Tbilisi: Dzagnidze beats Cramling in tiebreak, wins ACP Cup

by Anastasiya Karlovich
2/23/2012 – It was an exciting finish: Swedish GM Pia Cramling was in the lead before the final round, in which she drew her game. Nana Dzagnidze won her final game to force a tiebreak. Both blitz games were drawn, and in the Armageddon the Georgian GM was able to win and take the title – together with the cool US $10,000 first prize. We bring you the big final report by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich.

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The ACP Women's Cup Rapid took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, from February 17th to 21st February, 2012. Top seeds were Anna Muzychuk (2580), Kateryna Lahno (2557) and Nadezhda (2537) and Tatiana Kosintseva (2513), Nana Dzagnidze (2535) and former women's world champion Maia Chiburdanidze (2500). It is sponsored by SOCAR Energy Georgia, and organised by the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) and the Georgian Chess Federation.

Final report

By WGM Anastasiya Karlovich

Three rounds were played in the last day of the ACP Women Cup. Before the 11th round Pia Cramling was the sole leader while Nana Dzagnidze and Kateryna Lahno shared the second spot half a point behind.

In the last round playing with white Pia Cramling (above) made a quick draw in her game against Kateryna Lahno and waited for the result of the game Tatiana Kosintseva vs Nana Dzagnidze (below).

[Event "ACP Women Cup 2012"] [Site "Tbilisi GEO"] [Date "2012.02.21"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Kosintseva, Tatiana"] [Black "Dzagnidze, Nana"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B42"] [WhiteElo "2513"] [BlackElo "2535"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "2012.02.18"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. Qg4 Bf6 8. Qg3 Nc6 9. Nc3 Nge7 10. Bf4 e5 11. Bd2 d6 12. h4 Be6 13. O-O-O Rc8 14. Kb1 h5 15. Bg5 Ng6 16. Nd5 Bxg5 17. hxg5 h4 18. Qe3 Nce7 19. c4 O-O 20. g3 b5 21. cxb5 Nxd5 22. exd5 Bxd5 23. f3 Bxb3 24. axb3 axb5 25. f4 Qa5 26. Be4 Rc7 27. Rxd6 Ra7 {In a fairly even game so far White now sees an opportunity:} 28. Rxg6 $1 fxg6 29. Bd5+ Rff7 30. Qxe5 {threatening 31.Qe8+ and mate in two.} Qd8 31. Rd1 $2 ({Tatiana Kosintseva should have tried} 31. f5 {with good winning chances.}) 31... Kf8 32. Bf3 Rad7 33. Qc5+ $2 {White has lost the thread and is on the path to disaster.} Rfe7 34. Rh1 Qc7 $6 35. Bc6 $2 (35. Qxc7 Rxc7 36. gxh4 { whould have given White a chance to save the game.}) 35... Rd6 36. Rc1 b4 $2 ( 36... h3 37. Qxb5 h2 $19) 37. Qb5 $2 ({Once again} 37. gxh4 {would have provided safe passage to a draw.}) 37... Qd8 38. Qxb4 Rd1 39. gxh4 $2 Rxc1+ $2 (39... Qd3+ 40. Ka2 Rxc1 {would have won immediately.}) 40. Kxc1 Qc7 41. Qc4 Qd6 42. b4 $4 {The final mistake. White will now be mated.} Re1+ 43. Kc2 Qd1+ { and mate to follow.} 0-1

So in the end the Georgian player managed to win this crucial game and earned the right to play a tiebreak against Pia Cramling in order to determine the winner.

The two blitz games of the tiebreak match (above) were drawn, and so the winner had to be determined in an Armageddon game. Pia got quite a good position, but did not manage her time properly. In the end Nana managed to win the game and became the winner of the ACP Women Cup.

Nana Dzagnidze receives her prize check from the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Lado Vardzelashvili, with ACP President Emil Sutovsky and Director General of SOCAR Energy Georgia Mahir Mammedov looking on. In the background on the right you can spot the ruefully smiling Pia Cramling. The total prize fund of the event was US $40,000. It was provided by the main sponsor of Georgian chess federation SOCAR Energy Georgia, Ltd.

Results

Round nine
GM
Lahno Kateryna
½-½
GM
Dzagnidze Nana
GM
Kosintseva Tatiana
1-0
GM
Cmilyte Viktorija
GM
Cramling Pia
1-0
WGM
Mamedjarova Zeinab
GM
Kosteniuk Alexandra
0-1
GM
Muzychuk Anna
GM
Stefanova Antoaneta
1-0
GM
Kosintseva Nadezhda
GM
Chiburdanidze Maia
½-½
IM
Zatonskih Anna
Round ten
GM
Dzagnidze Nana
1-0
IM
Zatonskih Anna
GM
Kosintseva Nadezhda
0-1
GM
Chiburdanidze Maia
GM
Muzychuk Anna
½-½
GM
Stefanova Antoaneta
WGM
Mamedjarova Zeinab
0-1
GM
Kosteniuk Alexandra
GM
Cmilyte Viktorija
½-½
GM
Cramling Pia
GM
Lahno Kateryna
½-½
GM
Kosintseva Tatiana
Round eleven
GM
Kosintseva Tatiana
0-1
GM
Dzagnidze Nana
GM
Cramling Pia
½-½
GM
Lahno Kateryna
GM
Kosteniuk Alexandra
1-0
GM
Cmilyte Viktorija
GM
Stefanova Antoaneta
0-1
WGM
Mamedjarova Zeinab
GM
Chiburdanidze Maia
½-½
GM
Muzychuk Anna
IM
Zatonskih Anna
½-½
GM
Kosintseva Nadezhda

We would like to celebrate one game on the last day. Zeinab Mamedyarova, sister of Super-GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, had a disastrous tournament, losing every single game – until the final round.

[Event "ACP Women Cup 2012"] [Site "Tbilisi GEO"] [Date "2012.02.21"] [Round "11.4"] [White "Stefanova, Antoaneta"] [Black "Mamedjarova, Zeinab"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A46"] [WhiteElo "2523"] [BlackElo "2318"] [PlyCount "106"] [EventDate "2012.02.18"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. e3 g6 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nbd2 Bg7 6. a3 Qxc5 7. b4 Qc7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. c4 b6 10. Be2 Bb7 11. O-O d6 12. Rc1 Nbd7 13. Nd4 Rac8 14. Bf3 Ne5 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Qe2 a6 17. f4 Ned7 18. N4b3 Rc7 19. e4 e5 20. f5 Rfc8 21. a4 Nh5 22. Qd3 Nb8 23. b5 Bf8 24. g4 Ng7 25. Nf3 Ne8 26. Nfd2 Nd7 27. g5 Nc5 28. Nxc5 Rxc5 29. Qh3 Ng7 30. Rc3 axb5 31. axb5 Nh5 32. Rcf3 Qe7 33. Qh4 Ra8 34. Rh3 Ra2 35. Bc3 Rc2 36. Kh1 h6 37. fxg6 fxg6 {Until now the game is fairly evenly balanced.} 38. Rg1 $6 {Instead of doing something about her unhappily placed queen.} hxg5 39. Qf2 $2 ({Better was} 39. Rxg5 {threatening 40.Qxh5 with a devastating attack.} Rc1+ 40. Rg1 {forced} Qxh4 41. Rxh4 {and White can probably survive.}) 39... Rxc4 40. Rxh5 {Desperation, but the exchange sacrifice does not help.} gxh5 41. Qf5 R4xc3 42. Rxg5+ Bg7 43. Rxh5 Rxd2 { Black is a rook and bishop up, only a checkmate would help White. But if there is one - and there actually is - it is Black will deliver it.} 44. Qh7+ Kf8 45. Rf5+ Ke8 46. Qg6+ Kd8 47. Rf1 Rdc2 48. Rf7 Rxh2+ 49. Kxh2 Qh4+ 50. Kg2 Qh3+ 51. Kf2 Rc2+ 52. Ke1 Qc3+ 53. Kf1 Qa1# {The mate was actually executed. One does not see that very often in top class tournaments these days.} 0-1

Final standings (after eleven rounds)

Statistics: of the 66 games played at the ACP Women's Cup
  • 21 games = 31.8% were won by White
  • 22 games = 33.4% were drawn
  • 23 games = 34.8% were won by Black

Players with the white pieces performed at a 2490 level,
players with the black pieces performed at a 2511 level.


After a tremendous start Anna Muzychuk, here in her tenth round draw against
Antoaneta Stefanova, had to settle for a somewhat disappointing fourth place


Viktorija Cmilyte in her tenth round game against Pia Cramling, which was drawn


Emil Sutovsky discusses a game online with Kateryna Lahno in the press centre


ACP President GM Emil Sutovsky being interviewed by the local media

The closing ceremony was held in “Metehis Chrdili” restaurant. The Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Lado Vardzelashvili, the Director General of "SOCAR Energy Georgia" Mahir Mammedov, the President of the ACP Emil Sutovky, the President of the GCF Giorgiy Giorgadze, the players and other officials came to the awards ceremony.


Dinner at the “Metehis Chrdili” restaurant, where the players could finally relax…


…and watch traditional Georgian dance performances


The President of the Georgian Chess Federation Giorgiy Giorgadze shows the
souvenirs which all participants will get during the prize-giving ceremony

A short interview with Pia Cramling

Anastasiya Karlovich: Congratulations on your great result! Did you expect such success before the tournament?

Pia Cramling: No, not at all, because during the last year I didn’t play so well and I was a little sad about my results. I also lost a lot of rating points. In Gibraltar I played well again, and I was very pleased. But it was classical chess, and normally I’m stronger in classical chess than in rapid. I was very glad that I qualified and got the chance to play here. I was just happy to come and didn’t expect anything special. I hoped I would play some nice games and that’s all. Of course I feel very pleased with my result – I played well during all four days. I had my chances in tiebreak, but I didn’t take them. Still I feel very happy. Nana Dzagnidze started slowly but then made 7.5 points out of 8. She has a lot of energy and she always tries to win. Sometimes she had a difficult position, but she was always trying hard, and it worked.

After the end of the game against Katerina Lahno did you try to prepare for the possible tiebreak or did you watch the game Kosintseva-Dzagnidze?

I didn’t watch the game. If it was not going to be a tiebreak I would have loved to stay in the playing hall and watch the games because I really like to do that. I went to my room and just tried to rest a bit. Nana played very well. I didn’t see the position but I thought it would be logical that Nana would win the game. After the tiebreak I played through the game between Nana and Tatiana. Tatiana could have played better and get a position with two pawns up. She made a mistake Rd1 and after that Black is better.

What do you think was the secret of your success here?

I think it became possible because I could keep up my energy. The tournament was short – only four days – and the schedule were not so heavy, otherwise it would favor the younger players. I also think my experience helped me, especially when we entered endgames. That advantage of playing chess so long, of playing so many different endings, helps me.

What can you say about the organization of the tournament?

P.C. I think this event was really lovely, very well and professionally organized. It’s very important that we stayed and played at the same hotel. During ladies tournaments the atmosphere is always very good, very friendly. At the same time we can play very fighting chess.

Photos by Anastasiya Karlovich for the official web site

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


Anastasiya Karlovich has been a Women Grandmaster since 2003. She started her journalist career as freelance journalist in 2006 by publishing reports on ChessBase.com and since then worked as a press officer for a variety of FIDE events.

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