The European Women's Chess Championship is being held from March 21st until April 3rd 2004. The rounds start at 13:00h and will be covered on the Playchess.com server – with Radio ChessBase bringing periodic audio feed directly from the tournament hall. The tournament will be over 12 rounds, with a rest day on March 29th.
One day before the last round of the championship two players are in the lead: Peng Zhaoqin (WGM 2419 NED) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (WGM 2469 RUS). In round 11 they faced each other and played a hard-fought draw. Their hottest pursuers Irina Slavina (WGM 2413 RUS) and Cristina Adela Foisor (WGM 2404 ROM), each half a point behind, also drew. Two other players with the same number of points were Natalia Zhukova (WGM 2462 UKR) and Tatiana Kosintseva (WGM 2447 RUS). Natalia drew against GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2478 BUL) while Tatiana beat Jovanka Houska (WGM 2370 ENG). Local favourite Elisabeth Pähtz (WGM 2399 GER) won for a second time in a row to keep near the top, beating Elina Danielian (WGM 2428 ARM) in a fine attacking game.
The standings after round 11 and before the final round on Friday are as follows:
| Peng Zhaoqin | |
|||
| Kosteniuk Alexandra | ||||
| Slavina Irina | ||||
| Foisor Cristina Adela | ||||
| Zhukova Natalia | ||||
| Kosintseva Tatiana | ||||
| Stefanova Antoaneta | ||||
| Sedina Elena | ||||
| Peptan Corina-Isabela | ||||
| Dzagnidze Nana | ||||
| Pähtz Elisabeth |
The pairings for round 12 see Kosintseva vs Kosteniuk, Foisor vs Peng, Zhukova vs Slavina, Stefanova vs Pähtz and Peptan vs Dzagnidze. If there is a tie for first then there will be tie-break games on Saturday.
All of the following pictures were taken by Dagobert Kohlmeyer, Berlin
Leading player Peng Zhaoqin of the Netherlands (WGM, 2419)
R ussian WGM Tatiana Kosintseva, 2447, who moved to striking distance in round
11
One of the two GMs in this tournament: Antoaneta Stefanova, 2478, BUL
The other GM, reigning champion Pia Cramling, 2488, SWE
Downs and ups: WGM Elli Pähtz, 2399, GER
Natalia Zhukova, also still in contention for the title
WGM Maia Lomineishvili, 2397, GEO
19-year-old Russian WIM Natalija Pogonina, Elo 2382
Vera Papadopoulou, 2247, from Greece
WGM Natasa Bojkovic, 2391, SCG
WIM Anna Sharevich, 2236, BLR
WGM Lilit Mkrtchian, 2395 ARM
Ukraine WIM Anna Muzychuk, 2367, who has just turned 14
WGM Monika Socko, 2415, POL
Monika Seps, 2078 Switzerland
WIM Heather Richards, 2236 ENG
Elli Pähtz baked a cake on her friend Heather's 21st birthday
WIM Irina Sudakova, 2310, RUS
WIM Jana Krivec, 2301, SLO
WGM Joanna Dworakowska, 2370, POL
WIM Tina Mietzner, 2201 GER. Tina shares a flat with Elli Pähtz
Elisabeth Pähtz in what she calls her "Bulgarian skirt"
National trainer of the German squad: GM Uwe Bönsch
The man behind it all: organiser Dr Dirk Jordan
Other picture reports:
If you are interested in more – lots and lots of – pictures of the ladies of Dresden, here are some secret links. The pictures are being posted by our colleagues on the German ChessBase site. The reports are in the language of Goethe and Schiller, but the pictures and names can be viewed by anyone.
