Deshmukh closes in on the leaders
Tan Zhongyi and Alice Lee remained unbeaten after the third round of the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis. After their opening wins, however, both had to settle for draws. Tan drew with black against Anna Muzychuk. The engine evaluation barely moved away from equality over the course of the 70 moves, so the draw was the logical outcome. The analysis graph for Alice Lee's game against Bibisara Assaubayeva tells much the same story, although that encounter ended with a handshake after just 41 moves. Muzychuk and Assaubayeva have both started the tournament with three draws.
The Leningrad Dutch Defence is a dynamic and aggressive opening choice for Black, perfect for players who want to add some adventure and spice to their repertoire.
Alice Lee remains at the top of the Cairns Cup standings alongside Tan Zhongyi - both have 2½ points from three games | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Alexandra Kosteniuk would no doubt have preferred such a start, as her tournament began disastrously with three consecutive defeats. In round three, she lost to Divya Deshmukh.
Round 3 results
Kosteniuk opted for the Rossolimo Variation, but the choice did not work out well. Her Indian opponent handled the resulting type of position very effectively and took control straight out of the opening. Deshmukh made only one mistake, but it cost her merely part of her advantage, and Kosteniuk immediately returned the favour with an inaccurate move of her own.
Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller, one of the world’s leading endgame experts, guides you step by step through everything you need to know in this second volume.
Picture this: you’ve outplayed your opponent move by move, you’re clearly better – and then the endgame slips into a draw, simply because you lacked the crucial theoretical knowledge. That is exactly where this course comes in. Without solid endgame skills, there’s no way forward. Rook endgames are most essential: they occur more often than any other type of endgame, and often make the difference between victory and half a point. If you master them, you’ll confidently convert your advantages into wins!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Bodycheck
Alexandra Kosteniuk lost her third game of the tournament | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The game between Vaishali Rameshbabu and Stavroula Tsolakidou was rather uneventful. With the draw, the Greek player remained in mid-table, having split the point in all three of her games so far. Vaishali, meanwhile, lost to her compatriot Deshmukh in the first round before drawing with Assaubayeva, leaving her on a 1/3 score.
Stavroula Tsolakidou in good spirits | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Carissa Yip, by contrast, had good chances shortly after the time control to score her second consecutive win following her opening-round defeat against Tan. The multiple US women's champion failed to take advantage of a major mistake by Humpy Koneru on move 42, however, and gave up her advantage over the next four moves. The game then ended in a draw without further incident.
This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.
Carissa Yip | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 3
All games
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