Norway Chess Women: Vaishali widens the gap

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/31/2024 – R Vaishali grabbed her second classical win at the Norway Chess Women event on Thursday. The Indian star now has a 2½-point lead over women’s world champion Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk, who got the better of Humpy Koneru (also in classical chess) in round 4. Curiously, Ju has prevailed in Armageddon deciders in all four rounds played so far in Stavanger. | Photo: Stev Bonhage / Norway Chess
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A Carlsenesque approach?

Curiously, Magnus Carlsen finished the 2023 edition of the Norway Chess super-tournament without a single win in classical chess. However, the local hero won 7 out of the 8 Armageddon deciders he played in Stavanger. This year, in the inaugural edition of the parallel women’s event, Ju Wenjun has followed in the footsteps of Carlsen in the first four rounds, drawing all her classical games and prevailing in every single tiebreaker.

Given the tournament’s scoring system, this approach is not enough to top the standings — Carlsen finished the 2023 event in sixth place (out of 10). Now, Ju’s victories in the rapid tiebreakers left her in shared second place at a 2½-point distance from sole leader R Vaishali. The Indian rising star obtained classical wins in rounds 2 and 4.

In Thursday’s fourth round, Vaishali got the better of Pia Cramling with the black pieces. Cramling faltered decisively amid a balanced-yet-tricky rook endgame.

Cramling v. Vaishali

48.fxe6, as played in the game, loses to 48...Rxe6 49.Rg5 Re5 50.Rg6+ Kc5, and the king crucially approaches the a-file passer. Cramling resigned four moves later.

In the first diagrammed position, Cramling needed to play 48.Rg8 or 48.Rg7, and after 48...exf5 49.Kf4 White can keep the battle going.

Vaishali was not the only player to grab a classical win in round 4, as Anna Muzychuk defeated Humpy Koneru, also with the black pieces. Muzychuk is now tied for second place with Ju, who beat Lei Tingjie with black in the Armageddon tiebreaker.

Pia Cramling, Vaishali

R Vaishali playing black against living legend Pia Cramling | Photo: Stev Bonhage

Humpy 0 - 1 Muzychuk

Analysis by André Schulz

Anna Muzychuk

Anna Muzychuk | Photo: Stev Bonhage

Standings after round 4

Rk Name FED Rtg Pts
1 R Vaishali IND 2489 8.5
2 Ju Wenjun CHN 2559 6
Anna Muzychuk UKR 2505 6
4 Lei Tingjie CHN 2548 5
5 Humpy Koneru IND 2545 3
Pia Cramling SWE 2449 3

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All games - Armageddon

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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Nb5 Na6 6.e3 D00: 1 d4 d5: Unusual lines. 0-0 6...0-0 is better than 6...c6. 7.h3 Ne4 8.Be2 c6 9.Nc3 Qa5 10.0-0 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qxc3 12.Rb1 Qa5 13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 b5 15.Bb3N Predecessor: 15.Bd3 Rd8 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.Rfc1 Rac8 18.Ne5 Bxe5 19.Bxe5 c5 20.Qb2 c4 21.Be4 0-1 Espinosa,P (2091)-Ippolito,D (2356) Charlotte Carolinas op 2022 (3) 15...Bb7 16.Rc1 Rac8 17.Ng5 e6 17...Qb6= 18.Ne4 18.Bd6± 18...Rcd8 18...Ba8= keeps the balance. 19.Bg5± f6 20.Bf4 Kh8 21.Nd6 Qc7
22.Nxb7! And not 22.Bxe6 Rxd6 23.d5 Rfd8 24.Bxd6 Rxd6 24...Qxd6 25.dxc6 Bxc6 26.Rxc6= 22...Qxb7 23.Bxe6 c5 24.Qb3 24.a4± aiming for axb5. b4 25.Qe2 cxd4 26.exd4 24...cxd4 24...Qb6! should be considered. 25.exd4± Rxd4 26.Be3 Rd6 27.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Nb8 28...Nc7 29.Bd5± Qd7 29...Qa6 30.Bf3 f5 30.Bf3 Qc7 31.Qxb5 f5 32.Rc1 Qf7 33.Bd5 Qf6? 33...Qd7 is a better defense. 34.a4 a6 34.Bxa7+- Qe5 34...Qa6 35.Qxa6 35.Bxb8? loses. Qxb5 36.Bd6 Qxd5-+ 35...Nxa6 35.a4 Rd8 36.Bc4 Qf4 37.Be3 Qe4 38.Bf1 f4 39.Bb6 Rg8 40.a5 f3 41.g3 Bd4 42.Qc4 Bxf2+ 43.Bxf2 43.Kxf2 Qxc4 44.Bxc4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ju,W2560Vaishali,R24901–02024D00Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20241.1
Muzychuk,A2505Lei,T25480–12024C07Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20241.2
Cramling,P2449Koneru,H2545½–½2024D63Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20241.3
Ju,W2560Muzychuk,A25051–02024C28Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20242.1
Lei,T2548Cramling,P24491–02024B32Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20242.1
Koneru,H2545Lei,T25481–02024D03Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20243.1
Muzychuk,A2505Vaishali,R2490½–½2024C68Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20243.1
Cramling,P2449Ju,W2560½–½2024D55Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20243.1
Lei,T2548Ju,W25600–12024D00Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20244.1
Ju,W2560Koneru,H25451–02024D23Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20245.1
Vaishali,R2490Lei,T25481–02024C48Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20245.1
Lei,T2548Muzychuk,A25050–12024A33Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20246.1
Koneru,H2545Cramling,P2449½–½2024E12Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20246.1
Muzychuk,A2505Ju,W25601–02024C50Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20247.1
Cramling,P2449Lei,T25480–12024D18Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20247.1
Vaishali,R2490Muzychuk,A25051–02024C48Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20248.1
Koneru,H2545Ju,W25600–12024A06Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20249.1
Cramling,P2449Muzychuk,A25050–12024D02Norway Chess Women Armageddon 20249.1
Muzychuk,A2505Koneru,H25451–02024C70Norway Chess Women Armageddon 202410.1
Vaishali,R2490Cramling,P2449½–½2024D02Norway Chess Women Armageddon 202410.1

The Jobava London System is a minor form of the London System. White tries to play Lf4 quickly followed by Nc3.

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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