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The Rostov Chess Federation in collaboration with FIDE and Global Chess is organising the first event for the 2011/2012 Women's Grand Prix series. The tournament is being held in the Don-Plaza Hotel and runs from August 1st (arrival, opening) until August 15 (departure). The eleven rounds are between August 2nd and 14, with rest days on the 6th and 11th. The start of the games from of rounds 1-10 is 3:00 p.m. local time, round 11 at starts at noon local time. The winner receives 6,500 Euros out of a total prize fund of 40,000 Euros, and the overall winner of the Women's Grand Prix will win a further 15,000 Euros at the end of the series.
Round four: Friday August 05
at 15:00 |
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Ruan Lufei |
½-½ |
Kovalevskaya Ekat. |
Kosintseva Tatiana |
½-½ |
Danielian Elina |
Lahno Kateryna |
1-0 |
Kosintseva Nadezhda |
Hou Yifan |
1-0- |
Muzychuk Anna |
Stefanova Antoaneta |
½-½ |
Kosteniuk Alexandra |
Koneru Humpy |
½-½ |
Galliamova Alisa |
Hou Yifan-Anna Muzychuk. Before this round these two players were in first and second place. They played a Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez, with a well-prepared Anna Muzychuk calling the shots. However her home analysis ended at move fifteen, as she confessed, and she missed a good drawing chance two moves later. After good defensive work in a scary position Hou took over and steered into a technically winning endgame. This encounter is definitely worth playing through.
The phenomenal 4-0 Chinese GM in the press conference
Kateryna Lahno - Nadezhda Kosintseva was a Closed Catalan (or perhaps the Reti Opening) that turned into a slugfest. By the first time control they were down to a rook and opposite colored bishop ending in which Black had an extra pawn but White was calling the shots. With precise and imaginative play Kateryna steered it to victory.
In the press conference after the game, Nadezhda speaks...
... and Katya listens critically
Tatiana Kosintseva-Elina Danielian: Black chose the Caro-Kann Defence, with the typical plan of moving the knight to h6, aiming at f5. White exchanged and gave Black double pawns on the h-file. However the Armenian had the bishop pair and after her manoeuvre Bg7-f8-c5 things began to look very good for her. She must have been winning around move 23 but turned it into a drawish rook ending after the time control.
[Event "Rostov Women GP"] [Site "Rostov-on-Don RUS"] [Date "2011.08.05"] [Round "4"] [White "Kosintseva, Tatiana"] [Black "Danielian, Elina"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "2557"] [BlackElo "2521"] [PlyCount "115"] [EventDate "2011.08.01"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Be3 e6 5. Nd2 Nd7 6. Ngf3 Bg6 7. Be2 Nh6 8. Bxh6 gxh6 9. O-O Bg7 10. Ne1 Qb6 11. Nb3 c5 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Nxc5 Qxc5 14. Nd3 Qc7 15. f4 Rc8 16. c3 O-O 17. Nf2 Qb6 18. Qd2 Rfd8 19. Rac1 Bf8 20. Bd3 Bc5 21. f5 Be3 22. Qe2 exf5 23. Rce1 f4 24. Bxg6 hxg6 25. Kh1 d4 26. cxd4 Rxd4 27. Ng4 Rd2 28. Qf3 Qe6 29. Nxe3 ({White could have tried} 29. Nxh6+ Kg7 30. Nxf7 Qxf7 ( 30... Kxf7 31. Qxe3) 31. Rxe3) 29... fxe3 30. Qxe3 Rcc2 31. Qe4 Kg7 $2 ({ Exchanging the two rooks for the queen would have given Black a winning advantage.} 31... Rxg2 32. Qxg2 Rxg2 33. Kxg2) 32. Qxb7 Rxb2 33. Qf3 Rxa2 $2 { Once again: taking on g2 would have been the winner.} 34. Qf6+ Qxf6 35. exf6+ Kh7 36. Re7 Rxg2 37. Rxf7+ Kg8 38. Rg7+ Kf8 39. Rb1 {Now the game is drawn.} Rxh2+ 40. Kg1 Rhg2+ 41. Kh1 Rh2+ 42. Kg1 Rag2+ 43. Kf1 Rb2 44. Rxb2 Rxb2 45. Rxg6 Rh2 46. Rg7 Ra2 47. Rh7 a5 48. Rxh6 Kf7 49. Ke1 Rb2 50. Kd1 a4 51. Kc1 Rb4 52. Kc2 a3 53. Rh7+ Kxf6 54. Ra7 Rb2+ 55. Kc3 Rh2 56. Rxa3 Rh3+ 57. Kb4 Rxa3 58. Kxa3 1/2-1/2
Lufei Ruan-Ekaterina Kovalevskaya was a determined Sicilian Defense by the Russian player. After her Chinese opponent took the advantage around move 21 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya defended grittily and wrapped it up to a kight and pawn vs knight and two pawns ending which she was able to hold. That brings her score from 0.5 to a full point at the bottom of the table.
That's how hard chess is: Ekaterina Kovalevskaya
Antoanetta Stefanova-Alexandra Kosteniuk, two former women's world champions, played a Queen's Indian developed into an interesting pieces battle. Black gained a distinct advantage which she threw away with an inaccuracy on move 35 (...Qd7 or ...Qc8 to attack the white g-pawn). After that precise defence secured White the draw.
In her day job the photographer in the background is arbiter WGM Zsuzsa
Veröci
Humpy Koneru-Alisa Galliamova was a Slav with castling on opposite sides. Humpy gained a small advantage but her opponent managed to force the draw by repeating positions – four times, if the tournament records are to be trusted.
Humpy and Alisa in the press conference after their game
Humpy's father Ashok, who is always with her (as trainer and adviser)
The playing venue in the Don-Plaza Hotel in Rostov
We have always said: chess is a game that is made for the Internet
Pictures by Anastasiya Karlovich and
Kema Goryaeva with kind permission of FIDE
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LinksThe 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 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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