AICF-KIIT Chess Cup: WGM Olga Girya in Sole Lead

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

Russian WGM Olga Girya maintained her lead with 2.5 points despite being forced to a draw by Indian IM Nisha Mohota in the third round of the AICF-KIIT Cup International Women Chess Championship at KIIT International School here on Tuesday. Involved in a theoretical battle from the Slav Defence, Mohota approached the game on positive note, winning a pawn on the 12th move. Olga accepted the challenge and entered complications, but when the smoke cleared the game petered out into a draw in the rook and pawn endgame.

After the completion of third round, four players, including top seed Elisabeth Paehtz and local star Padmini Rout, shared the second spot with two points. Paehtz won her first game by capitalising on not so ambitious play by Indian WGM Swathi Ghate. In a interesting duel between Odisha WGMs Padmini Rout and Kiran Manisha Mohanty, the former surprised her opponent with a rare Sicilian Defence. Neverthless Kiran had a tight grip over the position until the 25th move. Padmini’s knight move exchanging one of the two bishops helped her seize the edge. Padmini increased her advantage to seal win in 50 moves. In another decisive game of the day, Armenian IM Lilit Mkrtchian defeated Chinese WGM Guo Qi. Results (Round 3): Mary Ann Gomes (Ind, 0.5) lost to Foisor Cristina-Adela (Rou, 1.5), Nisha Mohota (Ind, 1.5) drew with Giriya Olga (Rus, 2.5), Mkrtchian Lilit (Arm, 2) bt Guo Qi (Chn, 1), Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Ind, 0.5) lost to Padmini Rout (Ind, 2), Eesha Karavade (Ind, 1.5) drew with Elina Dalielina (Arm, 2), Swathi Ghate (Ind, 1) lost to E Paehtz (Ger, 2).

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India's First Category 13 Chess Event for Women Begins

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

The AICF KIIT Cup, the first of its kind for women chess players in India, has begun in the Southern Indian city of Bhubaneswar. The Category 13 event is conducted in a round robin method with 12 titled players contesting in all play all situation. The oldest competitor of the event IM Cristina Foisor played a mixture of Kings Indian and Old Indian defense with black pieces against WGM Girya Olga of Russia. Foisor was doing so well that in midway Olga was busy in defending her King side as well as occupying the d6 square. In an attempt to simplify the position the Romanian IM miscalculated the resultant King and pawn ending and lost the game in 56 moves, according to a nice chess news report in Chessdom.




WGM Mary Ann Games managed to draw despite defending a passive position from as early in the middle game. Mary allowed her Chinese opponent Guo Qi to have a commanding position through control over the b and e files. In time pressure the Chinese overlooked a capture leading to a mating attack on her king, hence defensive moves were repeated and the game ended in 39 move draw.

The game between IM Nisha Mohota and WGM Padmini Rout was a Hungarian treatment of the Grunfeld, with black looking better in the middle game. Frequent exchanges of pieces allowed less chances for a win, resulting in a draw in 48 moves.

The first game to finish was between the Armenians IM Mkrtchian Lilit and GM Elina Danielian which ended in a 24 moves draw after black decided to repeat the moves to overcome a pawn deficit from a French defense game.

WGM Swathi Ghate posed problems to IM Eesha Karavade from the black side of Bogo-Indian game. A pawn sacrifice along the theoretical lines misfired for Eesha allowing Swathi to pressurize on the d-file with the extra material. The 40 move in 90 minutes deadline put Swathi on the backfoot preventing her to find a winning way and the much expected repetition of moves came from the opposite color bishop ending.

Top seeded IM Elizabeth Paehtz was involved in a long game of 116 moves from the black side of the closed Italian game. The IM won a piece in the opening with early onslaught , but lost some pawns in the process. Paehtz couldn’t break the defense in the Rook Bishop vs Rook endgame and players signed a truce. A worthy half a point for Kiran to start the tournament.

Round 1 results:
2440 WGM Girya Olga 1 – 0 IM Foisor Cristina-Adela 2401
2387 WGM Gomes Mary Ann ½ – ½ WGM Guo Qi 2435
2325 IM Mohota Nisha ½ – ½ WGM Padmini Rout 2316
2458 IM Mkrtchian Lilit ½ – ½ GM Danielian Elina 2466
2205 WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty ½ – ½ IM Paehtz Elisabeth 2487
2387 IM Karavade Eesha ½ – ½ WGM Swathi Ghate 2246

Round 2 results:
2401 IM Foisor Cristina-Adela ½ – ½ WGM Swathi Ghate 2246
2487 IM Paehtz Elisabeth ½ – ½ IM Karavade Eesha 2387
2466 GM Danielian Elina 1 – 0 WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty 2205
2316 WGM Padmini Rout ½ – ½ IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2458
2435 WGM Guo Qi ½ – ½ IM Mohota Nisha 2325
2440 WGM Girya Olga 1 – 0 WGM Gomes Mary Ann 2387

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New Chess Event in India for Women: Elisabeth Paehtz Top Seed at AICF-KIIT Round-Robin

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

Top seed Elizabeth Paehtz of Germany. Find lots of great photos of the world's best chess players at www.chesspics.com.

Former World Junior Girls’ champion Elisabeth Paehtz of Germany is the top seed at the round-robin women's chess tournament that begins in the South Indian city of Bhubaneshwar on March 17. The AICF-KIIT Chess Cup is India's strongest-ever women's closed chess tournament with a prize fund of about $15,000. Elina Danilian and Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia, Olga Girya of Russia, Cristina Foisor of France and reigning world junior girls’ champion Guo Qi of China are the other non-Indian players in the event. The Indian players include national women’s champion Mary Ann Gomes, Padmini Rout, Kiran Manisha Mohanty, Nisha Mohota, Eesha Karavade and Swati Ghate.

The tournament will be played on a round-robin basis and the drawing of lots will be done during the opening ceremony. There will be eleven rounds in all under FIDE’s standard time control between twelve players. The AICF-KIIT cup is aimed at providing top level opposition for Indian women chess players. 

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