The story behind the game
Hou’s game against Krush at the 2008 Olympiad does not begin with an uninterrupted winning attack. Black has active queenside play and the saved analysis prefers Black around the first central break. White keeps practical chances with the d-pawn, then exploits a later opportunity to lift the rook and chase the queen before the final discovered attack.
Take these ideas to your next game
- When defending, look for a central move that creates practical threats.
- A passed pawn can keep pieces tied to defensive tasks.
- A rook lift can gain tempo against an exposed queen.
- Moving a bishop can uncover a rook attack without giving check.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
d4 challenges e5 and creates practical central play. Black takes the b2-pawn while White advances again. The saved analysis still favours Black here, so the pawn break is not presented as a forced winning attack. Its teaching value lies in creating threats and useful decisions while under pressure.
d5 gains space with an attack on the queen. Black’s queen moves to g6, while White improves the knight and rook. The passer can restrict Black’s pieces later, but the position remains difficult for White at this stage. Separate the practical threat from the evaluation of the whole position.
Rg3 attacks the queen and brings the rook into the kingside play. The queen retreats to f6, the bishop attacks it from g5 and the queen returns to g6. This sequence gains time for White’s pieces. Compare the position with the earlier central break: later defensive choices have changed the evaluation.
Bh6 uncovers the rook’s attack on the queen. The move is a discovered attack, not a recorded checkmate. Black has queen and rook replies, and the saved analysis includes further exchanges around g6. The d-pawn remains an important source of threats after those exchanges. The historical score ends at Bh6.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 33: Create central counterplay
Which d-pawn advance attacks Black’s pawn on e5? In the game: d4. d4 challenges e5 and creates practical central play. Black takes the b2-pawn while White advances again. The saved analysis still favours Black here, so the pawn break is not presented as a forced winning attack. Its teaching value lies in creating threats and useful decisions while under pressure.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rb1 Bg5 · -2.03 · depth 19
d4 Rxb2 d5 Qd7 Ng3 Nd6 Rb1 Rxb1 Qxb1 Qa4 Be1 Nb5 · -2.01 · depth 18
Ng3 Rxb2 d4 Nxd4 Bxd4 exd4 Nf5 Bf8 Nxd4 Qa2 Ra1 Qc4 · -2.26 · depth 18
Move 34: Advance with tempo against the queen
Which d-pawn advance attacks the queen on e6? In the game: d5. d5 gains space with an attack on the queen. Black’s queen moves to g6, while White improves the knight and rook. The passer can restrict Black’s pieces later, but the position remains difficult for White at this stage. Separate the practical threat from the evaluation of the whole position.
Engine-supported alternatives
d5 Qd7 Ng3 g6 Be3 Nd6 Rb1 Rxb1 Qxb1 Nb5 Qb2 Qc7 · -2.04 · depth 19
Re1 exd4 Nf4 Qc4 Nd5 Bg5 Rxf7 Qxf1+ Rxf1 Rc1 Be1 Bf6 · -2.01 · depth 18
dxe5 Rxe2 Qxe2 Nc3 Rxc3 bxc3 Qc2 Qxe5 Bd4 Qc7 Rd3 Bb4 · -2.24 · depth 18
Move 42: Lift the rook with an attack
Which rook move attacks the queen on g6 along the g-file? In the game: Rg3. Rg3 attacks the queen and brings the rook into the kingside play. The queen retreats to f6, the bishop attacks it from g5 and the queen returns to g6. This sequence gains time for White’s pieces. Compare the position with the earlier central break: later defensive choices have changed the evaluation.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rg3 Qf6 Bg5 Qg6 Bh4 Ra8 Rxg6 fxg6 d6 Rba3 Be1 Nxe4 · +2.49 · depth 18
Re1 Ra3 · +0.31 · depth 18
Qd3 Ra3 Nh4 Qa6 Qxa6 Rxa6 Kh2 Be7 Nf5 Bd8 Bxc3 bxc3 · -0.16 · depth 17
Move 44: Uncover the rook attack
Which bishop move from g5 clears the g-file and offers the bishop on h6? In the game: Bh6. Bh6 uncovers the rook’s attack on the queen. The move is a discovered attack, not a recorded checkmate. Black has queen and rook replies, and the saved analysis includes further exchanges around g6. The d-pawn remains an important source of threats after those exchanges. The historical score ends at Bh6.
Engine-supported alternatives
Bh4 Ra8 Rxg6 fxg6 d6 Rba3 Kh2 Nxe4 d7 b3 Qe2 b2 · +2.87 · depth 18
Be3 Qf6 Bg5 Qg6 Bh4 Ra8 Rxg6 fxg6 d6 Rba3 Kh2 Nxe4 · +2.67 · depth 17
Kh2 Rb1 Rxb1 Nxe4 Bh4 Nxg3 Bxg3 Qf6 d6 g6 d7 Rd8 · +2.44 · depth 17
Bh6 Ra3 Rxg6 fxg6 d6 b3 d7 Rd8 Rxc3 Rxd7 Bc1 Ra1 · +2.81 · depth 22
Every piece has a part to play.
Hou’s game against Krush at the 2008 Olympiad does not begin with an uninterrupted winning attack. Black has active queenside play and the saved analysis prefers Black around the first central break. White keeps practical chances with the d-pawn, then exploits a later opportunity to lift the rook and chase the queen before the final discovered attack.
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–19. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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