Women's World Rapid in Batumi – Pictorial Part 1

Women’s World Rapid Championship Pictorial

By WGM Anastasiya Karlovich (pictures: Anastasiya Karlovich, Roman Danilenkov)

Women’s World Rapid Championship 2012 was held in Batumi, Georgia from 31 of May till 3rd of June 2012. The event was organized and conducted by the ACP and the Georgian Chess Federation and approved by FIDE. The total prize fund for the rapid championship is US $59,000. The organizers also provided the special conditions for the players with the Elo of 2500+ and nominees from all national federations. As a result 50 players from 18 chess federations took part in the tournament including five former world champions Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Zhu Chen, Antoaneta Stefanova, Alexandra Kosteniuk, current European champion Valentina Gunina and such strong GMs as Anna Muzychuk, Humpy Koneru, Zhao Xue, Nana Dzagnidze, Tatiana Kosintseva and others.

After eleven rounds of tough and uncompromised fight Bulgarian GM and former women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova became the Women’s World Rapid Champion-2012. On the last day of the tournament she made two draws against Anna Muzychuk and Harika Dronavalli and finished the tournament half a point ahead of the closest pursuers. Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is second and Indian player Humpy Koneru placed third. See full table below.

The venue: all players stayed and played in the five-star Sheraton Hotel in Batumi

Chief arbiter Nana Alexandria and chairman of the Appeals Committee Gennady Nesis starting a round

The participation of Nona Gaprindashvili, the former world champion and the first full grandmaster among women, was one of the biggest surprises. She won the first game against German player Elisabeth Pähtz, but unfortunately lost next seven games in row and finished the tournament with 2.0/11 points.

Another chess legend, Maia Chiburdanidze, scored two points against Maia Lomineishvili and Natalia Pogonina in the first two rounds, but then lost against Chinese players Huang Qian and Gua Qi. With 5.0/11 points the former world champion placed 31st in the final standings.

Nana Dzagnidze had the most successful tournament among the 17 Georgian players who took part in the event. After two days she scored only three points in six games, but during the third day Nana managed to win all three games. Two draws in the last two rounds didn’t let her to fight for more. As a result Nana Dzagnidze finished the tournament in seventh place.

Number four in the women’s world rating list, Humpy Koneru was leading together with Antoaneta Stefanova after the second day, but lost against Katerina Lahno in the eighth round. Despite that, two victories against the Chinese players Guo Qi and Tan Zhongui, and a draw against Nana Dzagnidze put her on the third place in the final standings.

Antoaneta Stefanova and Alexandra Kosteniuk were in the leading group during the event. Both
former world champions in classical chess proved to be some of the strongest rapid players as well.

Top seed Anna Muzychuk placed fifth. Katerina Lahno (right) shared the second
place with Alexandra Kosteniuk and Humpy Koneru, but left without a medal.

Another Ukrainian player, Anna Ushenina, was not so successful and finished 22nd

The winner: GM Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria, 2518, with 8.5/11 with a 2700 performance

The current European champion in classical chess and blitz, Valentina Gunina was defeated by Natalia
Zhukova and Nino Khurtsidze in rounds nine and ten, and lost her chances to fight for higher places.

USA champion Irina Krush showed an interesting result during the tournament:
she lost four games in a row and then managed to win four, one after another.

– Part two to follow soon –

Final standings (after eleven rounds)

Remaining schedule

Links Official tournament site All games in zipped PGN 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.

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