Rostov R8: Stefanova and Ruan win, Hou leads by two points

by ChessBase
8/11/2011 – Two decisive games in this round: Former women's world champion Antoanetta Stefanova won a second game in a row, against Ekaterina Kovalevskaya. The runner-up of last year's women's world championship Ruan Lufei beat Kateryna Lahno after several mistakes by the latter. The other four games were drawn, and the standings have not changed before the second rest day. Illustrated report.

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

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 eight report

Round eight: Wednesday August 10
Ruan Lufei
1-0
Lahno Kateryna
Hou Yifan
½-½
Kosintseva Tatiana
Stefanova Antoaneta
1-0
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Koneru Humpy
½-½
Danielian Elina
Galliamova Alisa
½-½
Kosintseva Nadezhda
Kosteniuk Alexandra
½-½
Muzychuk Anna

Lufei Ruan-Kateryna Lahno (1-0)
In a Scotch Defense White sacrificed a pawn in the opening to gain the initiative, but Black decided to return it in the middle game in order to neutrilize her opponent's activity. White continued the attack on the queenside and Black in turn on the kingside. On the 33rd move White offered a draw by repeating the position, but Black refused. She blundered on move 46 and lost the game.

[Event "Rostov Women GP"] [Site "Rostov-on-Don RUS"] [Date "2011.08.10"] [Round "8"] [White "Ruan Lufei"] [Black "Lahno, Kateri"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C45"] [WhiteElo "2479"] [BlackElo "2536"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "2011.08.02"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Bb7 10. Bf4 g6 11. Qe3 Qb4 12. O-O-O Nxc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. e6 fxe6 15. Bxc7 c5 16. f3 Bc6 17. Be5 Rg8 18. Bd6 O-O-O 19. Kb1 g5 20. Bxf8 Rdxf8 21. Rc1 Qf4 22. Qxc5 Qf5+ 23. Ne4 Qxc5 24. Nxc5 Kc7 25. Rhd1 Rf7 26. Rd3 g4 27. Nxe6+ dxe6 28. Rdc3 gxf3 29. Rxc6+ Kb7 30. gxf3 Rxf3 31. Rc7+ Kb6 32. R1c6+ Kb5 33. Rc5+ Kb6 34. R5c6+ Kb5 35. Rc5+ {A draw offer by White.} Ka6 {Rejected.} 36. a4 Rb8 37. a5 Rb5 38. Rxa7+ Kxa7 39. Rxb5 Rh3 40. Rb6 e5 41. Re6 Rxh2 42. Rxe5 Ka6 43. Ka2 h5 44. Ka3 h4 45. Rh5 h3 46. b3 (46. b4 Rh1 47. Ka2 h2 48. Kb2 {with zugzwang looks like it should be enough to win, but as Sebastián Fell of Buenos Aires, Argentinia, informs us, after} Rg1 49. Rxh2 Kb5 {the position is a typical fortress, with a draw. The Nalimov Tablebases comfirms that.}) 46... Rh1 $4 (46... Rg2 {would have saved the game.} 47. Ka4 (47. Rxh3 Kxa5 {is a theoretical draw.}) 47... h2 $11) 47. Kb4 h2 48. Rh7 {Zugzwang!} Rg1 {and resigned.} 1-0


Ruan Lufei took a full point from second placed Kateryna Lahno

Yifan Hou-Tatiana Kosintseva (½-½)
The leaders of the tournament chose a very popular forced variation of Ruy Lopez that ends in a draw by perpetual. Both players apparently decided to have take an extra rest day before tomorrow's official one – still the game is tactically quite interesting.

[Event "Rostov Women GP"] [Site "Rostov-on-Don RUS"] [Date "2011.08.10"] [Round "8"] [White "Hou Yifan"] [Black "Kosintseva, T."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C78"] [WhiteElo "2575"] [BlackElo "2557"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "2011.08.02"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. a4 Rb8 9. d4 Bb6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Qd3 O-O 12. Bg5 exd4 13. cxd4 h6 14. Bh4 g5 15. e5 gxh4 16. Qg6+ Kh8 17. Qxh6+ Nh7 18. Bc2 f5 19. exf6 Rf7 20. Ng5 Qxf6 21. Nxf7+ Qxf7 22. Bxh7 Qxh7 23. Qf8+ Qg8 24. Qh6+ Qh7 25. Qf8+ Qg8 26. Qh6+ 1/2-1/2


Still two full points ahead of everybody: Chinese GM Hou Yifan

Antoatena Stefanova-Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (1-0)
In the Queen's Gambit Tarrasch Ekaterina Kovalevskaya had prepared the Swedish Variation with 9...c4. White exchanged knights on c6, doubling black pawns on the c-file. Ex-World Champion Stefanova took advantage of this and played 12.b3 and soon had the centre and the initiative. After an imprecision by her opponent she gained tangible winning chances, but it was the blunder on move 35 that sealed the Russian WGM's fate.

[Event "Rostov Women GP"] [Site "Rostov-on-Don RUS"] [Date "2011.08.10"] [Round "8"] [White "Stefanova, A."] [Black "Kovalevskaya, E."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D34"] [WhiteElo "2524"] [BlackElo "2427"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2011.08.02"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 c4 10. Ne5 Be6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. b3 Qa5 13. Na4 Rab8 14. Bf4 Rbc8 15. bxc4 dxc4 16. e4 Rfd8 17. Bd2 Bb4 18. Bxb4 Qxb4 19. a3 Qe7 20. Nc5 Rb8 21. Rc1 Nd7 $2 22. Nxe6 Qxe6 23. Qc2 Nb6 24. Rfd1 Qe7 25. Ra1 a5 26. Rd2 Qe6 27. Rc1 Qh6 28. f4 Qd6 29. Ra1 Qe7 30. Qc3 Qa7 31. Kh1 Qa6 32. Bf1 Qb5 33. Rc1 Re8 34. Rb2 Qa6 35. Rcb1 Rxe4 $4 {Now White has a nice tactical win.} 36. Qxc4 Qa7 37. Qxc6 Re6 38. Rxb6 Rbe8 39. Qb7 1-0


Always keep the flowers, Etti. They suit you very well

Humpy Koneru - Elina Danielian (½-½)
In a Slav Defence with 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 White got the advantage of two bishops. Black attacked the centre with 16...e5 and after an exchange of pieces a rook and knight endgame was on the board which was drawn after 52 moves.

Alisa Galliamova-Nadezhda Kosintseva (½-½)
In a QGD Ragozin the players exchanged queens very quickly move to an equal rook and bishop ending. Black managed to complicate the position and after the move 28...Rc5 White faced some problems. Alisa Galliamova had to play precisely to draw in 37 moves.

Alexandra Kosteniuk-Anna Muzychuk (½-½)
For a second time in this tournament Anna Muzychuk played the Dutch Defense (Leningrad System), with White leading the play. After an exchange of queens White had a small advantage of the bishops pair, however, Black compensated for that with a powerful passed pawn on d3 and then d2. White had one on b7, and after these pawns came off the board a draw was agreed. The game lasted 54 moves.


Anastasiya Karlovich, Anna Muzychuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk in the press conference

Pictures by Anastasiya Karlovich and
Kema Goryaeva with kind permission of FIDE

Current standings

Schedule and results

Round one: Tuesday August 02 at 15:00
Stefanova Antoaneta
½-½
Ruan Lufei
Koneru Humpy
0-1
Hou Yifan
Galliamova Alisa
0-1
Lahno Kateryna
Kosteniuk Alexandra
½-½
Kosintseva Tatiana
Muzychuk Anna
½-½
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Kosintseva Nadezhda
½-½
Danielian Elina
Round two: Wednesday August 03 at 15:00
Ruan Lufei
1-0
Danielian Elina
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
0-1
Kosintseva Nadezhda
Kosintseva Tatiana
½-½
Muzychuk Anna
Lahno Kateryna
½-½
Kosteniuk Alexandra
Hou Yifan
1-0
Galliamova Alisa
Stefanova Antoaneta
½-½
Koneru Humpy
Round three: Thursday August 04 at 15:00
Koneru Humpy
1-0
Ruan Lufei
Galliamova Alisa
1-0
Stefanova Antoaneta
Kosteniuk Alexandra
0-1
Hou Yifan
Muzychuk Anna
1-0
Lahno Kateryna
Kosintseva Nadezhda
½-½
Kosintseva Tatiana
Danielian Elina
1-0
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Round four: Friday August 05 at 15:00
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
Round five: Sunday August 07 at 15:00
Galliamova Alisa
1-0
Ruan Lufei
Kosteniuk Alexandra
0-1
Koneru Humpy
Muzychuk Anna
½-½
Stefanova Antoaneta
Kosintseva Nadezhda
½-½
Hou Yifan
Danielian Elina
0-1
Lahno Kateryna
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
0-1
Kosintseva Tatiana
Round six: Monday August 08 at 15:00
Ruan Lufei
0-1
Kosintseva Tatiana
Lahno Kateryna
½-½
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Hou Yifan
1-0
Danielian Elina
Stefanova Antoaneta
½-½
Kosintseva Nadezhda
Koneru Humpy
½-½
Muzychuk Anna
Galliamova Alisa
½-½
Kosteniuk Alexandra
Round seven: Tuesday August 09 at 15:00
Kosteniuk Alexandra
½-½
Ruan Lufei
Muzychuk Anna
1-0
Galliamova Alisa
Kosintseva Nadezhda
½-½
Koneru Humpy
Danielian Elina
0-1
Stefanova Antoaneta
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
0-1
Hou Yifan
Kosintseva Tatiana
½-½
Lahno Kateryna
Round eight: Wednesday August 10 at 15:00
Ruan Lufei
1-0
Lahno Kateryna
Hou Yifan
½-½
Kosintseva Tatiana
Stefanova Antoaneta
1-0
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Koneru Humpy
½-½
Danielian Elina
Galliamova Alisa
½-½
Kosintseva Nadezhda
Kosteniuk Alexandra
½-½
Muzychuk Anna
Round nine: Friday August 12 at 15:00
Muzychuk Anna
-
Ruan Lufei
Kosintseva Nadezhda
-
Kosteniuk Alexandra
Danielian Elina
-
Galliamova Alisa
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
-
Koneru Humpy
Kosintseva Tatiana
-
Stefanova Antoaneta
Lahno Kateryna
-
Hou Yifan
Round ten: Saturday August 13 at 15:00
Ruan Lufei
-
Hou Yifan
Stefanova Antoaneta
-
Lahno Kateryna
Koneru Humpy
-
Kosintseva Tatiana
Galliamova Alisa
-
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
Kosteniuk Alexandra
-
Danielian Elina
Muzychuk Anna
-
Kosintseva Nadezhda
Round eleven: Sunday August 14at 12:00
Kosintseva Nadezhda
-
Ruan Lufei
Danielian Elina
-
Muzychuk Anna
Kovalevskaya Ekat.
-
Kosteniuk Alexandra
Kosintseva Tatiana
-
Galliamova Alisa
Lahno Kateryna
-
Koneru Humpy
Hou Yifan
-
Stefanova Antoaneta
 

Links

The 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.

Copyright ChessBase


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register