
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.
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Xu Yuhua played a French Defence (with 3.Nc3) and was herself not satisfied
with the opening. And indeed things looked quite bright for Russian IM Alisa
Galliamova. But a series of trades and some inaccuracies left her in an endgame
bereft of her earlier advantages. But with queen and seven pawns on either
side Alisa apparently decided that she was going to win the game anyway. Her
active play proved to be fatal. The white position slowly worsened, Black took
over the reins and at move 64 it was all over.

The start of the first game of the finals in Ekaterinburg
Galliamova,A (2467) - Xu Yuhua (2502) [C10]
FIDE WCh Women KO Ekaterinburg RUS (6.1), 23.03.2006
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Nbd7 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.Nf3
h6 8.Be3 Nd5 9.Qd2 Bd6 10.0-0-0 Qe7 11.Ne5 Bd7 12.f4 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Nxe3 14.Qxe3
Bc6 15.Be2 0-0 16.Bf3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 b6 18.Rd3 Rad8 19.Rhd1 Rxd3 20.Rxd3 Rd8
21.g3 a5 22.b3 g6 23.g4 Rxd3 24.Qxd3 Qh4 25.h3 Kg7 26.Kb2 Qf2 27.Qc4 c5 28.Qe4
b5 29.a4 b4 30.Qc4 h5 31.Qb5 Qd4+ 32.Kb1 Qxf4 33.Qxc5 hxg4 34.hxg4 Qxg4 35.Qxa5
Qd1+ 36.Kb2 Qd4+ 37.Ka2 Qc3 38.Kb1 g5
Hier Galliamova, already in considerable trouble, gives up a pawn:
39.Qd8 Qxe5 40.a5 g4 41.a6 g3 42.Qd2. White cannot survive the pawn
race: 42.a7 g2 43.a8Q g1Q+ and Black mates. 42...Kg6 43.a7 Qe4 44.Qd8
g2 45.Qg8+ Kf6.
46.a8Q Qxa8 47.Qxa8 g1Q+ 48.Ka2. After this exchange Black
has all she needs to take home the full point. 48...Qg4 49.Qd8+ Kg7
50.Qd3 e5 51.c4 Qg2+ 52.Ka1 Qg1+ 53.Ka2 Qf2+ 54.Kb1 Qe1+ 55.Ka2 e4 56.Qd4+
Kg6 57.c5 Qe2+ 58.Kb1 e3
59.Qd6+? Relinquishing control of the f2 square proves fatal.
59...f6 60.c6 Qe1+ 61.Kc2 Qf2+ 62.Kc1 e2 63.Qd3+ f5 64.Qd6+ Kh5
and White has no checks. 0-1. [Click
to replay]

Did an overriding determination to win lose this game for Alisa Galliamova

With her black victory in game one (of four) Xu Yuhua has good chances
to win the title

China's top-ranked GM, Ye Jiangchuan, is Xu's second
You may want to read Nigel Short's caustic commentary on the Women's World
Championship format in Thursday's
Guadian chess column.
Photos by courtesy of FIDE
Final results
Name |
Rtng |
G1 |
G2 |
G3 |
G4 |
R1 |
R2 |
B1 |
B2 |
SD |
Total |
Final Match 01 |
Galliamova, Alisa (RUS) |
2467 |
0 |
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0 |
Xu Yuhua (CHN) |
2502 |
1 |
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1 |
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 |
Links