Women's World Chess Blitz Championship: semifinal

by ChessBase
9/16/2010 – The semifinals of the first Women's World Chess Blitz Championship took place from which six qualify to the final where they will rejoin ten other players awaiting them. The clear winner was American IM Irina Krush, 1.5 points ahead of 2nd place, WGM Nebolsina. Zhukova, Skripchenko, Gaponenko, and Muzychuk also made the final. Report by WGM Yana Melnikova with many beautiful pictures.

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Women's World Blitz Chess Championship: semi-final

By WGM Yana Melnikova

The Russian State Social University and the Moscow Chess Federation in co-operation with the Russian Chess Federation and under the aegis of FIDE will organize the 2010 FIDE Women's World Blitz Championship from September 15 to September 18, 2010.

The Semi-Final Tournament was a Swiss tournament, 13 double rounds (black and white, altogether – 26 games in two days). The Opening Ceremony was at 14.00 on September 15. Start of the first round was at 15.00 on September 15. The Closing Ceremony was at 20.00 on September 16.

The top six players qualified for the final.

 
Recap of the semi-finals of the Women's World Blitz. Interview of the winner Irina Krush included!
(video courtesy of Europe Echecs)

American IM Irina Krush dominated the qualifier and came in clear first, a full point and a half ahead of second place finisher Russian WGM Vera Nebolsina. In June, five players had qualfied for the semifinals via a first stage online qualifier that took place on Playchess. Interestingly, five of the six players, Nebolsina being the exception, reached the semi-finals via online qualifiers, and confirmed their favoritism by also qualifiying for the final stage to be held on September 17th and 18th.

Final standings after 26 rounds

Rk.
Title
 Name
Nat.
Rating
Total
1
IM
 Krush, Irina
USA
2490
19.0
2
WGM
 Nebolsina, Vera
RUS
2360
17.5
3
GM
 Zhukova, Natalia
UKR
2499
16.5
4
IM
 Gaponenko, Inna
UKR
2469
15.5
5
IM
 Skripchenko, Almira
FRA
2464
15.5
6
IM
 Muzychuk, Mariya
UKR
2464
15.0
7
GM
 Zhu, Chen
QAT
2480
15.0
8
WGM
 Cori T., Deysi
PER
2368
15.0
9
IM
 Gvetadze, Sopio
GEO
2352
14.5
10
WIM
 Ambartsumova, Karina
RUS
2302
14.5
11
IM
 Romanko, Marina
RUS
2411
14.5

Here is a lovely gallery of pictures from the event though we weren't able to identify everyone. Can you help?


IM Irina Krush lived up to her namesake and took clear first with 19.5/26


WIM Daria Charochkina (2303) scored 50% with 13.0/26


Peruvian prodigy WGM Deysi Cori, the 2009 World U16 Girl's
champion missed out on qualifying on tie-break. She is also the
only Top 20 girl living in the Western Hemisphere.


Unidentified lass


The playing hall


Another unidentified player with a very attractive scarf.


Almira Skripchenko (2464) facing Natalija Pogonina (2491).


Chess journalist and WIM Maria Fominykh came in 13th with 14.0/26.


Ukrainian IM Inna Gaponenka (2469) came in 4th and qualified for the final.


Georgian IM Sopio Gvetadze (2352)


WGM Natalija Pogonina (2491)


15-year-old Daria Pustovoitova (2303) came in 12th with 14.0/26.


French women's champion, IM Almira Skripchenko, came in 5th and made it to the final.


2001 Women's world champion, GM Zhu Chen, barely missed
out on qualifying on tie-break, and came in 7th.


Top-seed Ukrainian GM Natalia Zhukova (2499) came in 3rd.

Pictures By WGM Yana Melnikova

About the photographer

WGM Yana Melnikova, Russia, is:

  • a graduate of the N. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, management faculty;
  • an organizers of chess events for the Moscow Chess Federation;
  • a member of German chess club Bad Konigshofen;
  • a Woman Grandmaster since 2005.

Links

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