2/25/2017 – What an amazing semifinal it was for all involved and watching. After a very close affair in game one, which she won, Anna Muzychuk won her second game against Kosteniuk to make the final with no tiebreaks and 9.0/10 in the standard games. On the flip side, Harika Dronavalli and Tan Zhongyi played a gripping tiebreak that went to the tape with constant swings that left everyone on the edge of their seats. Here is the large illustrated report.
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By Elshan Moradiabadi
All photos by David Llada
The semi-final mini matches of women world championship in Tehran saw two very different matches. After a miraculous win in the first round, Anna Muzychuk went on to win a comfortable game in the second game against the last of eleven Russians, Aleksandra Kosteniuk, to seal the deal 2-0 in her favor. With 9 out of 10 possible points, Anna has shown an impressive performance in this tournament so far. She has won all of her matches in classical games and made fewer mistakes than any other player in this tournament. Is she going to win this championship after her sister Mariya won the last edition? We shall wait and see who is going to take Anna for the final fight starting in on Monday (Sunday is a day off according to the tournament schedule).
The untouchable! With two days to rest and clearing her mind, Anna is the definite favorite in the final in every aspect
A legend in knockout championships, ex-world champion Aleksandra Kosteniuk was stopped this time, a game shy from the final
On the other hand, the other match was anything but one-sided. After a series of nervous maneuvers, blunders, and oversights of each other plans, Harika Dronavali managed to reach a won endgame against Tan Zhongyi, which she then masterfully improved to culminate with a knight and pawn up. Everyone seemed ready to call it a day and congratulate Harika for her great comeback and forcing her fifth consecutive tiebreak.
However, what happened next was almost what famous coach and writer, Mark Dvoretsky, called a tragicomedy in his bible-like endgame manual. Harika got a bishop and knight endgame in the following won position:
Harika Dornavalli - Tan Zhongyi (semifinal, game two)
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1.e4
1,173,500
54%
2421
---
1.d4
952,126
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
283,503
56%
2440
---
1.c4
183,155
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,796
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,442
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,921
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,851
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,771
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,234
54%
2405
---
1.e3
1,075
49%
2409
---
1.d3
961
50%
2378
---
1.g4
668
46%
2360
---
1.h4
465
54%
2381
---
1.c3
436
51%
2426
---
1.h3
283
56%
2419
---
1.a4
116
60%
2462
---
1.f3
99
47%
2428
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
After 128 moves, and 14 days of non-stop playing, Harika needed her
heuristics to guide her through this elementary mate net. However, fatigue
combined with a lack of enough training almost cost her the win in this game.128...Ka2129.Be6+Kb1130.Ne3??A terrible idea! Not that it throws away
win but it is as if Harika was not unfamiliar with the basic winning technique
to mate with bishop and knight.130.Bf7with what is known as the two-W
maneuver, White can manage mate in about twenty moves in this position.Kc1131.Ba2Kd1132.Nd4
132...Ke1132...Kc1133.Ne2+133.Kd3Kf2134.Ne2Kf3135.Be6 This is
the key position in this endgame. The knight and bishop restrict Black's king
in an odd fashion!
135...Kf2136.Bd5Ke1137.Ke3Kd1138.Be4not the most
precise but the most systematic.Ke1139.Bc2Kf1140.Nf4Ke1141.Ng2+
The W completes hereKf1142.Kf3Kg1143.Kg3Kf1144.Bd3+Kg1145.Nf4Kh1146.Be2Kg1147.Nh3+Kh1148.Bf3#130...Ka1131.Nc4Kb1132.Nd2+Ka1133.Nb3+Kb1134.Bf5+Ka2135.Be4Ka3136.Bb1Ka4137.Nd4Ka5138.Kc4Kb6139.Bg6Kc7140.Kd5Kd7141.Nc6Kc7142.Kc5Kd7143.Bf7Kc8144.Be6+Kc7145.Ne5Kb7146.Bd5+Kc8147.Kd6Kd8148.Bf7Kc8149.Kc6Kd8150.Ng6Kc8151.Bd5Kd8152.Kd6Ke8153.Bb3Kd8154.Ba4Kc8155.Bc6Kd8156.Ne5Kc8157.Bd7+Kb7158.Nc4Ka6159.Kc7Ka7160.Bb5Ka8161.Nb6+Ka7162.Nc8+
And Harika mates after 45 moves!1–0
The queen of tiebreaks does it again! Harika is going into her fifth tiebreak! She had a great come back! In fact this was the first time she had to equalize, and she pulled it off!
A heartbreaking loss for Tan Zhongyi, yet she has proven capable of pulling out victories in the most improbable moments
The tiebreaks
By Albert Silver
There could hardly be a more dramatic nail-biting tiebreak than the one spectators and fans were treated to between Tan Zhongyi and Harika Dronavali. It all started right from the get-go in game one of the rapid. The time control was 25 minutes with a 10-second increment:
Harika Dronavalli - Tan Zhongyi (TB Rapid 25m + 10s)
Black played the careless 11...h6? here and was punished immediately with 12.Qh4! winning on the spot. 12...hxg5 13. Nxg5 is not possible, so Black played 12...Re8 and after 13. Bxh6 resigned a few moves later.
However, the rejoicing for the Indian’s fans was short-lived as the Chinese player struck back in the second rapid game and outplayed her opponent in a knight endgame.
A fantastic match and tiebreak between the two players that was thrilling to watch and cheer for
This led to the next mini-match now at a speedier 10 mins + 10-second increment. Game one went to Tan Zhongyi this time, meaning she only needed a draw in the second game to secure her spot in the final.
Harika Dronavalli - Tan Zhongyi (TB Blitz 10m + 10s)
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1.e4c52.Nf3Nc63.d4cxd44.Nxd4e55.Nb5a66.Nd6+Bxd67.Qxd6Qe78.Qd1Nf69.Nc30-010.Bg5Qe611.Bd3Ne712.Qd2b513.a4Bb714.Bxf6Qxf615.axb5axb516.0-0b417.Nb5Nc618.Bc4Ba619.Rfd1Bxb520.Bxb5Nd421.Rxa8Rxa822.Bxd7Rd823.Bg4Nf3+24.Bxf3Rxd225.Rxd2g626.h3Qa627.b3Qa1+28.Bd1Kg729.Rd3Qc130.Kf1Qf431.f3h532.Rd7Qe333.Rd3Qc534.h4Qe735.g3g536.hxg5Qxg537.Kf2h438.gxh4Qxh4+39.Ke2Qh2+40.Ke1Qg3+41.Kd2This is but one of the crucial moments that might have led to a very different outcome in the tiebreaks by giving Harika Dronavalli a chance to turn it around. Black has an easy draw here by repetition. The times were low, but not dramatically so, and both had a few minutes left on their clocks from the initial 10+10 they started with.Qf2+There is nothing inherently wrong with this move, and it does not change the evaluation in any way, but Black only needs a draw to quallify for the finals having one game on of this mini-match.41...Qf4+would lead to an immediate perpetual check.42.Ke1Qg3+43.Kd243.Ke2Qh2+etc.43...Qf4+and they repeat or White plays44.Re3Kh645.Be2Kg546.Bc4Kh447.Kd3Qg548.Bd5and the queen invasion with the aid of the king is now winning.48.Bxf7Would lose afterQg149.--The threat of49.Kd2Qh2+50.Kd3Qf2the bind is absolute, White's king cannot move away from the rook, and if the rook moves, Qxf3+ wins the bishop. So51.Bd5Kg352.c352.c4Qb252...Kf453.Re2Qxf3+54.Kd2bxc3+55.Kd1c2+and it is over.49...Qd1+50.Kc4Qd4+51.Kb5Qxe3is decisive.48...Qg142.Kc1Qe143.Kb2f644.Kc1Kg645.c3bxc346.Kc2Qf2+47.Kxc3Qa2Black completely panicked and lost the thread of the game, and then the game itself.48.b4Qa3+49.Kc4Qc1+50.Kb5f551.Bb3f452.Bc4Qb253.Kc5Qf2+54.Kc6Qc255.Kd5Qf256.b5Qb657.Kxe5Qc5+58.Bd5Qe7+59.Kd4Qb4+60.Bc4Qb2+61.Kc5Qe5+62.Rd5Qc7+63.Kb4Qe7+64.Rc5Qd665.Bd5Kg566.e5Qg667.Be4Qe668.Rc6Qe7+69.Kc4Qf7+70.e6Qa771.b6Qa4+72.Kc5Qa3+73.Kb5Kf674.b7Qb3+75.Ka6Ke776.Ka7Qe3+77.Rb6Qa3+78.Ra6Qc5+79.Ka8The queen of tiebreaks had obtained yet another stay of execution.1–0
Once more, everyone was watching with bated breath. The elite events such as Aeroflot and Sharjah might be competing with the ladies in terms of time slots, but all eyes were on this incredibly exciting back-and-forth encounter between the two.
Harika Dronavalli with her number one supporter there: her grandmother
The fight was now down to a mini-match of two blitz games played at 5 minutes with a three-second increment. For once, it was not settled in wild matches of a win each, and with two draws, the match was to be decided once and for all with an Armageddon. In it, White would have a time advantaged of five minutes against Black’s four but Black would have drawing odds, meaning if a draw was the result on the board, Black was the winner.
There was a drawing of pieces and Harika Dronavalli took white
Harika Dronavalli - Tan Zhongyi (TB Armageddon)
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Position not in LiveBook
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1.Nf3d52.g3e63.Bg2Nf64.0-0Be75.d3b66.Nbd2Bb77.Re1Nbd78.c30-09.Qc2Re810.b3a511.a4e512.Bb2c513.e4d414.Nc4Bf815.h3Ba616.Ncd2Rc817.c4g618.Rf1Bh619.Rae1Rf820.Bc1Qc721.Nh2Rce822.Kh1Kh823.Ndf3Bg724.Bd2Bc825.Qc1Ng826.Nh4Bf627.Bg5Bxg528.Qxg5Qd829.Qd2Ndf630.N4f3Nh531.Ng4Nhf632.Nfxe5Nxg433.Nxg4Bxg434.hxg4Nf635.g5Ng436.Bh3Ne537.f4Nc638.Kg2Kg739.Bg4Rh840.Bf3h641.gxh6+Rxh642.Rh1Reh843.e5Rxh144.Rxh1Rxh145.Kxh1Qd746.Kg2Ne747.Be4Nf548.Bxf5Qxf549.Qe2g550.Qf3g451.Qf1Qh552.Kf2Qh753.Kg1f654.Qe2Qh355.exf6+Kxf656.Qe5+Kf7Both players still had over 2 minutes here. There is no argument on the stress and nerves of the situation.57.Qe1However, White had a two move win here with57.Qd5+Ke757...Ke858.Qe6+Kd859.Qf6+Kd760.Qh458.Qg5+Ke659.Qh4and after the queen exchange, there is no hope left.57...Kf658.Qe5+Kf7The same win is on the board once more.59.f5Qh6Black threatens to invade with the queen, but White could stop it easily enough.60.Qc7+60.Qf4!and the pawn endgame afterQxf461.gxf4is simple.Kf661...Kg762.Kg2Kf663.Kf2!Ke764.Kg3and it is game over.62.Kg2Kxf563.Kg3+-60...Ke861.Qb8+61.Qf4!61...Kf762.Qc7+62.Qf462...Kf863.Qd8+Kf764.Qc7+Kf865.Qf4Qh366.Qd6+Kf767.Qe6+Kf868.Qd6+68.Qf6+Kg869.Qh4 was 1-068...Kf769.f6??A tragic blunder that throws the win clean away. Now, only a miracle can save her match.Qh670.Qe7+Kg6and the problem is now clear. There is no f7 advance of the pawn since the black queen will rain checks on the white king, and if the queens are exchanged to put an end to that, Kxf7 is a draw.71.Qe4+Kxf672.Qc6+Kg773.Qd7+Kf874.Qc8+Kf775.Qf5+White is in desperation mode since a draw is a loss, and therefore has nothing to lose. It is all or nothingKe776.Qe5+Kf777.Qd5+Ke778.Qe4+Kf779.Qxg4Qe3+80.Kg2Qxd381.Qf4+Ke682.Qg4+Kd683.Qf4+Kc684.g4Qc2+85.Kg3d386.Qe4+Kc787.g5Qxb388.Qf4+Kb789.Qf3+Kc790.g6Qxc491.Qe3Qg892.Qf4+Kc693.Qe4+Kc794.Qxd3c495.Qf5c396.Qf7+Qxf797.gxf7c298.f8Qc1Q99.Qe7+0–1
... or relief, it depended on who you were rooting for, but it was thumping hearts throughout for all.
A disappointment for the Indian player who could give that timeless chess phrase, “I was winning”, but truth be told, the Chinese player had chances to decide things in previous encounter as well, and neither could claim any moral victory except for that indisputable one: Tan Zhongyi was the last one standing and will proceed to the final. Her match could not be any harder with an Anna Muzychuk in vicious form. The Ukrainian has not only not played a single tiebreak, but her overall score in standard games has been a staggering 9.0/10 and she has gained 32 Elo already as a result. Still, Tan Zhongyi’s fighting spirit and sheer resilience are not to be underestimated. She fought and clawed her way all the way to the final after all, and outlasted all her would-be rivals.
Sunday will be a rest day, and the final match will be on Monday. Don’t miss it!
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 14 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Elshan MoradiabadiElshan Moradiabadi is a GM born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He moved to the US in 2012. Ever since, he has been active in US college chess scenes and in US chess. is a veteran instructor and teaches chess to every level, with students ranging from beginners to IM. He can be contacted for projects or teaching.
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