12/5/2019 – The second round of FIDE Women's Grand Prix at Monaco witnessed four decisive results and four game went for over four hours. Humpy continued her lead by beating Mariya Muzychuk. Harika Dronavalli scored the first victory of the round by defeating Germany no.1 woman IM Elisabeth Paehtz. Lagno won the All-Russian battle and handed Gunina her second consecutive defeat. Newly crowned European Individual Rapid and Blitz champion Alexandra Kosteniuk continued her momentum and broke Goryachkina's mystique by defeating her convincingly. Both Anna Muzychuk and Pia Cramling missed wonderful winning opportunities against Nana Dzagnidze and Zhao Xue respectively. A detailed report of round 2. Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE
The aim of these Dvd's is to build a repertoire after 1.c4 and 2.g3 for White. The first DVD includes the systems 1...e5, the Dutch and Indian setups. The second DVD includes the systems with 1...c5, 1...c6 and 1...e6.
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Four decisive results in round 2
After round 1 witnessed only one decisive game and five draws, on the second day, all players arrived in fighting mood, and fight is what they did. More than half of the games ran for over four hours and all four of them had decisive results.
Harika's superb strategy against Paehtz
Paehtz opted for the Semi-Slav Defence against Harika and decided to get out of the opening with 5.♕c2:
The Semi-Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6) can arise via various move orders, has decided World Championships, and is one of Black's most fascinating replies to 1 d4. Magnus Carlsen's second, Grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen explains in detail what this opening is all about.
Harika - Paehtz
Position after 5.Qc2
Harika felt that 5...♞bd7 made her life easier. She thought that after 6.cxd5 cxd5 the knight on d7 is misplaced.
Position after 11...Rc8
Although white continued here with 12.♕b3, Harika later realized that 12.♕e2 would have been a better implementation of her plan.
Position after 18...g5
In a post-game interview, Harika said that she felt 18...g5 was the critical moment of the game, it either works for black or it doesn't and in the game it didn't.
Position after 22...Qc7
Harika continued here with 23.♘h2, however there was an interesting continuation for white. Can you find it? Harika did not opt for it as she was unsure about it.
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1.d40d502.c40c603.Nc30Nf61:054.Nf30a61:395.Qc223Nbd74:086.cxd56:16cxd537.Bf420e608.e351b57:149.Bd30Bb7510.0-01:20Be72:5211.Rfc18:57Rc816:0012.Qb34:5612.Qe212...0-0013.a47:18b48:3514.Ne24:21Qa59:1015.Qd16:06Ne416.Rxc85Rxc83517.Nc110:15Qd8018.Nb30g51:3018...a519.Bb519.Be54Harika was considering19.Bxe4dxe420.Nxg5Bxg521.Qg4h622.h4Nf623.Qg3Nh524.Qg4Nxf425.exf4e319...f610:5220.Bg317h53721.h35Nxg3022.fxg314:15Qc72:18White had
already seen22...g423.Nh2f524.hxg4hxg425.Nxg423.Nh20Harika did not opt for this as she was not sure23.Nxg5fxg524.Qxh5Nf825.Rf1Bd826.Nc5Qe727.Rxf8+23...Qxg324.Nf153Qd65:2224...Qh425.Na5Ba826.Rc125.Qxh5Nf83326.h46:09Bc64627.hxg53:12Be827...fxg528.Nh2Be828.Qh2White went for Queen exchange because she had
very less time. She felt that strategically the endgame will always be better
for her.Qxh2+3:2629.Nxh235fxg530.a5
Harika wasn't sure about30.Bxa6so she went with the textRc231.Bb530...Ra81:2231.Ng43:15Bg6632.Bxg627Nxg64 Harika said that she felt this
position is strategically lost for Black33.Rc12Ra7034.Rc61:04Kf73:1535.Kf20Bf83036.Ke252Be71737.Kd31:21Bf81838.Rb61:34Be7039.Nc5Bxc540.dxc534Ke71:0141.Kd431:36Nh432:1442.Ne50Nf5+043.Kd30Rc7044.Nc6+0Kf6045.Rxa60Ng3046.Nd40Rxc5047.Rxe6+0Kf7048.a60Ra5049.Nc60Ra1050.Re7+0Kf6051.a701–0
Harika is off to a good start | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE
Gunina suffers second consecutive loss
In another All-Russian battle between Gunina and Lagno, the latter opted for Berlin Defence in Ruy Lopez, however she spent almost 20 minutes on each of two different occasions.
On top level the Berlin Defense is a popular defensive weapon but it also offers Black good chances to win if White does not proceed precisely. On this DVD Victor Bologan shows what Black can and should do if White tries to avoid the main lines of the Berlin Defense.
Gunina-Lagno
Position after 11.d5
The second move where Gunina consumed another 20 minutes — 17...d5 — resulted in her having less than a minute left on the clock.
Position after 17...d5
White might be lacking in development here, but black is unable to do anything about it.
Position after 21...fxe6
It is evident that white has an advantage here, but how should white continue?
Position after 25...f4
This is a critical moment in the game. What is the best way for white to take on f4?
Position after 44...Be3
Lagno admitted the fact that she misplayed and blundered the c-pawn and had to grind another 29 moves to secure the full point. Can you find the correct continuation for white here?
However, Gunina got one last opportunity to redeem her mistakes and salvage a draw.
Position after 60.h4
Lagno's final big mistake was 60.h4 which gave Gunina a chance to come back. What did black miss here?
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1.e40e502.Nf30Nc603.Bb50Nf6344.0-00Nxe4535.Re10Nd6306.Nxe513Nxe567.Rxe5+4Be738.Bf1180-0319.d40Bf61:0810.Re10Nf51:0611.d529d620:00
The main move according to Lagno is11...Re812.Nd21:20c6013.Ne45:56Be56:3814.c30cxd521:1114...Qb615.Kh1cxd516.Qxd5Be617.Qb515.Qxd520Be6416.Qxb77:32Rb81:1717.Qa617.Qxa717...d520:34 Gunina had only a
minute left on the clock18.Ng56:06Rb611:4619.Qe210:19Bb8020.Qh51:53h6021.Nxe626fxe6222.Bd36:50Lagno did not want to give any chances with22.g3Qf622...Qf6023.Bxf52:56exf53024.Qf33:32Qd6025.g32:30f41526.gxf421:4126.Bxf4Qd727.Qe2Bxf428.gxf4Rbf626...Qd7027.Be32:05Rxb24128.Red130Qf71:0729.Qxd51:44a6029...Bxf430.Bxa730.Qxf7+1:31Rxf72331.Rab12:48Rxb11532.Rxb13Bxf4033.Bd44:50Rf5734.Rb635Rg5+035.Kh12:35Ra53436.Rg645Rxa21:1837.Rxg7+8Kf8038.Ra71:59a53139.Kg21:23a4940.c46:09Lagno thought about40.h3
followed by Kf3-e4-d540...Ke83641.c530:24a36:5942.h3042.c6Rc242...Rd211:1243.Bc30Rc21:2544.Rxa30Be34Lagno admits that she started missing a lot from here45.Be1045.c645...Bxc53746.Ra60Rc14:4747.Re6+0Kf71348.Re20Bf83649.Ba50Rc6050.Rb20Rg6+1:0651.Kf10Rf6952.Bb60Kg65153.Be30Ra62354.Kg20Re6055.Rb50Be73456.Kg32:31Bg54:0657.Bd42:42Rd61:2958.Be547Rd3+759.f31:50Ra3060.h432Be75260...Bxh4+61.Kxh4Rxf361.h5+44Kf7162.Rb61:20Bg51:0363.Kg414Be31364.Rf6+23Kg8065.Rg6+38Kf7066.f427Ra51:0367.Rf6+58Kg83168.Rxh620Bc52569.Kf51:28Bf8070.Rh8+25Kf7071.h61:07Ra61:0672.Rxf8+57Kxf8473.h731–0
The Grünfeld is a highly dynamic opening in which Black's position often seems to hang together by a single thread; and yet, this apparently precarious equilibrium appears to be enough to make it entirely viable — up to the highest level.
Humpy - Mariya
Position after 16...Nc6
White could have gone for 17.♖b1 followed by ♕d5 or ♘c4 depending on whether black plays 17...♛c7 or ♛a7
Position after 23.Qa4
Mariya Muzychuk went for the too passive 23...♜a8 instead of active play by giving up the a6 pawn. Humpy snowballed the advantage into a decisive one and liquidated it into a winning knight ending.
Humpy makes a perfect start | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE
Kosteniuk continues her momentum
After winning the European Individual Women's Rapid and Blitz, Kosteniuk continued her momentum and defeated the World Championship Challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina. Kosteniuk got a pleasant position out of the opening in Caro-Kann Two Knights variation.
The Caro Kann is a very tricky opening. Black’s play is based on controlling and fighting for key light squares. It is a line which was very fashionable in late 90s and early 2000s due to the successes of greats like Karpov, Anand, Dreev etc. Recently due to strong engines lot of key developments have been made and some new lines have been introduced, while others have been refuted altogether. I have analyzed the new trends carefully and found some new ideas for Black.
Kosteniuk - Goryachkina
Black's 29...Nf5 provokes white into doing the obvious
White soon gained a pawn and got a decisive advantage.
Position after 34.dxe6
It became just a matter of technique for Kosteniuk to convert the advantage into a win.
The Chess Queen beat the 'Princess' Goryachkina | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE
Anna Muzychuk's missed opportunity
Nana Dzagnidze went for the unusual 8.♕a4 in Symmetrical English opening, however soon after delaying castling landed her trouble. Muzychuk missed a good opportunity to capitalize on that fact.
The second DVD deals with the middlegame positions where static factors play a determining part, permanently taking into account the inseparable dynamic and tactical elements.
Nana - Anna
Position after 21.Rd1
The former World Rapid and Blitz champion missed it and played 21...♜c8 instead. However, soon after another opportunity arose.
Position after 23.Be5
Instead of manoeuvring the knight to c4, Anna went with 23...♛d3 and that allowed Nana to equalize with 24.c4. The game liquidated into a drawn rook ending in another six moves and draw was agreed.
23...Qd3Black should play23...Nb6!And now ...Nd7 would win.24.Bd4Nc424.c4!=The position is
equal.Qe425.0-0Qxe525...Rxc4with more complications.26.Bd4Nf427.f3Ne2+28.Kf2Qc226.cxd5Qxd527.Qxd5exd528.Rd1Rc229.h4Rxa230.Rxd5g6Accuracy: White = 52%, Black = 42%.½–½
Shahid AhmedShahid Ahmed is the senior coordinator and editor of ChessBase India. He enjoys covering chess tournaments and also likes to play in chess events from time to time.
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