Tan on 3½/4, Kosteniuk on 0/4

Tan Zhongyi has pulled clear of Alice Lee, at least for now, after the fourth round of the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis. The two shared the lead until round three. But while Tan won her game, Lee suffered her first defeat. As impressive as Tan's score is, the question is what is happening to former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. She lost her fourth game at the Cairns Cup, resigning against Bibisara Assaubayeva after just 23 moves.

The Leningrad Dutch Defence - A repertoire against 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3

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.

What is going on with Alexandra Kosteniuk? | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 4 results

In an English Opening, Tan defeated the still winless Vaishali Rameshbabu. While the Chinese grandmaster dominated the game, the Indian once again struggled with time pressure. In a highly fluctuating passage from move 28 onwards, the game could easily have swung the other way. Both players made several questionable moves, but Vaishali made more mistakes and the more serious ones.

Tan had twice as much reason to celebrate after the game, as co-leader Alice Lee lost to Stavroula Tsolakidou in just 29 moves.

Mate in 5 (everything else loses even faster).

The Endgame Academy Vol.2: Theoretical Rook Endgames

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

Stavroula Tsolakidou's first win cost Alice Lee the tournament lead | Photo: Lennart Ootes

The third decisive game of the day can fairly be described as dramatic. Kosteniuk came to the board on 0/3. Against Assaubayeva, she was surely hoping to play solidly. Yet, after only 23 moves, the former world champion had to congratulate her opponent. Two mistakes – on moves 10 and 18 – were simply too much.

Assaubayeva increased her opening advantage a little further before Kosteniuk's next mistake effectively decided the game.

Understanding Material Imbalances

This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.

Kosteniuk has endured a painful start to the strong Cairns Cup in Saint Louis. After four rounds, she remains empty-handed at the bottom of the standings, one point behind an equally dissatisfied Vaishali. Kosteniuk has lost to Alice Lee, Carissa Yip, Divya Deshmukh and, as seen above, Bibisara Assaubayeva.

The games reveal different reasons for the defeats. Against Alice Lee, Kosteniuk reached a difficult endgame which Lee eventually won despite there initially being defensive resources. Against Carissa Yip, another complicated position arose after the opening, and Kosteniuk was unable to hold her defence. She came under pressure particularly early against Divya Deshmukh: the Indian star obtained an opening advantage after only a few moves and exploited an inaccuracy by Kosteniuk on move 10, although the game continued until move 55. In round four, Bibisara Assaubayeva then prevailed surprisingly quickly in a short, tactically sharp encounter.

Whether there are reasons away from the chessboard is a matter of speculation. What seems certain is that Kosteniuk will want to recover or put this tournament behind her as quickly as possible.

Round 4 quick analysis

The 4 Player Types standard model - Find your strengths and weaknesses and those of your opponent

Playing styles in chess are an important and thus often discussed topic. GM Dr. Karsten Müller and GM Luis Engel take up a model by GM Lars Bo Hansen based on 4 player types - namely ‘activists’, ‘pragmatics’, ‘theoreticians’ and so-called ‘reflectors’.

Carissa Yip and Divya Deshmukh allowed Tan Zhongyi to pull clear with their draw. They battled for 68 moves, with Yip squandering good winning chances after a serious mistake on move 57. The game between Humpy Koneru and Anna Muzychuk ended more quickly: a draw on move 34. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Standings after round 4

All games

Links

• Saint Louis Chess Club
• World Chess Hall of Fame