Posts by: Etery

The second games of the first round of the Women’s World Championship were played in the Ugra Chess Academy on November 4.

The following players advanced to the 2nd round with the perfect score: Ju Wenjun, Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, Kateryna Lagno, Humpy Koneru, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nana Dzagnidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Zhao Xue, Zhai Mo, and Zhu Jinner. The last two players defeated the higher rated Olga Girya and Lela Javakhishvili respectively.

Valentina Gunina, Tan Zhongyi, Monika Socko, Jolanta Zawadzka, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Natalija Pogonina, Anna Ushenina, and Bela Khotenashvili won their matches 1.5 to 0.5. Alina Kashlinskaya did not manage to come back after the defeat yesterday, and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova also advanced to the next round with a draw in their second game. Mobina Alinasab caused the biggest upset of the championship so far, holding to a draw against Elisabeth Paehtz and thus advancing to the second round.

The rest of the players will face the tie-breaks on November 5:

Lei Tingjie-Gara, Saduakassova-Matnadze, Krush-Gaponenko, Zhukova-Ni Shiqun, Atalik-Cori, Foisor-Stefanova, Harika-Khukhashvili, Vera Gutierrez-Bodnaruk,Padmini-Abdumalik, Nakhbayeva-Galliamova, and Hoang Thanh Trang-Danielian.

The tie-break will start with two games with rapid time control: 25 minutes plus 10 second per move. If the match is still tied, it will continue with two slow blitz games – 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. After that, if the winner is still not determined, two 5+3 blitz games will follow. Finally, those matches that are still tied, will proceed to the Armageddon game.

Results

Photos

Videos

Prior to the start of the first round, the official flag of FIDE was raised in front of the Ugra Chess Academy. This very flag was presented to Ugra Chess Federation President Vassily Filipenko during the closing ceremony of the Chess Olympiad in Batumi. As Khanty-Mansiysk will host the next Chess Olympiad in 2020, for the next two years the flag of FIDE will remain in the capital of Ugra.

Varvara Tsaregorodtseva, the 9-year-old student of the Ugra Chess Academy, U9 champion of Ugra among girls, made a symbolic first move in the game between Zhai Mo from China and the Ugra representative Olga Girya.The result of this game, however, was disappointing for local fans, as Olga Girya lost in sharp struggle.

Most rating favorites won their games, however, there was a couple of upsets. Elisabeth Pazhtz lost as White to Mobina Alinasab, a player rated significantly lower than the German. Maili-Jade Ouellet made a draw with Aleksandra Goryachkina.

A number of decisive games among closely rated players was quite high. Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova defeated Alina Kashlinskaya, Anna Ushenina won against Lilit Mkrtchian, Ni Shiqun lost to Natalia Zhukova, Monika Socko proved stronger than Yuliya Shvayger, and Lela Javakhishvili lost to Zhu Jineer.

The following games ended in a draw: Krush-Gaponenko, Vega Gutierrez-Bodnaruk, Foisor-Stefanova, Saduakassova-Matnadze, Harika-Khukhashvili, Vo Thi Kim Phung-Khotenashvili, Guseva-Zawadzka, Padmini-Abdumalik, Atalik-Cori, Hoang Thanh Trang-Danielian, Nakhbayeva-Galliamova, and Lei Tingjie-Gara.

The second games of the first round are played on Sunday, November 4. Any match that ends 1-1 will proceed to a tie-break on the next day.

Results

Photos

Videos

A ceremonial opening of a chess club took place in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The club was opened as a part of the “Remove Blank Spots from Ugra Map” project. The event was attended by Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, Dmitry Kuzmenko, Chief Federal Inspector for Ugra, Yury Yuzhakov, Deputy Governor of Ugra, Galina Kovaleva, Rector of the Ugra Chess Academy, and Olga Girya, grandmaster from Ugra and participant of the World championship.

After the ribbon was cut, a simultaneous display took place. Olga Girya, grandmaster, participant of the World championship, member of the Russian National Team, winner of Chess Olympiads, played against local policemen, while Alexander Sibryaev, FIDE Master, who paricipated in the 2005 World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, faced veterans of the law enforcement.

“Chess has become a significant part of everyday life of our office”, says Vassily Ivanovich Romanitsa, Head of the Ugra Office of the MIA. “The new club will give our colleagues an opportunity to sharpen their skill. Chess teaches us to predict actions of our opponents several moves ahead, which is a critically important quality for a policeman.”