Batumi: Gunina wins with one round to go

by Johannes Fischer
5/2/2016 – For a long time the players in the Women's Grand Prix in Batumi all snatched points from each other and the lead changed all the time. Until Valentina Gunina took countermeasures: She simply won all her games! After defeating Zhao Xue in round ten Gunina now has 7.0/10, one-and-half points more than her closest rival, and thus wins the tournament with one round to go.

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Things went really well for Valentina Gunina in round ten - all her rivals dropped points. Nana Dzagnidze played with Black against Alexandra Kosteniuk and after a passive opening soon got into real trouble from which she never recovered.

Alexandra Kosteniuk caught up with Nana Dzagnidze but cannot catch up to Gunina

Nino Batsiashvili needed a win against Almira Skripchenko to keep chances to catch up to Gunina. But she drew against Almira Skripchenko.

Before round ten Anna Muzychuk also had theoretical chances to win the tournament and against Olga Girya she tried hard to keep these chances intact and tried for a long time to win a rook endgame with a pawn up. But after 120 moves she had to agree to a draw and is now 1.5 points behind Gunina.

Anna Muzychuk

Olga Girya.

 Gunina had to play with White against her close rival Zhao Xue in round ten and by winning this crucial game the Russian also won the tournament.

A handshake before the decisive game: Valentina Gunina vs. Zhao Xue

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,184,21554%2421---
1.d4958,93255%2434---
1.Nf3286,32756%2441---
1.c4184,72256%2443---
1.g319,88456%2427---
1.b314,59854%2428---
1.f45,95348%2377---
1.Nc33,90650%2384---
1.b41,79048%2378---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39267%2511---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.g3 0-0 7.Bg2 d6 8.0-0 Qb6
A rare move... 9.Qd3 ...and a novelty. Rd8 10.Nbd2 e5 11.Ne4 Nbd7 12.Rad1 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Re8 14.Qc2 h6 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Rd5 With the idea to attack e5 and to threaten Rb5. Black is on the defensive because she is not fully developed. e4?!
Inviting the white knight into Black's position. More careful was 16...Qc7 and though Black's position is slightly awkward she should soon be able to bring the white-squared bishop into play - with good chances for equality. 17.Nd4 Nf6 Maybe Black saw too late that this move is possible - Black cannot take on d4 because after 19.Rd1 Black's queen is lost. 18.Rb5 Qc7 18...Qd6 19.Rd1 looks dangerous for Black. 19.Rxb4 Bd7 Black managed to develop the white-squared bishop but White is a pawn up and has a clear advantage. 20.c5 Rac8 21.Rc1 a5 22.Rc4 b5 23.cxb6 Qxb6 24.Qb3?! Overlooking or underestimating Black's answer. After 24.Qd2 White remains a solid pawn up. 24...Qxd4! 25.Rxd4 Rxc1+ 26.Bf1 26.Rd1?? a4-+ 26...Rec8 27.Kg2
27...Re1?! Too direct. After 27...Be6 28.Qb6 Kh7 White has trouble to make progress, for example 29.Qxa5 Ra1 30.f4 Rcc1 with strong counterplay. 28.Rxd7 Nxd7 29.Qb7 Nb6 Or 29...Rcc1 30.Qxd7 Rxf1 31.Qe8+ Kh7 32.Qxe4+ g6 33.Qd5 with a winning advantage for White. 30.Qxb6 Rcc1 31.Qxa5 Black resigned. The queen and the two connected passed pawns on the queenside are too much for the rooks.
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gunina,V-Zhao Xue-1–02016E11FIDE Women's Grand Prix

Games of rounds 1 to 10

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Bf4 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Nc3 0-0 9.e3 d5 10.Rd1 Nbd7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Be2 Rc8 13.0-0 h6 14.Qb1 Qe7 15.Nd4 Bxd4 16.Rxd4 Nc5 17.Nb5 Rcd8 18.Rdd1 Ne6 19.Be5 Ba6 20.Rfe1 Ne4 21.Nd4 Bxe2 22.Rxe2 Rc8 23.h3 Nxd4 24.Bxd4 Rc6 25.Qd3 Rfc8 26.f3 Ng3 27.Ree1 Qg5 28.Bc3 Rd8 29.Qd4 Rg6 30.Rd2 Re8 31.Rf2 Nf5 32.Qxd5 Rd6 33.h4 Rxd5 34.hxg5 Rxe3 35.Rxe3 Nxe3 36.gxh6 Nd1 37.Rc2 Nxc3 38.Rxc3 gxh6 39.b4 Kg7 40.Kf2 a5 41.Rc6 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Khotenashvili,B2493Danielian,E2445½–½2016E12Fide Women's Grand Prix10.1
Muzychuk,A2555Girya,O2442½–½2016B12Fide Women's Grand Prix10.2
Skripchenko,A2453Batsiashvili,N2476½–½2016C45Fide Women's Grand Prix10.3
Kosteniuk,A2557Dzagnidze,N25351–02016C50Fide Women's Grand Prix10.4
Gunina,V2497Zhao,X25041–02016E11Fide Women's Grand Prix10.5
Javakhishvili,L2489Muzychuk,M2561½–½2016D11Fide Women's Grand Prix10.6

Standings after ten rounds

Schedule and results

Round 1 on 2016/04/20 at 15:00
Sd Title Name Rtg
Res.
Title Name Rtg Sd
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
1-0
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
½-½
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
½-½
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
0-1
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
½-½
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
Round 2 on 2016/04/21 at 15:00
12 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557
½-½
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
8 WGM Girya Olga 2442
1-0
GM Zhao Xue 2504 6
9 GM Danielian Elina 2445
0-1
GM Gunina Valentina 2497 5
10 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561
0-1
IM Skripchenko Almira 2453 4
11 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535
½-½
GM Muzychyk Anna 2555 3
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
1-0
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493 2
Round 3 on 2016/04/22 at 15:00
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
1-0
IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489 1
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
½-½
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
1-0
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
½-½
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
7 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476
1-0
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
Round 4 on 2016/04/23 at 15:00
12 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557
1-0
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
9 GM Danielian Elina 2445
1-0
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
10 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561
½-½
GM Zhao Xue 2504 6
11 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535
1-0
GM Gunina Valentina 2497 5
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
½-½
IM Skripchenko Almira 2453 4
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
GM Muzychyk Anna 2555 3
Round 5 on 2016/04/25 at 15:00
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
½-½
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
1-0
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493 2
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
1-0
IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489 1
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
1-0
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
7 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476
½-½
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
8 WGM Girya Olga 2442
1-0
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
Round 6 on 2016/04/26 at 15:00
12 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557
1-0
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
10 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561
1-0
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
11 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535
1-0
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
0-1
GM Zhao Xue 2504 6
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
GM Gunina Valentina 2497 5
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
1-0
IM Skripchenko Almira 2453 4
Round 7 on 2016/04/27 at 15:00
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
½-½
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
1-0
GM Muzychyk Anna 2555 3
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
1-0
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493 2
7 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476
1-0
IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489 1
8 WGM Girya Olga 2442
0-1
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
9 GM Danielian Elina 2445
1-0
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
Round 8 on 2016/04/28 at 15:00
12 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557
½-½
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
11 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535
½-½
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
½-½
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
1-0
GM Zhao Xue 2504 6
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
½-½
GM Gunina Valentina 2497 5
Round 9 on 2016/04/30 at 15:00
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
1-0
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
1-0
IM Skripchenko Almira 2453 4
7 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476
1-0
GM Muzychyk Anna 2555 3
8 WGM Girya Olga 2442
½-½
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493 2
9 GM Danielian Elina 2445
0-1
IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489 1
10 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561
1-0
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
Round 10 on 2016/05/01 at 15:00
12 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557
1-0
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 11
1 IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489
½-½
GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561 10
2 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493
½-½
GM Danielian Elina 2445 9
3 GM Muzychyk Anna 2555
½-½
WGM Girya Olga 2442 8
4 IM Skripchenko Almira 2453
½-½
IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476 7
5 GM Gunina Valentina 2497
1-0
GM Zhao Xue 2504 6
Round 11 on 2016/05/02 at 11:00
6 GM Zhao Xue 2504
-
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2557 12
7 IM Batsiashvili Nino 2476
-
GM Gunina Valentina 2497 5
8 WGM Girya Olga 2442
-
IM Skripchenko Almira 2453 4
9 GM Danielian Elina 2445
-
GM Muzychyk Anna 2555 3
10 GM Muzychuk Mariya 2561
-
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2493 2
11 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535
-
IM Javakhishvili Lela 2489 1

Pictures: Anastasiya Karlovich (FIDE)


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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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