibraltar masters tournament.

This would be a historical game between the highest ranked woman chess player in the world and the current women’s world champion. Never before had these two women met across the chess board. Polgar’s shadow loomed large over Hou. There was a 105-rating point difference between the two. But would Polgar be able to teach her young opponent a lesson or would Hou show her older opponent that there is now a worthy challenger to her eminent position?

While the world tuned in to their game through the Internet, the two women sat down to play. At first the game was rather equal but then, Polgar became impatient and made a hasty move.

This was just the opportunity that Hou was waiting for. The Chinese lass pounced on the Hungarian grandmaster. Hou sacrificed a pawn but she quickly won it back and obtained a lingering pressure on Polgar’s position. Then, after a second inaccurate play from Polgar, Hou netted a pawn herself.

After that, the rest of the game was all Hou. She neutralised everything else that Polgar tried. In the final position, Hou had pushed Polgar into a corner. A check would be coming next and Hou was threatening to win a piece. Polgar saw it and decided that enough was enough as she threw in the towel.

Here is the game.

White: Hou Yifan

Black: Judit Polgar

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 Nge7 7. Bf4 Ng6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bd6 Bxd6 10. Qxd6 Qe7 11. O-O-O Qxd6 12. Rxd6 Ke7 13. Rhd1 Nf4 14. Bf3 Rb8 15. R6d2 g5 16. Na4 d5 17. g3 Ng6 18. Re1 Kf6 19. Bh5 Rb4 20. Nc3 d4 21. e5+ Nxe5 22. Ne4+ Ke7 23. Nxg5 h6 24. Nxe6 Bxe6 25. Rxe5 Rd8 26. f4 Rb5 27. Rde2 Kf6 28. Bf3 c5 29. a4 Rb4 30. Rxc5 Rxa4 31. b3 Rb4 32. Be4 Bg4 33. Re1 Rd6 34. Bd3 Bd7 35. Ree5 Be6 36. Kd2 Rbb6 37. Ra5 Rbc6 38. Ra4 Rb6 39. Re4 Bf5 40. Rexd4 Re6 41. Bc4 Rec6 42. Ra5 Bc8 43. Bd3 Be6 44. Rd8 Bc8 45. Rad5 Be6 46. Rh5 Kg7 47. f5 1-0 (See diagram. After 47….Bc8, White will win a piece with 48. f6+ Kxf6 49. Rxc8 Rxc8 50. Rxh6+ Ke7 51. Rxb6)

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