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The most interesting game in round 2 of the Cairns Cup saw Harika Dronavalli choosing to keep her king in the centre out of an English Opening. The Indian GM played 8.Ke2 in her game with white against Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Making the right decisions in chess - Fundamentals
In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.
This move had been played in the past, and both contenders were ready to face this line as per the amount of time they employed in the opening. In the end, it was Harika who prevailed in the 58-move encounter (see full analysis below).
Harika came from drawing her first-round game against Nana Dzagnidze in what turned out to be the longest game on opening day, lasting 126 moves. Kosteniuk, on her part, had defeated Elisabeth Paehtz on Thursday, as she became one of the three participants who grabbed wins at the outset of the event.
The playing hall during round 2 | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The aforementioned game was not the only encounter that ended decisively, as Dzagnidze also scored with the white pieces. The Georgian GM inflicted a second loss on defending champion Anna Zatonskih after gaining a pawn in the early middlegame.
Dzagnidze is now one of four players tied for first place with 1½ points. Besides Harika and Dzagnidze, the leading group also includes Mariya Muzychuk and Tan Zhongyi. While Muzychuk signed a quick draw with her sister Anna in the second round, Tan managed to get a draw from an inferior position against Irina Krush.
Co-leaders Tan and M. Muzychuk are set to face each other in Saturday’s third round, while both Harika and Dzagnidze will play with the black pieces, against Alice Lee and Kosteniuk, respectively.
Round 2 results
Master Class Vol.16 - Judit Polgar In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Judit Polgar. Let them show you which openings Polgar chose to play, where her strength in middlegames were, or how she outplayed her opponents in the endgame.
Nana Dzagnidze got the better of Anna Zatonskih | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Analysis by Klaus Besenthal
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.
Harika Dronavalli and Alexandra Kosteniuk | Photo: Lennart Ootes
