Sharjah 04: And then there was one

by Alejandro Ramirez
8/28/2014 – The level of play varied widely in today's round. Impressive was Hou Yifan's game, as she meticulously nursed a tiny advantage against Koneru Humpy and ended up winning a very important game. On the other side of the spectrum, the game between Ju Wenjun and Danielian went from winning for White, to the contrary, back to a White win, and with this the Chinese is sole leader.

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The sixth and final stage of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014 is taking place at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, (UAE) from the 24th of August until the 7th of September 2014. Over eleven rounds, twelve of the strongest women players in the world will compete in the round robin tournament with the standard FIDE time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 30 minutes being added at that point and an additional 30 seconds per move through the entire game.

Round Four

Round 04 –August 28 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508
½-½
Dronavalli Harika 2521
Koneru Humpy 2598
0-1
Hou Yifan 2661
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
½-½
Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Ushenina, Anna 2487
1-0
l'Ami, Alina 2446
Zhu Chen 2461
0-1
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Ju Wenjun 2559
1-0
Danielian, Elina 2490

Zhao Xue ½-½ Dronavalli Harika
An interesting game. White's attack on the kingside culminated with a piece sacrifice, but the Indian player completely ignored it in order to create her own center counterplay. With neither side crashing through the complications ended in some simplifcations; and oddly a quiet and drawish endgame.

A well played and hard-fougt draw

Koneru Humpy 0-1 Hou Yifan
A nearly perfect game from the World Champion. Black somehow obtained the slightest of edges in the opening thanks to her piece activity, and Black was only a minor bit better in the endgame; but somehow this was enough for Hou Yifan to play like a machine and take a full important point with Black against the number two seed.

Nothing that Humpy could do: Hou Yifan played perfectly today

Kosintseva, Tatiana ½-½ Muminova, Nafisa
A very long and hard-fought game. Muminova chose a variation that sacrifices a piece for two pawns, and although the theoretical value of the sacrifice is questionable, the practical difficulties posed by it are hard to solve over the board. After a very drawn out series of maneuvers White counter-sacrificed her piece, but obtained a good position and eventually won a pawn. Kosintseva surely had a winning endgame with her good knight and extra pawn, but she botched it up horribly and Muminova escaped with a draw.

Muminova escapes by the skin of her teeth, like her opponent did against her last round. Karma?

Ushenina, Anna 1-0 l'Ami, Alina
In a normal middle game position l'Ami went out with two unfortunate sorties: one with the queen to a5 and on the other side of the board with a knight to h5. The combination of these two moves left her center too vulnerable to White's pieces and her position fell apart surprisingly quickly.

Alina l'Ami and Batchimeg Tuvshintugs share (chess) war stories before the round

Ju Wenjun 1-0 Danielian, Elina
It's hard ot say exactly what happened in this game. Ju Wenjun was completely winning with an extra pawn, the initiative and a better position, but she blundered her advantage away and was even worse. Then, in an endgame where Black had a bishop for two pawns, it seems as if she forgot that pawns can move forward and threaten to queen. Somehow or another Danielian lost track of White's h-pawn and it basically just queened. Very strange.

She'll take it! Ju Wenjun is the new leader

A new definition of j'adoube

Zhu Chen 0-1 Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg
Another game that went completely the wrong way. Zhu Chen's pressure in the endgame netted her a pawn and she realistic winning changes, but she botched it up slightly and allowed Tuvshintugs to escape with a draw. However, that was not enough, somehow Zhu Chen confused herself even further and lost a pawn, lost track of it and lost the game.

Zhu Chen, like l'Ami, is on 0.0/4, but on the other hand Batchimeg has been a revelation this tournament with a 2700 performance and winning 19 rating points!

Round Four Games

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An interesting game. White's attack on the kingside culminated with a piece sacrifice, but the Indian player completely ignored it in order to create her own center counterplay. With neither side crashing through the complications ended in some simplifcations; and oddly a quiet and drawish endgame. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0-0 Be7 9.Rd1 0-0 10.e4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Nf6 13.Bd3 Qc7 14.c5 h6 15.Bd2 a5 16.Qc1 bxc5 17.Bf4 Qb6 18.Bxh6 Nd5 18...gxh6 19.Qxh6 cxd4 20.Ne5 is suicidal for Black. 19.Bg5 f6 20.Be3 cxd4 21.Nxd4 c5 22.Ne2 Ba6 23.Bxa6 Qxa6 24.Nf4 Nxf4 25.Bxf4 Rfd8 26.Qc2 Kf7 27.Be3 c4 28.Rdc1 Rab8 29.Qe2 Rd3 30.Rc2 Qb5 31.Rac1 Qd5 32.h3 Rc8 33.Qg4 Bd6 34.Kf1 Be5 35.Rxc4 Rxc4 36.Qxc4 Qxc4 37.Rxc4 Bxb2 38.Ke2 Ra3 39.Rc2 Be5 40.Bc5 Ra4 41.Kd3 f5 42.a3 Rh4 43.Rc4 Rh8 44.f4 Bf6 45.Ra4 Ra8 46.Ke3 Bd8 47.Bd4 Rb8 48.Bc3 Rb3 49.Kd2 Be7 50.Rxa5 Rxa3 51.Rxa3 Bxa3 52.Ke3 Bc1+ 53.Kf3 Ba3 54.Be5 g6 55.Bc3 Bc5 56.Be5 Ba3 57.Bc3 Bc5 58.Be5 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Zhao Xue2508Harika,D2521½–½2014D45Sharjah WGP 20144
Koneru,H2598Hou Yifan26610–12014D38Sharjah WGP 20144
Kosintseva,T2494Muminova,N2315½–½2014C11Sharjah WGP 20144
Ushenina,A2487L'Ami,A24461–02014A45Sharjah WGP 20144
Zhu Chen2461Batchimeg,T23460–12014D71Sharjah WGP 20144
Ju Wenjun2559Danielian,E24901–02014E09Sharjah WGP 20144

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Standings

Photos of Round Four by Maria Emelianova

Pairings and Schedule

Round 01 – August 25 2014, 15:00h
Zhu Chen 2461
0-1
Zhao Xue 2508
Ju Wenjun 2559
½-½
Ushenina, Anna 2487
Danielian, Elina 2490
½-½
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
1-0
Koneru Humpy 2598
l'Ami, Alina 2446
0-1
Dronavalli Harika 2521
Muminova, Nafisa 2315
0-1
Hou Yifan 2661
Round 02 –August 26 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508
½-½
Hou Yifan 2661
Dronavalli Harika 2521
1-0
Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Koneru Humpy 2598
1-0
l'Ami, Alina 2446
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
½-½
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Ushenina, Anna 2487
1-0
Danielian, Elina 2490
Zhu Chen 2461
0-1
Ju Wenjun 2559
Round 03 –August 27 2014, 15:00h
Ju Wenjun 2559
1-0
Zhao Xue 2508
Danielian, Elina 2490
1-0
Zhu Chen 2461
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
½-½
Ushenina, Anna 2487
l'Ami, Alina 2446
0-1
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Muminova, Nafisa 2315
½-½
Koneru Humpy 2598
Hou Yifan 2661
½-½
Dronavalli Harika 2521
Round 04 –August 28 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508
½-½
Dronavalli Harika 2521
Koneru Humpy 2598
0-1
Hou Yifan 2661
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
½-½
Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Ushenina, Anna 2487
1-0
l'Ami, Alina 2446
Zhu Chen 2461
0-1
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Ju Wenjun 2559
1-0
Danielian, Elina 2490
Round 05 –August 30 2014, 15:00h
Danielian, Elina 2490   Zhao Xue 2508
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346   Ju Wenjun 2559
l'Ami, Alina 2446   Zhu Chen 2461
Muminova, Nafisa 2315   Ushenina, Anna 2487
Hou Yifan 2661   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Dronavalli Harika 2521   Koneru Humpy 2598
Round 06 –August 31 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508   Koneru Humpy 2598
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494   Dronavalli Harika 2521
Ushenina, Anna 2487   Hou Yifan 2661
Zhu Chen 2461   Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Ju Wenjun 2559   l'Ami, Alina 2446
Danielian, Elina 2490   Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Round 07 –September 01 2014, 15:00h
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346   Zhao Xue 2508
l'Ami, Alina 2446   Danielian, Elina 2490
Muminova, Nafisa 2315   Ju Wenjun 2559
Hou Yifan 2661   Zhu Chen 2461
Dronavalli Harika 2521   Ushenina, Anna 2487
Koneru Humpy 2598   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Round 08 –September 02 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Ushenina, Anna 2487   Koneru Humpy 2598
Zhu Chen 2461   Dronavalli Harika 2521
Ju Wenjun 2559   Hou Yifan 2661
Danielian, Elina 2490   Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346   l'Ami, Alina 2446
Round 09 – September 04 2014, 15:00h
l'Ami, Alina 2446   Zhao Xue 2508
Muminova, Nafisa 2315   Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Hou Yifan 2661   Danielian, Elina 2490
Dronavalli Harika 2521   Ju Wenjun 2559
Koneru Humpy 2598   Zhu Chen 2461
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494   Ushenina, Anna 2487
Round 10 –September 05 2014, 15:00h
Zhao Xue 2508   Ushenina, Anna 2487
Zhu Chen 2461   Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494
Ju Wenjun 2559   Koneru Humpy 2598
Danielian, Elina 2490   Dronavalli Harika 2521
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346   Hou Yifan 2661
l'Ami, Alina 2446   Muminova, Nafisa 2315
Round 11 – September 06 2014, 13:00h
Muminova, Nafisa 2315   Zhao Xue 2508
Hou Yifan 2661   l'Ami, Alina 2446
Dronavalli Harika 2521   Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 2346
Koneru Humpy 2598   Danielian, Elina 2490
Kosintseva, Tatiana 2494   Ju Wenjun 2559
Ushenina, Anna 2487   Zhu Chen 2461

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Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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