Two Russians in, two Georgians out

3/20/2006 – The women's world championship has traditionally been a battle between the Russians and Georgians, which the latter normally tended to win. In the quarterfinals in Ekaterinburg the remaining players from Georgia, Chiburdanidze and Khurtsidze, were eliminated, while Russians Galliamova and Matveeva went through. Cmilyte and Xu Yuhua are also in. Illustrated report.

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Women's World Championship

Ekaterinburg, Russia, March 10–27, 2006

The World Women's Championship is being held from 10-27 March 2006, in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

The knockout event has 64 participants, with reigning world champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria defending her title.


The quarterfinal games in Ekaterinburg (photo FIDE)


Alisa Galliamova vs Nino Khurtsidze (photo FIDE)

Alisa Galliamova of Russia simply outplayed her Georgian opponent Nino Khurtsidze in both their games, fairly convincingly, to advance to the semifinals, where she will face Viktorija Cmilyte.


Aren't we Georgians supposed to win these things? Nino Khurtsidze (photo FIDE)


Alisa! 34-year-old IM Alisa Galliamov, Russia (photo Pufichek)


IM Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania


Viktorija Cmilyte vs Maia Chiburdanidze in the quarterfinals (photo FIDE)

The Lithuanian IM Viktorija Cmilyte lost her first game against veteran former women's world champion Maia Chiburdanidze in a double-rook ending, only to come back stongly in the second game after her opponent misjudged a pawn sacrifice (with 27...Nb4?) and Cmilyte was able to win the endgame with rooks and opposite coloured bishops on the board. She went on to win bot rapid games and advance to the semis.


Russian WGM Svetlana Matveeva (photo Pufichek)

35-year-old Svetlana Matveeva drew her first white game against 19-year-old French talent Marie Sebag, but took the second, a French Tarrasch with the black piece, to advance. Her opponent in the semifinals will be the last remaining Chinese player, Xu Yuhua, who played two draws in the regular games against Russian Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, the runner up of the 2004 women's world championship. Xu won the first rapid chess game, and came close to winning the second as well (38...Rf3 would have done it). The draw was enough to advance into the semifinals.


Top Chinese WGM Xu Yuhua (photo Pufichek)

Photos by courtesy of FIDE and Pufichek, www.kosteniuk.com

Results of round four

 Name  Rtng G1 G2 R1 R2 B1 B2 SD  Total
  Round 4 Match 01
 Galliamova, Alisa (RUS) 2467 1 1           2
 Khurtsidze, Nino (GEO) 2430 0 0           0
  Round 4 Match 02
 Matveeva, Svetlana (RUS) 2428 ½ 1           1,5
 Sebag, Marie (FRA) 2415 ½ 0           0,5
  Round 4 Match 03
 Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina (RUS) 2458 ½ ½ 0 ½       1,5
 Xu, Yuhua (CHN) 2502 ½ ½ 1 ½       2,5
  Round 4 Match 04
 Chiburdanidze, Maia (GEO) 2511 1 0 0 0       1
 Cmilyte, Viktorija (LTU) 2475 0 1 1 1       3

Schedule

Opening Ceremony/Players' meeting 10 March
Round 1: 2 days play + tiebreaks 11-12 March
Round 2: 2 days play + tiebreaks 13-14 March
Round 3: 2 days play + tiebreaks 15-16 March
Free Day 1 day free 17 March
Round 4: 2 days play + tiebreaks 18-19 March
Round 5: 2 days play + tiebreaks 20-21 March
Free Day 1 day free 22 March
Round 6: 4 days play 23-26 March
Tie-breaks/Closing Ceremony: 27 March

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