Six Power Girls of Chess in Khanty Mansiysk: Can you Name them All?
Hello everyone,
Have you been following the almost-two month chess action in Khanty Mansiysk? Can you name all the six girls with a power-packed performance... and, which prize each of them earned?
Photo: Nikolay Bochkarev
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: chess trivia photo, khanty mansiysk chess, women's chess
Khanty Mansiysk Women's Chess GP Top Three Winners - Hou, Girya, Kosteniuk!
Hello Chess Blog friends,
12th Women's World Chess Champion and her successor meet once again for an exciting draw and the third and first place at the Khanty Mansiysk FIDE Grand Prix...
... and, Olga Girya in the background earning the second place with a very strong performance! Photos: Nikolay Bochkarev
Here's some exciting chess news from Khanty Mansiysk where the FIDE Women's GP has just concluded. The top three winners are reigning women's world chess champion Hou Yifan of China, Olga Girya of Russia (who picks up a GM norm) and 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk!
Eleven rounds of exciting chess had Hou Yifan win the event with a strong 1.5 points, but the Russian girls were right behind all along. The last round witnessed a fierce struggle between Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk, but the game was drawn.
Local Russian player Olga Girya proved to be the hero of the event playing above her rating and picking up an important GM norm. Alexandra Kosteniuk - with her fans cheering on twitter - played her usual killer chess to claim the unshared third place. She was the only one against whom Hou Yifan seemed to be under any pressure during the tournament.
Two players tied for fourth with six points - Anna Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno.
FINAL STANDINGS
The prize distribution photos will be available soon. You can also look forward to a nice post by Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk on her personal blog soon enough. Great round-wise reports by Alina l'Ami, along with nice photos by Nikolay Bochkarev, are available on the official website.
But, don't go away yet from Khanty Mansiysk! Tomorrow begins the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship followed by the Women's World Blitz Chess Championship.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, Hou Yifan, khanty mansiysk chess, olga girya, Women's Chess Grand Prix
Chess Girl in Wrong-Chair Horror: Name Them!
Hi everyone,
Here is a photo by Alina l’Ami during Round 6 at the ongoing Khanty Mansiysk Women's Chess Grand Prix.
You chess trivia question is: Name all the three chess players! Not only did the lady in bright blue earlier sit at the wrong table, but also prepared for the wrong opponent. However, it's fun to see her taking the horror of it all in her stride! You can find the answers here where there's a photo of one of the most disciplined chess stars as well! ;)
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: alina lami, khanty mansiysk chess, photo chess trivia
Super Chess Girls in Khanty Mansiysk: How many can you Name?
Chess Candidates 2014 R12: Anand takes a practical decision, draws Andreikin to Keep Lead!
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
Viswanathan Anand - two rounds close to Candidates victory and match with Magnus Carlsen - settles for comfortable draw versus Dmitry Andreikin in better position. Photo: FIDE
Viswanathan Anand took a practical decision to accept draw against Dmitry Andreikin in a better, but extremely complicated position. Considering the other results, Anand is coming closer to challenging World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen to another match.
Levon Aronian – Vladimir Kramnik and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Sergey Karjakin were drawn, while Veselin Topalov won a nice game against Peter Svidler.
After 12 rounds of play in the FIDE World Candidates Tournament, Anand is first with 7,5 points, still a full point ahead of Aronian. Mamedyarov and Karjakin share the third place with 6 points each. On 5-8th place and with 5,5 points each are Kramnik, Svidler, Topalov and Andreikin.
Replay all the games of Round 12 with Chess King.
Peter Svidler’s Taimanov Sicilian was not a great surprise for Veselin Topalov, but the recapture on 8th move, dxc6 instead of Qxc6, is a rare continuation.
Topalov continued in the straightforward manner by transferring the knight to c4 and playing a key move, according to Svidler in the post-game press conference, 12.f3 to effectively stop the counterplay.
The rigid pawn structure and gapping hole on d5 were preventing black from activating the pieces. He was reluctant to part with the bishop pair to eliminate the dominant c4-knight.
White eventually broke through the d-file to win the black a5-pawn. Being unable to find a perpetual check, Svidler gave up.
The game between Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik started as a Queen’s Gambit Exchange variation, but white deviated from the theory quite early, by playing the literally unknown 8.h3.
Black immediately used the opportunity to trade the dark-squared bishops and speed up his development.
Both players castled long and tucked their kings into safety. The pieces were shuffled around until white decided to go for a central break with e3-e4.
Aronian admitted that he wouldn’t risk that much if he would be closer to the first place. The players repeated the moves for a draw in 31 moves.
Actually, instead of Ba6 in the end, Kramnik had an interesting maneuver in 28…Nb5 29.exd5 Na5! which might have given him something. Aronian was stunned when FIDE Press Officer showed him this line.
Dmitry Andreikin wanted to try a Caro-Kann against Viswanathan Anand, exactly the line that Carlsen played in game 2 of Chennai WCC match.
Anand definitely had an improvement ready, as he deviated on move 15 with Qd3-f3. In this development he kept more pieces on the board.
Black was trying for a usual queenside counterplay, while white centralised his pieces waiting to answer black’s c6-c5 break with d4-d5.
Black immediately went astray by allowing the pawn to advance further, all the way to d7. In addition, white launched an attack against the enemy king.
However, Andreikin didn’t roll over, and he sacrificed a bishop to lead the white king out in the open field.
His efforts paid off when Anand conceded a draw by “taking a practical decision” to repeat the moves.
Anand commented later – “I looked at Kd2, but there are two rooks, queen, knight jumping around, and I couldn’t see it through.” He added that 36.Bd2 might have been a better try.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Sergey Karjakin played the longest game of the day. Karjakin took note of Mamedyarov’s handling of the sharp f3 Nimzo-Indian in the earlier clash with Aronian.
The Russian team prepared a Benko-like counterblow 5…b5. As it was expected from the tactically gifted Azeri, he quickly expanded to grab space in the center.
Karjakin was pleased with his opening, but at the pres conference he criticized 20…Ndc5, which took the knight far away from the defence of the king.
Black did win three pawns, but he was running low on time and white was constantly endangering the king. At one moment black had only 14 seconds to complete six moves (there is no increment before first time control).
Karjakin beat the zeitnot, but by then white simplified the position and in the next hour held a draw in a double rook endgame despite being one pawn down.
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, world chess candidates 2014
Khanty-Mansiysk Chess Candidates 2014: Aronian, Kramnik Favourites to Win, says World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
The World Chess Championship Candidates to be held in March, in Khanty Mansiysk, will decide the Challenger for reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.
In an exclusive interview to ArmenPress, Magnus Carlsen has said the favourites to win the Chess Candidates 2014 are the Armenian GM Levon Aronian and the Russian GM Vladimir Kramnik.
"The favorites of the Candidates Tournament are probably Aronian and Kramnik, but It's difficult to predict. For me the most important thing is to try to improve as a player. It's for the others to fight to become the most serious competitor," Carlsen said.
To the question how the new world chess champion feels to be the youngest title holder, Carlsen answered frankly and directly: It felt good, and I'm of course very happy to have become World Chess Champion."
We saw several times chess players, after becoming the World Champions, reduce participation in international tournaments. Notwithstanding, Magnus Carlsen does not share their standpoint. In particular, Magnus Carlsen underscored: "I plan to continue to play tournaments as I think that's both fun and important to maintain my strength."
Candidates Tournament will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from 11 March (arrivals) to 1 April 2014. The participants are: Vishy Anand (IND, former world chess champion), Vladimir Kramnik (RUS, world cup 2013 winner), Dmitry Andreikin (RUS, world cup 2013 finalist), Veselin Topalov (BUL, grand-prix 2012-13 winner), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE, grand-prix 2012-13 runner-up), Levon Aronian (ARM, rating list 2012-13), Sergey Karjakin (RUS, rating list 2012-13), Peter Svidler (RUS, host nominee).
In case Viswanathan Anand does not play, the slot would go to Fabiano Caruana.
Labels: candidates 2014, khanty mansiysk chess, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, vladimir kramnik
World Chess Candidates 2014 in Khanty Mansiysk March 12-30
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The Russian city of Khanty-Mansiysk has won the bid to host one of the most prestigious chess events in the world, the Candidates tournament that will take place on March 12-30, 2014, Chess News Agency reports.
The Candidates tournament traditionally attracts attention of chess enthusiasts around the world as it determines the next challenger to play for the world title against the current champion. This year, London hosted the Candidates tournament, and it drew an unprecedented attention - over a million people have watched the online broadcast of the first day matches.
Khanty-Mansiysk, about thousand miles away from Moscow, is well known for organization of the top chess events and has earned high reputation inside the chess community. The city hosted the 39th World Chess Olympiad in 2010, the Chess World Cup and Women World Championship in 2012 as well as the FIDE Rapid and Blitz World Championship in 2013.
City's Mayor and head of the bid committee Vasiliy Filipenko, taking part in the presentation during the FIDE Congress in Tallinn, Estonia, has underlined the importance and value of chess for the Khanty-Mansiysk residents and the whole region.
"We love chess and appreciate the educational aspect of the game. But we are also interested in the sports tourism which is important for the city's development. The city will certainly benefit if millions of chess fans will learn about Khanty-Mansiysk and we invite you and all chess enthusiasts to see the tournament with your own eyes," Filipenko said.
Russian city's rival, the Bulgarian Chess Federation, withdrew from the bid procedure. In their letter to FIDE, the Bulgarians stated that Khanty-Mansiysk will organize 'a brilliant event'.
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said he was pleased that a major chess tournament will be held in Russia: "When Khanty-Mansiysk won the right to host the 2005 World Cup, grandmasters rushed to the map as most of them had no idea where the capital of Yugra is located. And now it is considered one of the capitals of the chess world. I am sure that grandmasters will enjoy playing and staying in Khanty-Mansiysk."
Eight of the world's top-ranked chess players will take part in the Candidates Tournament. Six have already qualified - Russians Vladimir Kramnik, Sergei Kariakin and Dmitry Andreykin, Bulgarian Veselin Topalov, Levon Aronyan from Armenia and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from Azerbaijan. Looser of the 2013 World Chess Championship match between the current champion Viswanathan Anand from India and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, will join the list while the last spot to be decided by a wild-card from FIDE.
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, world chess candidates
World Chess Candidates 2013 in Khanty-Mansiysk?
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The UGRA Chess Federation has sent a bid to FIDE to hold the Candidates Tournament in March 2014 in Khanty-Mansiysk.
President of the UGRA Chess Federation, V.A.Filipenko, confirmed in his letter that the local organizers “guarantee the fulfillment of the requirements specified in the Regulations of the tournament".
According to the Rules & Regulations for the Candidates Tournament, FIDE should open a bidding procedure for the event before 31 December 2013, according to a Chessdom report.
In addition, the article 4.8.4 states that “In the event that FIDE receives a satisfactory open offer that covers all the necessary financial requirements, then FIDE may immediately terminate the bidding procedure.”
The proposed prize fund for the players should be minimum 420,000 euros and offered net of any applicable local taxes.
The decision should be taken at the FIDE Presidential Board.
The Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger for the 2014 World Chess Championship Match shall be organised in the first quarter of 2014 and represent an integral part of the World Chess Championship regulations for the cycle 2012-2014. Eight (8) players will participate in the Candidates Tournament and the winner qualifies for the World Chess Championship Match.
The players who qualify for the Candidates Tournament are determined according to the following, in order of priority:
- World Championship Match 2013 – The player who lost the 2013 World Championship Match qualifies.- World Cup 2013 – The two (2) top winners of the World Cup 2013 qualify. In case one of the two top winners of the World Cup qualifies from 2.1 above, then the qualification spot goes to 3rd place of the World Cup.- FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 – The two (2) top players from the FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 qualify to participate. In case any of the two top winners of the FIDE Grand-Prix qualify from 2.1 or 2.2 above, then the qualification spot(s) are given to the next player(s) in the final standings of the Grand-Prix.- Average FIDE Rating List of the 12 monthly lists starting from 1st August 2012 to 1st July 2013 – Two (2) players qualify to participate by rating (excluding the players who qualify from articles 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 above). A player can qualify by rating only if he/she participates in the World Cup 2013 or the FIDE Grand Prix 2012-2013. For the purpose of deciding the 2 rated player qualifiers, the average from the following twelve FIDE rating lists will be used: the sum of all 12 monthly lists starting from 1st August 2012 to 1st July 2013 divided by 12. A minimum of thirty (30) rated games in total is required for each player in the 12 monthly rating periods. In case of equality two decimals will be taken into consideration. If the numbers are still equal then the total number of games in all 12 rating periods shall be decisive. That means the player with the greater number of games shall qualify.- One nominated player by the Organiser – A player, nominated by the organiser, with a rating of at least 2725 in the FIDE rating list of 1st July 2013.- Replacements – If any replacement is needed due to withdrawal or refusal of participation, the first reserve player from the final standings of the FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 will be invited. Any further replacement needed will be fulfilled from the average rating list described in article 2.4 above.
The 8 players will play a double round robin tournament (14 rounds). The players who are from the same federation will play each other in rounds 1 and 8 (if only two) and if up to four players are from the same federation in rounds 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, world chess candidates 2013
World Rapid Chess Champion 2013 is Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Grandmaster from Azerbaijan Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has won the title of the World Rapid Chess Champion 2013. On the final day of the event, he won five games in a row. He finished the tournament with 11.5 points out of 15 in Khanty Mansiysk on Saturday. The silver medalist is Ian Nepomniachtchi. The Russian Grandmaster was leading with two points after two days, but lost to Alexander Grischuk in Round 13 and drew with Alexander Riazantsev in the last round. He finished the tournament in second place just half a point behind the winner. Alexander Grischuk won the bronze medal with 10.5 out of 15. He made a draw with Nikita Vityugov in Round 15.
The final standings:
1. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 11.5/15
2. Ian Nepomniachtchi – 11/15
3. Alexander Grischuk – 10.5/15
4. Le Liem – 10/15
5-14 – Gadir Guseinov (AZE), Ildar Khairullin (Russia), Dmitry Andreikin (RUS), Sergey Movsesian (ARM), Denis Khismattulin (RUS), Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS), Ivan Cheparinov (BUL), Alexander Riazantsev (RUS), Nikita Vityugov (RUS), Rauf Mamedov (AZE) – 9/15
etc.
The World Rapid Chess Championship was organised under the aegis of FIDE for the second time. The championship took place from 6 to 8 June 2013 in the Ugra Chess Academy of Khanty Mansiysk. The defending champion (winner in 2012) Sergey Karjakin is currently in Kieve playing another chess tournament and did not defend his title that he had won in Astana.
The World Blitz Chess Championship 2013 will start on the 9th of June in Khanty Mansiysk. Russian Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk will defend his title he earned in 2012 in Astana.
The award ceremony of the medalists and prize winners in the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place on the 10th of June in Cultural Entertainment Centre “Oktyabr” at 19.30 local time. You can continue to follow all the chess action live via the official website.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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www.chessqueen.com
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Labels: alexander grischuk, ian nepomniachtchi, khanty mansiysk chess, shakhriyar mamedyarov, world rapid chess championship 2013
World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2013 Begin in Khanty Mansiysk
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2013 were opened in Khanty Mansiysk today with a gala ceremony. The games will be played from Thursday. In the Rapid section, rounds 1-5 will be played on Thursday, rounds 6-10 on Friday and rounds 11-15 on Saturday. In the Blitz section, rounds 1-16 will be played on Sunday and rounds 17-30 on Monday. The closing ceremony will take place thereafter.
Live coverage of the event with video, games and analysis will be available on the official website throughout the tournament.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, world rapid and blitz 2013
World Chess 2013 - Rapid & Blitz: All Players +2500 Eligible
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
FIDE has announced that all players rated above 2500 may take part in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships to be held in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia. Registrations will take place on May 1, 2013. The prize money for each of these World Championship is 200,000 US Dollars. This is happening for the first time that any player rated above 2500 can participate. Federations also have certain options to nominate players. Here are the relevant Fide links for more information on these events.
Full Regulations
Invitation
Accommodation
Transport
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Labels: FIDE, khanty mansiysk chess, world chess blitz 2013, world chess rapid 2013
Congratulations to Anna Ushenina - Women's World Chess Champion 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Congratulations to Anna Ushenina for winning the Women's World Chess Championship 2012. She won the second game of the tiebreak played in Khanty Mansiysk to take the title. The first game of the tiebreak was drawn. Ushenina was rated only 30 in the 64-player knockout tournament. Stefanova made Ushenina struggle right down to the rope in a Rook and pawn endgame. But, Ushenina had two connected passers and there was no blundering away the endgame. Stand by for more updates. Join the final press conference live at the official website.
Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Women's World Chess Championship 2012 Final Game 4: Stefanova Wins Back, Levels Score; Tiebreaks on Dec 1
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Former Women's World Chess Champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria struck back and levelled the score against Anna Ushenina of Ukraine in the fourth game of the final in Khanty Mansiysk on Friday. The return victory by the Bulgarian not only ensured that she would remain in the match but would also force a tiebreak that is to be played on Saturday, December 1.
The tiebreaks begin with two rapid games: 25 minutes plus 10 second per move for each player. If the score is level, they will continue with two quicker games: 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. If the winner is still not determined, the players will proceed to blitz games: 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. Finally, is the score remains equal, the Armageddon game steps up: White has 5 minutes, Black has 4 minutes, 3 seconds per move are added starting with the move 61, and a draw counts as a victory for Black.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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www.chessqueen.com
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Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012 Final Game 3: Anna Ushenina Beats Antoaneta Stefanova, Takes Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Anna Ushenina of Ukraine has taken the lead in the final of the Women's World Chess Championship 2012 being played in Khanty Mansiysk. In the third game, she beat Antoaneta Stefanova's not-oft used Slav Defense. The Bulgarian went for the Chebanenko Variation (with 4…a6; also called the Chameleon Variation sometimes) which Stefanova has not played for a long time.
Nevertheless, Ushenina was not caught by surprise. White played very well and got a small advantage. In an attempt to activate her pieces, Black carried out a pawn break in the center, which turned out very risky. White replied with an interesting tactical operation, trading two minor pieces for a rook and two pawns. Formally the material was still equal, however, White got a clear advantage: Black’s pieces were badly coordinated, and her king became weak.
Soon White advanced the passed pawn, and her position became overwhelming.
Stefanova got into time trouble and was unable to defend perfectly. Instead of seeking the vital counterplay on the kingside, she decided to play passively, which turned out to be a decisive mistake. Ushenina converted her advantage flawlessly, not giving her opponent any hope. Black resigned on the 37th move.
By winning this game Anna Ushenina took the match lead – 2-1. The fourth game (and the last one with a classical time control) is scheduled on Friday, November 30th. Antoaneta Stefanova plays White and needs a win to stay in the match. You can replay the game with Chess King - your super-strong chess tutor!
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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www.chessqueen.com
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Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess 2012: Ushenina Knocks out Wenjun, Joins Stefanova in Final
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
What do you do with a lost game at the Women's World Chess Championship? The answer is 'fight it out'. That's the recipe Anna Ushenina of Ukraine used to knock out Ju Wenjun of China in the tiebreak games of the semi-final in Khanty Mansiysk on Sunday. Ushenina now meets Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria to vie for the World Women's Chess Champion 2012 title.
In the first tie-break game Anna, playing White, got an overwhelming position after the opening. Ju Wenjun had to sacrifice a piece in order to save her king from White’s attack. Black had some counterplay, but White calmly parried all threats, and soon the Chinese resigned.
In the second game Ju Wenjun got a better position, and Black sacrificed a pawn to avoid bigger trouble. White responded by sacrificing an exchange for two pawns, and had decent winning chances in the resulting position. However, she missed a number of winning continuations due to time trouble, and Ushenina avoided all traps and saved the game with accurate defending. The draw was enough for Ushenina to advance to the final of the Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012. Watch the exciting second game with Chess King.
Semifinal results:Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) – Harika Dronavalli (India) 1.5-0.5
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) – Ju Wenjun (China) 2.5-1.5
Meanwhile, Harika Dronavalli (India) and Ju Wenjun (China) were also awarded the bronze medal by Khanty-Mansiysk Mayor and Ugra Chess Federation president Vassily Filipenko.
Monday, November 26, is a rest day. The final match begins on November 27. This is a best-of-four match. If the score after four games is 2-2, the players continue on tie-break. The tie-breaks begin with two rapid games: 25 minutes plus 10 second per move for each player. If the score is 1-1, they will continue with two quicker games: 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. If the winner is still not determined, the players will proceed to blitz games: 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. Finally, is the score remains equal, the Armageddon game steps up: White has 5 minutes, Black has 4 minutes, 3 seconds per move are added starting with the move 61, and a draw counts as a victory for Black.
Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, harika dronavalli, ju wenjun, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess 2012: Stefanova in Final; Ushenina, Wenjun to Play Tiebreak
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hi everyone,
Antoaneta Stefanova - A second crack at the title!
The second games of the Women’s World Championship semifinals were played today in Khanty-Mansiysk. Bulgaria's Antoaneta Stefanova becomes the first to advance to the final match.
Harika Dronavalli (India) needed to win as White to tie the match score against Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria). In a slow maneuvering game the Indian advanced her pawns on the queenside, and Stefanova pushed on the kingside. As the game got more open, Black sacrificed a piece for White’s three central pawns and obtained a big advantage. However, Stefanova did not try to win the game outright and just forced a draw by repetition, securing the match victory. Now the former World Champion will have a chance to win her second title.
Tiebreak games to decide who goes home, and who plays Stefanova.
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) and Ju Wenjun (China) agreed to an early draw. The Chinese was unable to get an opening advantage with White and offered a draw on the 18th move. Tomorrow, November 25th, the tie-break will determine the second participant of the final match. It will be the fifth tie-break at this championship for Ju Wenjun, and the second one for Ushenina.
Semifinal results:
Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) – Harika Dronavalli (India) 1.5-0.5
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) – Ju Wenjun (China) 1-1
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, harika dronavalli, ju wenjun, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012 Semi-Finals: Stefanova Beats Dronavalli; Ushenina Lets Wenjun Escape!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hi everyone,The Women's World Chess Championship 2012 semi-final games were played in Khanty Mansiysk on Friday. Just two games, but the excitement packed in them was all worth it. In the first game, Antoaneta Stefanova beat Harika Dronavalli in a game of fireworks. In the other game, Anna Ushenina, who had displayed excellent form so far, let go of her splendid advantage allowing Ju Wenjun to draw the game.
Click on the links to view the respective games with Chess King:
Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) – Harika Dronavalli (India) 1-0
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) – Ju Wenjun (China) draw
Antoaneta Stefanova from Bulgaria took the lead against the Indian Harika Dronavalli, winning the first game of the match with White pieces. The former World Champion got a promising position after the opening. After lengthy maneuvering White made a break on the kingside and won a pawn. Black still had drawing chances and could equalize with accurate defending, but Harika impatiently went for a sharp counterattack. She sacrificed another pawn and then a piece, but miscalculated and did not get sufficient compensation for her losses. Stefanova combined defensive moves with threats to the black king and finished the game with a nice tactical blow that inevitably led to a checkmate.
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) trapped her opponent Ju Wenjun (China) in the opening to obtain an overwhelming advantage. The Chinese did not defend perfectly, and her position soon became critical. However, the Ukrainian wrongly rejected the opponent’s exchange sacrifice, and Black managed to come back. A draw was agreed on the 28th move.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, harika dronavalli, ju wenjun, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Women's World Chess 2012 Semi-Finals Today: Watch Live Stefanova vs Dronavalli, Ushenina vs Wenjun
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Marie Sebag vs Antoaneta Stefanova
The Women's World Chess Championship 2012 is all set for the semi-finals that begin in Khanty Mansiysk on Friday. The pairings are Antoaneta Stefanova vs Dronavalli Harika and Anna Ushenina versus Ju Wenjun. Watch all the action live on Friday at the official website.
Earlier, six participants had played the previous round tiebreaks on Thursday. Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) convincingly defeated Marie Sebag (France). In the first game of the match emotions took over logic, and the spectators witnessed a completely crazy game with brilliant moves and horrible blunders coming from both sides at an alarming rate. Finally the French player got an overwhelming position with an extra piece, but the Bulgarian kept cool and capitalized on her opponent’s final blunder by promoting a passed pawn. Sebag had to return material, ended up down an exchange and resigned. The second game was one-sided, and Stefanova won convincingly, thus wrapping up the match 2-0. The former World Champion advanced to the semifinal.
Zhao Xue vs Harika Dronavalli
The match between Harika Dronavalli (India) and Zhao Xue (China) was just as tense. The Chinese, playing White in the first game, got a promising position, but her hesitation allowed the opponent to advance her passed pawn a bit too far. Harika combined threats in the center and on the kingside, and finished the game with a nice attack against the king. In the second game the Indian got an opening advantage, pushed in the middlegame, and found the right moment to transpose to a drawn ending, as she was content with a draw. Harika won the match 1.5-0.5 and looked very happy at the press-conference. She thanked her parents, friends, trainers, and especially her grandmother, who also came to Khanty-Mansiysk.
The Chinese Ju Wenjun and Huang Qian were unable to determine the winner in rapid games, drawing both after very tenacious struggle. In the first 10-minute game Ju Wenjun had a big advantage and excellent winning chances, but misplayed in the end, allowing the opponent to make a draw. The second game was also a roller coaster ride: Huang Qian obtained a big advantage with complete domination on the board, but then made several mistakes, and Black turned the tables. Ju Wenjun played flawlessly for the rest of the game, and secured the match victory.
Earlier, Anna Ushenina had already knocked out Nadezhda Kosintseva in the main games to be the first to make it to the semi-finals of the Women's World Chess Championship 2012.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: anna ushenina, antoaneta stefanova, harika dronavalli, ju wenjun, khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012 Quarter Finals: Ushenina Knocks Out Kosintseva; Others to Play Tiebreak
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hi everyone,
Zhao Xue - Harika Dronavalli - An exciting game
The Russian challenge came to an end at the 2012 Women's World Chess Championship in Khanty Mansiysk on Wednesday as Ukraine's Anna Ushenina knocked out Nadezhda Kosintseva. The second game of Round 4 was played between eight quarter-finalists at the championship. Meanwhile, Harika Dronavalli survived a totally lost game against Zhao Xue. Antoaneta Stefanova also beat Marie Sebag in the second game to draw level. Ju Wenjun and Huang Qian settled for a quick draw. The three pairs play the tiebreak on Thursday.
Results Round 4 - second game
Anna Ushenina - Nadezhda Kosintseva 1-0
Antoaneta Stefanova - Marie Sebag 1-0
Dronavalli Harika - Xue Zhao ½-½
Qian Huang - Wenjun Ju ½-½
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012 Round 4: Sebag beats Stefanova
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hi everyone,
The Women's World Chess Championship 2012 in Khanty Mansiysk is now in the quarter finals. The fourth round (first game) was played on Tuesday with one decisive results in four games. Nadezhda Kosintseva let Anna Ushenina escape, but Marie Sebag beat Antoaneta Stefanova. The other games were drawn.
Quarter-Final Results
Marie Sebag - Antoaneta Stefanova 1-0
Nadezhda Kosintseva - Anna Ushenina ½-½
Wenjun Ju - Qian Huang ½-½
Xue Zhao - Dronavalli Harika ½-½
Here is a position from the Sebag-Stefanova game after White has played 36.Ne5. Black is a pawn down and played Rxa5. This invited a killer blow from White. Can you spot the nice sac? For the answer and the full game, surf to Chess King or click on the chess diagram below.
What happens after Black plays 36. ...Rxa5?
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess, women's world chess championship 2012
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