
15th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship
This event, organised by the Bulgarian Chess Federation under the auspices of the European Chess Union, is being held in the Plovdiv Hall of the Novotel Hotel in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from July 5 (day of arrival) until July 18 (day of departure) 2014. The tournament is open to all players from chess federations which are members of the European Chess Union (FIDE zones 1.1 to 1.10), regardless of title or rating. There is also no limit in the number of participants per federation. The European Individual Women’s Championship 2014 is a qualification event for the next World Cup, for which 14 players will qualify.
The competition
The championship is an eleven-round Swiss. The rate of play 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. Players may only agree to a draw after the 40th move has been made by Black. Players violating this rule will be forfeited. If a player is offered a draw before the 40th move she should call an arbiter. Her opponent shall be punished for distracting, according to the FIDE Laws of Chess. The zero–tolerance rule will be applied: players who are not seated at the board at the start of a round forfeit the game.
Round eight

Although this may look like the picture of an angel in blonde locks, it is really the portrait
of a serial (chess) killer.
At some point, if you don't let up on the pressure, even the most stalwart opponents will falter. Such is the case of Valentina Gunina, who has been running away with the tournament with a stupendous 7.5/8, winning her seventh game, this time against Georgian IM Lela Javakhishvili. With this win, she has now opened up a full point lead over her nearest rival, IM Melia Salome with 6.5/8, and a point and a half over a further group on 6.0/8.
Gunina - Javakhishvili

In a final flurry, Gunina finished off her opponent in style. White to play and win.
Although her rating performance of 2835 certainly qualifies her as the highest overperfomer as well, in that departement there are others peppered throughout the field, starting with Azeri WFM Gunay Mammadzada, who with 2182 FIDE, is on 5.0/8 and an impressive 2485 FIDE, worth a hefty IM norm should she draw her round nine game against IM Eliabeth Paetz.

Azeri WFM Gunay Mammadzada has had a remarkable tournament so far with a performance
that is 303 Elo above her actual rating. Bear in mind that she will be earning far more
rating now than had she played this event just a month ago by virtue of FIDE's new K=20.
Also noteworthy is Italian WFM Maria Grazia De Rosa (2081) who is also performing at 2337 and is easily on a WIM norm, but possibly even a WGM norm, she can theoretically score in round nine or ten. Her largest scalp of the event was her win over IM Sopiko Guramishvili (2402) in round four.
1.e4 | 1,184,215 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 958,932 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 286,327 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
1.c4 | 184,722 | 56% | 2443 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,884 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,598 | 54% | 2428 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,953 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,906 | 50% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,790 | 48% | 2378 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,250 | 54% | 2406 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,081 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
1.d3 | 969 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 670 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 466 | 54% | 2382 | --- |
1.c3 | 439 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 289 | 56% | 2420 | --- |
1.a4 | 118 | 60% | 2461 | --- |
1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 92 | 67% | 2511 | --- |
1.Na3 | 47 | 62% | 2476 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.0-0 a6 8.Bf4 Nh5 9.Be3 Rb8 10.Rc1 e5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Nd5 e4 13.Nd4 f5 14.b4 Ne5 15.Nb3 Be6 16.Nc5 Bf7 17.Nf4 Nxf4 18.Bxf4 Qe7 19.Bxe5 Bxe5 20.Qc2 Bd6 21.Nb3 Bxb4 22.c5 b6 23.c6 Rfd8 24.Rfd1 Bd6 25.e3 Be5 26.Nd4 Rd6 27.Bf1 b5 28.a4 Bxd4 29.Rxd4 Rxd4 30.exd4 Qb4 31.axb5 axb5 32.Rb1 Qxd4 33.Rd1 Qa4 34.Qc1 b4 35.Bc4 b3?? 36.Bxf7+ Kxf7 37.Rd7+ Ke6 38.Qc5 Qb4 39.Qd5+ Kf6 40.Rf7+ Kg5 41.h4+ Kg4 42.Qd1+ Kh3 43.h5 e3 44.Qf1+ Kg4 45.Qe2+ Kh3 46.Qf1+ Kg4 47.Qe2+ Kh3 48.Qxe3?? Qe4 49.Qxe4 fxe4 50.hxg6 hxg6 51.Rf4 g5! 0–1
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Guramishvili,S | 2402 | De Rosa,M | 2081 | 0–1 | 2014 | E63 | 15th ch-EUR w 2014 | 4.19 |
Please, wait...
Solution to diagram: White plays 1.Ne6+! fxe6 (only move) 2.Re7 mate.
Photos by Boyan Botev
Standings after round eight
Click for complete standings