
The tournament
The ACP-ECU European Women's Rapid championship is currently underway in Kutaisi, Georgia, following directly after the end of the standard time control championship. It is an eleven-round competition held over three days from June 1 to June 3, 2015. Games are played at a rate of 15 minutes per game per player, with an increment of ten seconds per move). The base prize fund is 10 thousand Euros, with 2000 for 1st place, 1500 Euros for 2nd, and 1000 Euros for 3rd (subject to 20% Georgian Income Tax), however there is also an additional 8000 Euros added by the ACP. All games are broadcast at the official site and at Playchess as of 1 PM Paris time or 7AM New York.
Day one

The tournament is officially started

Emil Sutovsky and Nona Gaprindashvili

Alexandra Vakhania awaits the start of the first round together with Valentina Gunina

IM Sopiko Guramishvili

Elizabeth Paetz is one of the runners up with 3.5/4
Elizabeth Paetz vs Sofio Gvetadze

How did White exploit Black's queen position? White to play and win.

Deimante Daulyte (Lithuania) had a superb start with 3.5/4

The players get ready for a tour of the Prometheus Cave. Discovered in Imereti region in
1984, Prometheus Cave is one of Georgia’s natural wonders providing visitors with breath-
taking examples of stalactites, petrified waterfalls, cave pearls, underground rivers, and lakes.

The 1060 meter walking route through the cave was upgraded in the summer of 2012...

...and visitors can also enjoy a 280 meter boat tour on an underground river.

The view is nothing short of spectacular

A view of the caves
Solution: White wins material with 1.Nxc5! threatening 2.d4 attacking the queen on b5 with the bishop on f1.
Photos by Picasso
Standings after four rounds (ratings are FIDE rapid)
Click for complete standings