Chess - The Scotsman 20/03/2012

FORTY YEARS ago, Reykjavik staged the epic Fischer v Spassky 1972 world title match; a bold decision that instantly gave the Icelandic capital its place in chess history. This is one of the main reasons why chess players make the annual pilgrimage to the Reykjavik Open, that this year attracted many top GMs from the US, western and eastern Europe and China.

Hou Yifan, China’s popular women’s world champion took time to visit and lay flowers on her chess hero Bobby Fischer’s grave. And perhaps inspired by this, the 18-year-old almost did something Fischer never could have imagined a woman possible of during his playing career: she almost won the tournament.

The US-born Italian rising star Fabiano Caruana top-scored to win on 7.5/9 with seven grandmasters – including Hou – tied for second place on seven points. In the final round, the world No 7 frontrunner was outplayed by Hou and should have lost. Her big chance came at the end of a mutual time scramble after move 40. She thought for 20 minutes but missed the win in today’s diagram by opting for the error of 41 Nxf7? that allowed Caruana to salvage an unlikely draw.

What Hou had missed was 41 Nac4! Nxe4 (or 41 ...f6 42 Nd7 Nxe4 43 Nc5! Nxd6 44 Rxe8+ Nxe8 45 Nxb7) 42 d7 Rd8 43 Na5 Ba8 44 Nec6 attacks the rook and knight, winning a piece, the game and with it the tournament.

Hou Yifan - F Caruana

Reykjavik Open, (9)

Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 7 c3 d6 8 d4 Bb6 9 h3 0–0 10 Be3 h6 11 Nbd2 Re8 12 Re1 Bd7 13 Qb1 Na5 14 Bc2 c5 15 d5 c4 16 b4 cxb3 17 axb3 Bxe3 18 Rxe3 Nb7 19 b4 Nh5 20 Bd3 Nf4 21 Bf1 Rf8 22 c4 bxc4 23 Bxc4 a5 24 bxa5 Nxa5 25 Qb4 Nxc4 26 Rxa8 Qxa8 27 Nxc4 Qa1+ 28 Re1 Qa2 29 Nfd2 Rc8 30 Re3 Qc2 31 Kh2 Nd3 32 Qb7 Nc5 33 Qb6 Nd3 34 Nxd6 Rf8 35 N6c4 Nxf2 36 Qb1 Qxb1 37 Nxb1 Bb5 38 Nba3 Ba6 39 Nxe5 Re8 40 d6 Bb7 41 Nxf7? Kxf7 42 Rf3+ Ke6 43 Nb5 Rb8 44 Rxf2 Bxe4 45 Re2 Rxb5 46 Rxe4+ Kxd6 47 Kg3 Kd5 draw agreed