Khanty 07: Leaders advance

by Alejandro Ramirez
4/16/2014 – The top three players in the Khanty-Mansiysk Grand Prix have distanced themselves from the pack even further. Hou Yifan, Muzychuk and Girya, currently the one, two and three places of the tournament, all won their games with white today and move forward in the tournament, though the Chinese retains a full point lead. Girya's game today against Kosteniuk was brilliant.

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The fourth stage of the the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014 is taking place at the Ugra Chess Academy, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from the 8th of April until the 22nd of April 2014. It is a twelve-player round robin with time controls of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 30 minutes plus an additional 30 seconds per move for the rest of the game. The total prize fund is 60,000, with the winner getting 10,000 Euro.

Round Seven

Round 07 – April 16 2014, 14:00h
Girya, Olga 2450
1-0
Kosteniuk, A 2527
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
1-0
Zhao Xue 2552
Hou Yifan 2618
1-0
Ushenina, Anna 2501
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
½-½
Stefanova, A 2489
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
0-1
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
½-½
Lagno, Kateryna 2543

Round seven action

The young audience got a treat today

Girya, Olga 1-0 Kosteniuk, Alexandra

[Event "4th WGP 2014"] [Site "Khanty Mansiysk 2014"] [Date "2014.04.16"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Girya, Olga"] [Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D58"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [SourceDate "2014.01.04"] [WhiteClock "0:05:09"] [BlackClock "0:03:30"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 b6 8. Be2 dxc4 9. Bxc4 {Kosteniuk has been using the Queen's Gambit Declined with a certain amount of success out of the opening in this event.} Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Qe2 a6 12. a4 c5 13. Rfd1 {White retains some pressure and it is not so obvious where all of Black's pieces are going to go, but on the other hand she doesn't have any real weaknesses.} Qe8 14. Rac1 Bd6 15. d5 e5 16. Bg3 Nh5 17. Ne4 Bb8 18. Bh4 f5 19. d6+ $1 {The start of a beautiful concept.} Kh8 20. Be7 $1 {White sacrifices a full piece to maintain a stronghold over the position; specifically the light squares. Practically this is very hard to play against.} (20. Ng3 g5 $1 {is harmless for Black.} 21. Nxg5 hxg5 22. Bxg5 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Qg6 $15 {White retains some compensation but that is it.}) 20... fxe4 $6 (20... Bxe4 {made much more sense to me} 21. Nh4 Nhf6 22. f3 Bb7 23. Nxf5 $16 {and White keeps pressure. It's surprisingly hard to figure out what to do as Black. }) 21. Nh4 Nhf6 22. Be6 $1 {Inching closer on the lightsquares.} Bc6 (22... g6 $5 {Trying to patch things up} 23. Bxd7 $1 Nxd7 24. Bxf8 Nxf8 25. d7 Nxd7 26. Nxg6+ Qxg6 (26... Kg7 27. Nf4 {and despite Black's material advantage her bishops are clearly not very good and I would take White.}) 27. Rxd7 {is clearly better for White.}) 23. Bf5 Rf7 24. Ng6+ Kg8 25. Qc4 {Black is still holding, but what to move?} Ra7 26. b3 $1 {I love this move. It shows patience and restraint. Despite being down a piece, Girya simply defends the a4 pawn and prepares to infiltrate with the queen on e6, taking advantage of Black's lack of moves. Delightful!} Nd5 27. Bxd7 $6 (27. Rxd5 $1 Rxf5 28. Rxc5+ Kh7 29. Nf8+ Nxf8 30. Rxc6 {also favored White, who starts to pick up pawns.}) 27... Rxd7 $2 (27... Qxd7 {was the last chance to resist, but its a hard move to make.} 28. Nxe5 Qf5 29. Nxf7 Qxf7 {and surprisingly White has lost a lot of her coordination, but she certainly shouldn't be worse.}) 28. Rxd5 Bxd5 29. Qxd5 {The rest is easy for Girya. Despite being down an exchange, Black simply has no moves.} Bc7 {And now a little combination to wrap it all together.} 30. Nxe5 Rdxe7 31. Nxf7 Rxf7 (31... Qxf7 32. dxe7 $18) 32. dxc7 Qc8 33. Qd8+ Rf8 34. Rd1 Kh7 35. h3 (35. Qxf8 Qxf8 36. Rd8 Qf6 37. g3 {also won, but the text is more precise.}) 35... c4 36. bxc4 Qf5 37. Qxf8 Qxf8 38. Rd8 Qf6 39. c8=Q { A beautiful example of an intuitive sacrifice and the power of practical play. Great job!} 1-0

Today Alexandra Kosteniuk was on the receiving end of a brilliancy

Muzychuk, Anna 1-0 Zhao Xue
Zhao Xue certainly did not equalize from the opening, and once Muzychuk broke the center open with d4 it was clear that too many of the Chinese player's pieces were misplaced. An obvious and simple exchange sacrifice, which on top of that gave the Slovenian player two pawns, ripped apart Black's king shelter and from then on it was easy for Muzycuhk to win the game.

Anna Muzychuk (right) took out an important competitor today

Hou Yifan 1-0 Ushenina, Anna
The rematch between the World Champion and the ex-World Champion culminated and yet another victory for Hou Yifan. Their previous encounter, in the European Club Cup, also favored the Chinese. This time Hou Yifan stayed away from the main theoretical routes, but Ushenina got an acceptable position. At some point though she miscalculated the transition to the endgame and her opponent accurately calculated the consequences of the rook endgame, which ended with Hou Yifan simply queening her pawns.

"Not this girl again!"

Hou Yifan somehow seems to have Anna Ushenina's number

Kosintseva, Tatiana ½-½ Stefanova, Atoaneta
An unusual Spanish variation lead to an unusual game. In the major piece endgame White tried to trap Black's queen out of activity by sacrificing a pawn, but Stefanova gave it back to force a drawn rook endgame.

Tatiana Kosintseva only has 2.5/7.
Batchimeg Tuvshintugs is the only player behind her.

Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 0-1 Muminova, Nafisa
The players essayed a topical variation of the Rubinstein Nimzo-Indian and the game was approximately equal for a while, both of them trying to do as much as they could with their strategical advantages. Disaster came for the Mongolian player when she moved 24.Rf1?? missing the devastating 24...Ng4!! After that happened the game was basically over.

A little friendly chat before the game turned
into a lot of blood spilled over the board

Dzagnidze, Nana ½-½ Lagno, Kateryna
Dzagnidze must have been surprised by Lagno's opening choice as she forced a repetition in a still theoretical position.

Nana was probably not expecting the Gruenfeld defense

An easy and solid half point with black for Kateryna

Round Seven Games

Select from the dropdown menu to replay the games

Standings

Photos by Nikolay Bochkarev, from the official website

Schedule and results

Round 01 – April 9 2014, 14:00h
Stefanova, A 2489
½-½
Kosteniuk, A 2527
Ushenina, Anna 2501
1-0
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Zhao Xue 2552
1-0
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Girya, Olga 2450
1-0
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
1-0
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Hou Yifan 2618
1-0
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Round 02 – April 10 2014, 14:00h
Kosteniuk, A 2527
0-1
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
0-1
Hou Yifan 2618
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
½-½
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
1-0
Girya, Olga 2450
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
1-0
Zhao Xue 2552
Stefanova, A 2489
1-0
Ushenina, Anna 2501
Round 03 – April 11 2014, 14:00h
Ushenina, Anna 2501
½-½
Kosteniuk, A 2527
Zhao Xue 2552
1-0
Stefanova, A 2489
Girya, Olga 2450
½-½
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
½-½
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Hou Yifan 2618
1-0
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
½-½
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Round 04 – April 12 2014, 14:00h
Kosteniuk, A 2527
1-0
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
1-0
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
½-½
Hou Yifan 2618
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
0-1
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
Stefanova, A 2489
½-½
Girya, Olga 2450
Ushenina, Anna 2501
½-½
Zhao Xue 2552
Round 05 – April 14 2014, 14:00h
Zhao Xue 2552
½-½
Kosteniuk, A 2527
Girya, Olga 2450
½-½
Ushenina, Anna 2501
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
½-½
Stefanova, A 2489
Hou Yifan 2618
1-0
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
½-½
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
0-1
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Round 06 – April 15 2014, 14:00h
Kosteniuk, A 2527
1-0
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
½-½
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
1-0
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Stefanova, A 2489
½-½
Hou Yifan 2618
Ushenina, Anna 2501
½-½
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
Zhao Xue 2552
0-1
Girya, Olga 2450
Round 07 – April 16 2014, 14:00h
Girya, Olga 2450
1-0
Kosteniuk, A 2527
Muzychuk, Anna 2560
1-0
Zhao Xue 2552
Hou Yifan 2618
1-0
Ushenina, Anna 2501
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
½-½
Stefanova, A 2489
Tuvshintugs, B 2340
0-1
Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
½-½
Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Round 08 – April 17 2014, 14:00h
Kosteniuk, A 2527   Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Muminova, Nafisa 2321   Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Stefanova, A 2489   Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Ushenina, Anna 2501   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Zhao Xue 2552   Hou Yifan 2618
Girya, Olga 2450   Muzychuk, Anna 2560
Round 09 – April 19 2014, 14:00h
Muzychuk, Anna 2560   Kosteniuk, A 2527
Hou Yifan 2618   Girya, Olga 2450
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496   Zhao Xue 2552
Tuvshintugs, B 2340   Ushenina, Anna 2501
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550   Stefanova, A 2489
Lagno, Kateryna 2543   Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Round 10 – April 20 2014, 14:00h
Kosteniuk, A 2527   Muminova, Nafisa 2321
Stefanova, A 2489   Lagno, Kateryna 2543
Ushenina, Anna 2501   Dzagnidze, Nana 2550
Zhao Xue 2552   Tuvshintugs, B 2340
Girya, Olga 2450   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496
Muzychuk, Anna 2560   Hou Yifan 2618
Round 11 – April 21 2014, 11:00h
Hou Yifan 2618   Kosteniuk, A 2527
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2496   Muzychuk, Anna 2560
Tuvshintugs, B 2340   Girya, Olga 2450
Dzagnidze, Nana 2550   Zhao Xue 2552
Lagno, Kateryna 2543   Ushenina, Anna 2501
Muminova, Nafisa 2321   Stefanova, A 2489

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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