Gaziantep: Foisor, Gunina, Muzychuk lead

by ChessBase
3/11/2012 – The free day on Thursday was filled with cultural activities in the historic Turkish city where the European Women's Championship is being held. The players came back in full fighting spirit, maintaining an incredibly low drawing quota (25.2%) in this event. The leaders share 6.5/8 points going into the two final rounds. We bring you a big illustrated report after round eight.

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The European Individual Women Chess Championships are being held from 2 to 13 March, 2012, in the Anatolian Hotel in Gaziantep, Turkey. The event will be followed by the European Rapid Championship and European Blitz Championship (15-18 of March). The EIWCC consists of eleven games. The rate of is 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. Games start at 16:00h local time.

Organizers and prize fund: The Turkish Chess Federation, with the sponsorship and support of the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, under the auspices of the City of Gaziantep and the European Chess Union, provided a prize fund of 150,000 Euro for all three events. This is the biggest prize fund in the history of European Women's Chess events. For the first time in the chess history the European Women's Champion will get a higher prize sum, 20,500 Euros, than the Champion of the (Open or "Men's") European Individual Championship, which will be held in Plovdiv after this event.

Free day

Thursday (March 8th, International Women's Day) was a day off. Most of the participants, trainers and organizers embarked on the rest-day's activities but some of them preferred to stay in the hotel and relax before round seven. The cultural program included visiting of Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the Medusa Museum, the Cuisine Museum, Gazientep Castle and Coppersmiths' Bazaar.


The Deputy General Secretary of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Ibrahim Evrim,
who loves the history of his region and knows a lot about it...


was the very special guide for players and guests in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum,
the biggest mosaic museum on the world.


The famous "Gypsy Girl" is in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. Some archaeologists
think this may be the face of Alexander the Great.


Valentina Gunina and Anastasiya Savina climb up to Gaziantep Castle...


...which was built in the 6th century A.D.


Coppersmiths' Bazaar (Bakircilar Çarsisi), where artisans work at and sell their crafts


At the end of the cultural program all guests were invited to one of the best restaurants
in Gazientep, "Imamcagdas", where everyone could taste traditional Turkish baklava.

Round seven


On the first board, playing white, Valentina Gunina beat the leader Thanh Trang
Hoang and replaced her opponent on first place.

[Event "European Women's Championship"] [Site "Gazaintep"] [Date "2012.03.09"] [Round "?.1"] [White "Gunina, Valentina"] [Black "Hoang, Thanh Trang"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 d5 6. O-O Bd6 7. b3 Qe7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Ne5 b6 10. a4 a5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Ba3 Bxa3 13. Nxa3 Bb7 14. Qc2 g6 15. e3 Rc8 16. Qb2 Na6 17. Rac1 c5 18. Nb5 Nb4 19. Rfd1 Ba6 20. dxc5 bxc5 21. Nd3 Nxd3 22. Rxd3 Rab8 $2 {This is where things went wrong for the Vietnamese/Hungarian GM.} 23. Rxd5 $1 Bxb5 (23... Nxd5 {is not possible because of} 24. Bxd5+ Kf8 25. Qh8#) 24. axb5 Rxb5 25. Re5 Qg7 $2 26. Qe2 $1 Ng4 (26... Rxb3 27. Qc4+ Qf7 28. Bd5 Nxd5 29. Qxb3 $18) 27. Rxf5 $1 gxf5 28. Qxb5 Qb2 29. Rf1 Qd2 30. Bb7 Rc7 31. Bd5+ $1 Kg7 (31... Qxd5 32. Qb8+) 32. Qb8 Qxd5 33. Qxc7+ Kg6 34. Qf4 Qxb3 35. e4 Nf6 36. Qxf5+ Kg7 37. e5 Nd5 38. e6 Nc3 39. Qe5+ Kh6 40. e7 { Professionally played by the Russian IM.} 1-0


Cristina-Adela Foisor defeated Viktorija Cmilyte in a game that lasted 93 moves

On the third board Marie Sebag could have obtained good winning chances in the game against Solvanian IM Anna Muzychuk (above), but did not play aggressively enough. Later on Muzychuk got a comfortable position, increased her edge and was able to chalk up a victory. As a result rating favorite Anna Muzychuk improved her tournament situation and shares the third place together with Thanh Trang Hoang.

Round eight


Cristina-Adela Foisor and Valentina Gunina agreed to a draw after 42 moves


Cristina-Adela Foisor, who now leads with Valentina Gunina and Anna Muzychuk

Thanh Trang Hoang, playing white against Anna Muzychuk, tried to transfer the game into the equal ending. But her Slovenian opponent played precisely and got a decisive advantage.

[Event "European Women's Championship"] [Site "Gazaintep"] [Date "2012.03.10"] [Round "?.2"] [White "Hoang, Thanh Trang"] [Black "Muzychuk, Anna"] [Result "0-1"] [PlyCount "108"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 c5 4. Nf3 d5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. Bg3 Bxg3 8. hxg3 Qd6 9. Bb5 Ng4 10. Qa4 c4 11. b3 cxb3 12. axb3 Bd7 13. Qa3 Qxa3 14. Rxa3 Ke7 15. Ke2 a6 16. Bd3 e5 17. dxe5 Ncxe5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. f4 Nxd3 20. Kxd3 { This endgame is basically equal - Black does get a great position for her bishop.} Rac8 21. Nf3 Bf5+ 22. Kd2 h5 $1 {Gaining space and fixing the weak white pawn on g2.} 23. Ra5 Be4 24. Rh2 f6 $1 {Now white will not be able to exchange the powerful bishop. Black is clearly better.} 25. Nd4 g5 26. Ra1 Rcg8 27. Ne2 Kf7 28. Rah1 Kg6 29. Nd4 Rh7 30. g4 h4 31. f5+ Kf7 32. Ne6 Rc8 33. b4 Ke7 34. Ra1 Kd6 35. Nc5 Ke5 36. Ra3 (36. Nxe4 $2 Kxe4 37. Rhh1 Rhc7 38. Ra3 Rc4 {wins the g4-pawn (after ...Ke5)}) 36... Rhc7 37. Ne6 Rc4 38. Nd4 Kd6 39. Ne2 Ra8 40. Nd4 b6 41. Ra1 Rcc8 42. Ra3 a5 43. b5 Rc4 44. Ke2 Rac8 45. Kd2 R8c5 46. Rb3 {After this White has no more moves - everything loses material or fatally weakens her position.} Ra4 47. Rb2 Ra3 48. Ne2 a4 49. g3 Ra1 50. gxh4 a3 51. Rb4 a2 52. Ra4 Rxb5 53. c4 Rb2+ 54. Kc3 Rc2+ 0-1

As a result of her win Anna Muzychuk climbed to equal first in the the standings, joining a group of three leaders with 6.5/8 points each.

Viktorija Cmilyte (above) defeated Nazi Paikidze, who didn't play accurately in the opening and let her opponent to create strong attack on her king. Viktorija Cmilyte, Tatiana Kosintseva, Nino Khurtsidze share the fourth place with six points.

Top standings after eight rounds

#
Sd
Ti.
Name
Rtng
FED
Pts
Perf
BH.
BH.
wins
1
31
IM
Foisor Cristina-Adela
2398
ROU
2679
39
39½
5
2
8
IM
Gunina Valentina
2511
RUS
2663
36½
40
5
3
1
IM
Muzychuk Anna
2583
SLO
2653
35
38
5
4
6
GM
Kosintseva Tatiana
2513
RUS
6
2595
37½
42
5
5
9
GM
Cmilyte Viktorija
2497
LTU
6
2582
35½
39
6
6
20
IM
Khurtsidze Nino
2447
GEO
6
2581
35
38
5
7
5
GM
Stefanova Antoaneta
2531
BUL
2536
35
39
4
8
21
GM
Hoang Thanh Trang
2438
HUN
2522
35½
39
5
9
12
GM
Danielian Elina
2478
ARM
2498
30
33
4
10
3
GM
Lahno Kateryna
2546
UKR
2497
31½
34½
3
11
22
WGM
Batsiashvili Nino
2438
GEO
2483
33
36½
4
12
17
WGM
Pogonina Natalija
2449
RUS
2483
30½
33½
3
13
10
IM
Khotenashvili Bela
2490
GEO
2477
31
34
5
14
34
WGM
Kovanova Baira
2392
RUS
2437
28
30½
5
15
7
GM
Sebag Marie
2512
FRA
5
2533
40½
44½
4
16
51
WGM
Schleining Zoya
2326
GER
5
2492
35
35½
3
17
33
WGM
Guramishvili Sopiko
2395
GEO
5
2468
35½
38½
4
18
15
IM
Mkrtchian Lilit
2458
ARM
5
2451
31½
35
4
19
57
WIM
Bulmaga Irina
2307
ROU
5
2441
29½
32½
4
20
41
WGM
Vojinovic Jovana
2356
MNE
5
2439
33
35½
4
21
14
IM
Paehtz Elisabeth
2459
GER
5
2436
33½
37
4
22
2
GM
Dzagnidze Nana
2559
GEO
5
2435
33
35
4
23
30
IM
Melia Salome
2400
GEO
5
2430
30½
33
3
24
13
IM
Skripchenko Almira
2468
FRA
5
2427
29½
33
3
25
24
IM
Romanko Marina
2417
RUS
5
2421
29½
32½
3
26
23
GM
Zhukova Natalia
2435
UKR
5
2403
27
30
3
27
4
GM
Kosintseva Nadezhda
2535
RUS
5
2363
30½
34
4
28
48
IM
Gvetadze Sofio
2334
GEO
5
2359
32½
34
3
29
46
WIM
Goryachkina Aleksandra
2341
RUS
5
2358
31
31½
3
30
29
WGM
Paikidze Nazi
2406
GEO
5
2350
32½
34½
3

Remaining schedule

Sunday March 11
15:00
9th Round
Monday March 12
15:00
10th Round
Tuesday March 13
11:00, 19:00  
11th Round, Closing Ceremony
Wednesday   March 14
Departure-Arrival Day
Thursday March 15
Rapid
Friday March 16
Rapid
Saturday March 17
Blitz
Sunday March 18
Blitz
Monday March 19
Departure Day

All photos by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich, with kind permission of the TCF


Links

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