Hou Yifan, the all-time No 2 woman grandmaster after the retired Judit Polgar and currently ranked women’s world No 1, showed that she retained her brilliant skills when she made a rare appearance in the Global Chess League for Alpine SG Pipers, who defeated the reigning league champions, Triveni Continental Kings, 8.5-3.5 in the 2025 final at Mumbai on Tuesday. The Global Chess League, now in its third season, is planned as the chess equivalent of cricket’s Indian Premier League.
The final qualifying match, in which Alpine barely secured the six game points needed to edge their opponents, proved a triumph for Hou, who studied at Oxford and is semi-retired from chess in favour of a professorship at Peking University. She scored four wins in a row, including a 20-move miniature which took her team into the final.
The key takeaway from this game is the red flag when White is uncastled and Black pushed h7-h6, provoking a g2-g4 advance supported by a g1 rook. Commentator Daniil Dubov said: “It’s probably better not to make a move rather than play h7-h6.” The noncommittal 7…d6 is far preferable.
As played, White is already winning after 11 Qg3. 11…Nxg5 would slow down the attack, but 12 Bxg5 hxg5 13 h4 g4 14 Qxg4 is strong. White is effectively attacking the black king on three open files, with Nd5 as extra support.
After 15 Qh5 Bxf2+ is a desperate attempt to create a diversion from the looming mate on the h file, and at the end if 20…fxg6 21 Rxg6 Qxg6 22 Ne7+ wins.
In the final match Alpine SG Pipers v Triveni Continental Kings, Hou drew both games after competitive battles against her Chinese compatriot Zhu Jiner, who is ranked No 2 by Fide ahead of the reigning world champion, Ju Wenjun.
Hou recently answered many viewer questions in the “ask me anything” series and came across as very articulate and focused in the 16-minute session. Watch it for yourself on YouTube.
The most significant result elsewhere in the final was Anish Giri’s 2-0 demolition of Wei Yi. The top pair from China and the Netherlands will meet again in March in the eight-man world title Candidates, so Giri made a statement of intent with a surprise 7 h2-h4! opening novelty and a smooth controlled performance.
Giri did not like it when this column recently stated that he was too draw-prone to win the Candidates and indeed there is a growing sense that he realises that, at 31, this could be his best opportunity to become world champion. Max Euwe of the Netherlands did it in his 30s in 1935, why not Giri in 2025?
Meanwhile, the World Rapid championship has just started in Doha, Qatar, with the No 1, Magnus Carlsen, the top seed there and in the following World Blitz. Both events will be reported in next week’s column, as will the 99th Hastings congress which began on Sunday.
4003: 1 Qxd3+! Kxd3 2 Rg3+ Kc4 3 Kxc2 and wins.
