Nalchik GP: Kosintseva leads, Hou and Cramling follow

by ChessBase
5/6/2010 – In round eight Tatiana Kosentseva was in trouble but managed to draw bottom seed Betul Yildiz. Since her main rivals lost their games it was enough to put her a point and a half ahead of the field. In round nine Tatiana drew again, while Hou Yifan and Pia Cramling won, so that the gap, two rounds before the end, is one point. Illustrated report.

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Women's Grand Prix in Nalchik

The Third Women's Chess Grand Prix is taking place in Nalchik, Russia, from April 25th (arrival) to May 8th (departure) 2010. Games start at 15:00 Local Time (GMT+3).

Round eight

Zhu Chen
½-½
Danielian Elina
Munguntuul Batkhuyag
0-1
Zhao Xue
Dzagnidze Nana
1-0
Hou Yifan
Kovanova Baira
0-1
Mkrtchian Lilit
Koneru Humpy
½-½
Cramling Pia
Yildiz Betul Cemre
½-½
Kosintseva Tatiana


Betul Yildiz from Turkey had chances in a Sicilian game against Tatyana Kosintseva...


...but Tatiana was able to draw and in fact extend her lead


Her main rival, Chinese GM Hou Yifan, was defeated by...


Nana Dzagnidze from Georgia, who converted a queen-and-pawn ending

The two other ladies in places three and four, Zhu Chen and Pia Cramling, both drew their games, leaving Kosintseva, who had 6.5/8 (and a 2718 performance) 1.5 points ahead of four players with 5.0/8 points each: Dzagnidze, Hou, Zhu and Cramling.

Round nine

Kosintseva Tatiana
½-½
Zhu Chen
Cramling Pia
1-0
Yildiz Betul Cemre
Mkrtchian Lilit
0-1
Koneru Humpy
Hou Yifan
1-0
Kovanova Baira
Zhao Xue
½-½
Dzagnidze Nana
Danielian Elina
0-1
Munguntuul Batkhuyag

Tatiana Kosintseva had white against former women's world champion Zhu Chen, and drew in an unusual line of the Ruy Lopez in 53 moves. Meanwhile Hou Yifan, playing White against Baira Kovanova, survived a scare in the middlegame to profit from her opponent's messing things up in time trouble.

Hou Yifan (2570) - Kovanova,B (2385) [C92]
FIDE GP w Nalchik RUS (9), 05.05.2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Nd7 11.Nbd2 exd4 12.cxd4 Bf6 13.Nf1 Re8 14.N1h2 Na5 15.Bc2 h5 16.Rb1 Rc8 17.b3 g6 18.Bf4 Nf8 19.Nf1 Ne6 20.Be3 d5 21.e5 Bg7 22.Bc1 c5 23.dxc5 b4 24.Bd2 Nc6 25.Rc1 Qa5 26.Nh4 Nxe5 27.f4 Qxc5+ 28.Be3 d4 29.Be4 Qb6 30.Rxc8 Rxc8 31.Bf2 Nxf4 32.Bxd4

Now after 32...Qa5 Black has excellent chances to press home and take the full point. However: 32...Qf6? 33.Bxe5 Qxh4?? throws it all away. 34.Bxf4 Rd8 35.Qb1 Bd4+ 36.Kh1 Re8 37.Bg3 1-0.


Pia Cramling outplayed her opponent in an English Opening...


...then gave her opponent, Betul Yildiz a good chance for salvation.

On move 68 the Turkish player overlooked a relatively clear draw in a rook ending and was severely punished for that in a 95-move defeat.


Top seed Humpy Koneru, who had a disastrous start, has been gaining ground on
the leaders. She defeated Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia on the black side of a Ragozin.


Actually it was Lilit who, in an equal endgame, was looking for a win. She allowed
her opponent to regroup her pieces and carry out the decisive attack on the king.

Standings after nine (of eleven) round


Tatiana Kosintseva in the lead by a full point


Chinese wonder-girl Hou Yifan, 16, in hot pursuit


Always good for big finish: Swedish GM Pia Cramling

Remaining schedule

06.05.2010 12th day Round 10
07.05.2010 13th day: Round 11 & Closing Ceremony
08.05.2010 14th day: Departure

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