Women in focus

by Macauley Peterson
3/8/2018 – Last Sunday in Moscow the contest "blondes against brunettes" was held for the eighth time. Alexandra Kosteniuk led the "brunettes" to a clear victory. In India, IM Tania Sachdev launches a "Powerless Queen" project, and in Belgrade, there's a 50th International Women's tournament ongoing | Pictured: Elmira Mirzoeva | Photo: Russian Chess Federation

Chess News

The aim of this course is to help you understand how to make tactical opportunities arise as well as to sharpen your tactical vision - these selected lectures will help to foster your overall tactical understanding.

International Women's Day 2018

March 8th is Women's Day, celebrated throughout the world. In Belgrade it even has its own tournament, this year celebrating its 50th edition, which runs through March 13th.

The first Women's International Tournament was organised between March 8th and 24th, 1965. Since then it has become an annual tradition in the Serbian capital, with the exception of 1980 (cancelled due to lack of funding) and 1984 (when only local players participated so it wasn't "international").

Twelve players from Serbia, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, France and Bosnia and Hercegovina are participating this year. After five rounds, Jovana Rapport (wife of Richard) is in clear first with 5.0 / 6.

Belgrade group

The women of the 50th International Tournament | Photo: Courtesy the city of Belgrade 

The live games transmission has been spotty, but when games are broadcast we'll have them on live.chessbase.com.

Blonds vs brunettes

In anticipation of Women's Day in Moscow, the "most beautiful chess tournament in the city" was played last Sunday, and "Blondes vs. Brunettes", as it's known, has also become a traditional competition, albeit one with a bit more flair. Organiser WGM Maria Forminykh instigated the event for the eighth time, which was played in the famous Central Chess Club on Gogolevsky Boulevard. 

Blonds vs. Brunettes | Photo: Vladimir Barsky

Among the participants were two former world champions: Alexandra Kosteniuk and Anna Ushenina. Also in the mix were Valentina Gunina, Olga Giryaa, Natalia Zhukova, Daria Charochkina, Daria Voit, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Karina Ambartsumova, Alexandra Goryachkina, Marina Nechaeva, Elmira Mirzoeva, Dina Drozdova, Irina Sudakova, Alina Bivol and last, but not least, Maria Fominykh herself.  

Daria Charochkina, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Karina Ambartsumova | Photo: Vladimir Barsky

The two teams played a match using the Scheveningen system. Each blond played a blitz game against each brunette at a rate of 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move. All players were decked out in with dresses by designer Olga Grinyuk. 

At the end of the day, the brunettes left with the edge, the final score, 37 : 27. Alexandra Kosteniuk was the best performer with 7 out of 8. Anna Ushenina was close behind, with 6½ out of 8. 

Alexandra Kosteniuk | Photo: Vladimir Barsky

Anna Ushenina | Photo: Vladimir Barsky

Here's a brief video highlight:

Dina Drozdova vs Alexandra Kosteniuk

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.a4 a5 7.h3 h6 8.Re1 d6 9.c3 Re8 10.Nbd2 Be6 11.Bxe6 Rxe6 12.Nf1 Re8 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Nxe3 Qd7 15.Qb3 b6 16.Rad1 Rad8 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Nb8 19.d4 exd4 20.Nxd4 Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Re8 22.Rxe8+ Qxe8 23.Qc4 Qe1+ 24.Qf1 Qxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Kf8 26.Ke2 Na6 27.Kd2 Nc5 28.Kc2 Ke7 29.f3 Nxa4 30.b4 axb4 31.cxb4 b5 32.Nxb5 Kd7 33.Nc3 Nb6 34.Kd3 Ke7 35.Kd4 h5 36.h4 g6 37.g3 Nd7 38.f4 Nb6 39.Ne4 Nd7 40.Ng5 Nb6 41.Ke4 Kf6 42.Nf3 Na4 43.Nd2 Nb6 44.Kd4 Ke7 45.Ne4 Nd7 46.Nc3 Nb6 47.Nb5 Kd7 48.Ke4 f5+ 49.Kd4 Nc8 50.Nc3 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gunina,V2533Assaubayeva,B2129½–½2018C50Match blonde against brunettes1.1
Girya,O2340Ambartsumova,K22361–02018D38Match blonde against brunettes1.2
Ushenina,A2440Mirzoeva,E22661–02018A41Match blonde against brunettes1.3
Zhukova,N2389Nechaeva,M23051–02018E76Match blonde against brunettes1.4
Fominykh,M2190Charochkina,D2357½–½2018A06Match blonde against brunettes1.5
Bivol,A2251Voit,D23680–12018A05Match blonde against brunettes1.6
Sudakova,I2249Goryachkina,A24490–12018B03Match blonde against brunettes1.7
Drozdova,D2284Kosteniuk,A25510–12018E10Match blonde against brunettes1.8
Ambartsumova,K2236Gunina,V25330–12018A46Match blonde against brunettes2.1
Mirzoeva,E2266Girya,O23400–12018A06Match blonde against brunettes2.2
Nechaeva,M2305Ushenina,A24400–12018E21Match blonde against brunettes2.3
Charochkina,D2357Zhukova,N23890–12018A45Match blonde against brunettes2.4
Voit,D2368Fominykh,M21901–02018E67Match blonde against brunettes2.5
Charochkina,D2357Bivol,A22511–02018C05Match blonde against brunettes2.6
Kosteniuk,A2551Sudakova,I22491–02018A06Match blonde against brunettes2.7
Assaubayeva,B2129Drozdova,D22841–02018A55Match blonde against brunettes2.8
Gunina,V2533Mirzoeva,E22661–02018C41Match blonde against brunettes3.1
Girya,O2340Nechaeva,M23051–02018A48Match blonde against brunettes3.2
Ushenina,A2440Charochkina,D23571–02018A80Match blonde against brunettes3.3
Zhukova,N2389Voit,D23681–02018A33Match blonde against brunettes3.4
Fominykh,M2190Goryachkina,A24490–12018A06Match blonde against brunettes3.5
Bivol,A2251Kosteniuk,A25510–12018E17Match blonde against brunettes3.6
Sudakova,I2249Assaubayeva,B2129½–½2018C47Match blonde against brunettes3.7
Drozdova,D2284Ambartsumova,K22360–12018E90Match blonde against brunettes3.8
Nechaeva,M2305Gunina,V2533½–½2018E21Match blonde against brunettes4.1
Charochkina,D2357Girya,O23401–02018D31Match blonde against brunettes4.2
Voit,D2368Ushenina,A24400–12018E15Match blonde against brunettes4.3
Goryachkina,A2449Zhukova,N2389½–½2018C00Match blonde against brunettes4.4
Kosteniuk,A2551Fominykh,M21901–02018E68Match blonde against brunettes4.5
Assaubayeva,B2129Bivol,A22511–02018E83Match blonde against brunettes4.6
Ambartsumova,K2236Sudakova,I22490–12018B56Match blonde against brunettes4.7
Mirzoeva,E2266Drozdova,D2284½–½2018A35Match blonde against brunettes4.8
Gunina,V2533Charochkina,D23570–12018B10Match blonde against brunettes5.1
Girya,O2340Voit,D23680–12018E11Match blonde against brunettes5.2
Ushenina,A2440Goryachkina,A24491–02018A06Match blonde against brunettes5.3
Zhukova,N2389Kosteniuk,A25510–12018E10Match blonde against brunettes5.4
Fominykh,M2190Assaubayeva,B21290–12018D70Match blonde against brunettes5.5
Bivol,A2251Ambartsumova,K22360–12018B40Match blonde against brunettes5.6
Sudakova,I2249Mirzoeva,E22660–12018C41Match blonde against brunettes5.7
Drozdova,D2284Nechaeva,M2305½–½2018E90Match blonde against brunettes5.8
Voit,D2368Gunina,V25330–12018E10Match blonde against brunettes6.1
Goryachkina,A2449Girya,O23400–12018B17Match blonde against brunettes6.2
Kosteniuk,A2551Ushenina,A24401–02018B36Match blonde against brunettes6.3
Assaubayeva,B2129Zhukova,N23890–12018A61Match blonde against brunettes6.4
Ambartsumova,K2236Fominykh,M21901–02018B06Match blonde against brunettes6.5
Mirzoeva,E2266Bivol,A2251½–½2018A05Match blonde against brunettes6.6
Nechaeva,M2305Sudakova,I22491–02018D47Match blonde against brunettes6.7
Charochkina,D2357Drozdova,D22840–12018A41Match blonde against brunettes6.8
Gunina,V2533Goryachkina,A2449½–½2018B04Match blonde against brunettes7.1
Girya,O2340Kosteniuk,A25510–12018A46Match blonde against brunettes7.2
Ushenina,A2440Assaubayeva,B21291–02018A48Match blonde against brunettes7.3
Zhukova,N2389Ambartsumova,K22360–12018E76Match blonde against brunettes7.4
Fominykh,M2190Mirzoeva,E22661–02018A41Match blonde against brunettes7.5
Bivol,A2251Nechaeva,M2305½–½2018A05Match blonde against brunettes7.6
Sudakova,I2249Charochkina,D23570–12018B12Match blonde against brunettes7.7
Drozdova,D2284Voit,D23680–12018E11Match blonde against brunettes7.8
Kosteniuk,A2551Gunina,V25330–12018A07Match blonde against brunettes8.1
Assaubayeva,B2129Girya,O23401–02018D37Match blonde against brunettes8.2
Ambartsumova,K2236Ushenina,A2440½–½2018B36Match blonde against brunettes8.3
Mirzoeva,E2266Zhukova,N23891–02018A04Match blonde against brunettes8.4
Nechaeva,M2305Fominykh,M2190½–½2018A41Match blonde against brunettes8.5
Charochkina,D2357Bivol,A22511–02018E62Match blonde against brunettes8.6
Voit,D2368Sudakova,I22491–02018D30Match blonde against brunettes8.7
Goryachkina,A2449Drozdova,D22841–02018C41Match blonde against brunettes8.8

On this DVD, well-known Indian WGM Tania Sachdev shows you how to evaluate certain positions and then find the right concepts and plans on the basis of her own games.

Powerless Queen Challenge

"What if the queen, the symbol of strength is rendered powerless?"

So asks the new social activism site from Project Nanhi Kali, which "works with parents and communities to counsel them of the importance of sending their girls to school."

The initiative gets a boost from IM Tania Sachdev, who posted this promotional video:

The challenge itself is simply a 30-second chess game against the computer, but with a twist, you'll quickly discover if you give it a go. It's a bit of a gimmick, but one which makes a profound point about fairness.

Andre Schulz contributed to this story

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Macauley served as the Editor in Chief of ChessBase News from July 2017 to March 2020. He is the producer of The Full English Breakfast chess podcast, and was an Associate Producer of the 2016 feature documentary, Magnus.

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