Kosteniuk preserves lead

In the second game of the final, Kosteniuk played against a French defense with Nd2 and the game developed along the usual lines.

When Hou Yifan started an adventurous attempt with h5, Kosteniuk increased pressure on her opponent and got a better position. Then Hou exchanged Queens and some other figures which, however, increased White`s advantage. In the continuation, Kosteniuk missed the 39. Nf5 possibility which could have probably secured the party for herself.

In a Rook endgame, the Chinese girl`s only hope was a passed pawn on the e-file and she managed the game accordingly. Despite the fact that Kosteniuk had three more pawns, the game finished with perpetual checks in draw.