Confederation Cup for Disabled People kicks off in Ankara
FIDE Confederation Cup for the Disabled People has officially started on December 09 with the opening ceremony in the capital of Turkey. The event organized for the first time this year by FIDE with the support of Russian State Atomic Energy Cooperation (ROSATOM) will continue until December 14. Five teams, each consisting of six players with visual, auditory or physical disabilities from four different continents, namely America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, will compete against each other in a friendly atmosphere. To emphasize the Russian-Turkish friendship one of the teams is called Russia-Turkey and as the name implies comprise three Russian and three Turkish players. The opening ceremony was attended by FIDE Vice Presidents Gulkiz Tulay and Akaki Iashvili, tournament director and FIDE Events Commission Chairman Ozgur Solakoglu and Councilor of FIDE Commission for Disabled Kema Goryaeva. In her opening speech, TCF President and FIDE Vice President Gulkiz Tulay expressed her gratitude to FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and his team as well as to ROSATOM, not only for the organization of this important event in Ankara but also for the FIDE Mersin Chess Festival which took place on Dec 7 with the participation of the legendary champion Anatoly Karpov who gave a simultaneous exhibition to children and analyzed two games of his. After noting that some of the Turkish appointed arbiters are actually disabled Mrs. Tulay praised the unifying, fraternal nature of this event and wished success to all players. FIDE Vice President Akaki Iashvili also gave a welcoming speech. Mr. Iashvili praised the host TCF for its organizational skills that made it possible to bring together players from 24 different countries in a short notice and emphasized the high level of competition organization in Turkey. The Vice President also noted that chess for players with disabilities is becoming one of the priorities for FIDE and thanked ROSATOM for their very important support which made the event possible. Mr. Iashvili also stressed that FIDE will continue to support TCF as one of its most reliable partners. After the opening ceremony, the first round has started with two matches: Europe vs. Russia-Turkey and Asia vs. Africa while the American team had a day off.
Monaco: Goryachkina and Dronavalli join Koneru in the lead
Five decisive results in the sixth round of the Women’s Grand Prix in Monaco. Significant changes occur in the standings, as three players lead before the free day. The last round before the free day proved extremely lively at the Yacht Club de Monaco. It feels as if all participants decided to throw all their remaining energy into the battle before a well-deserved rest. Humpy Koneru drew her fourth consecutive game on Sunday. She had to defend a slightly inferior position with the black pieces against one of her direct competitor, Alexandra Kosteniuk. The former World Champion reached a good version of the typical isolated pawn structure, where Koneru was deprived of the usual counter-play. Yet, the Indian managed to keep everything under control and hold the draw. This result proved beneficial to two other participants. Aleksandra Goryachkina showed once again what a tough opponent she is. Playing with the black pieces against Pia Cramling, the most experienced player in the event, she once again displayed an excellent technique. The Russian reached a position with a pawn majority on the queenside and skilfully steered to a favorable exchange of the queens. Alexandra methodically increased her advantage and secured a full point. Nothing indicated that a symmetrical position in the encounter between Harika Dronavalli and Mariya Muzychuk would lead to a fascinating game. The Indian found a very active plan in the center and achieved a greater activity for her pieces. She later managed to weaken Muzychuk’s King and launched a winning attack. But there is nothing more complicated in chess than winning a winning position, they say. Dronavalli played inaccurately and let her opponent wriggle out and escape into a drawish rook ending. But then it came Muzychuk’s turn to err – Mariya misplayed the endgame and lost. Thus, both Goryachkina and Dronavalli caught up with Koneru in the lead. Nana Dzagnidze could have joined them in case of a win but it did not pan out. She did get a space advantage from her opening against Kateryna Lagno, but in this version of the King’s Indian Black actually has a sufficient counter-play. After the Russian pushed her a-pawn to destroy White’s pawn structure on the queenside, Dzagnidze panicked and collapsed. The encounter between both out-of-form Elisabeth Paehtz and Valentina Gunina was actually turned a one-sided affair. The German showed very good preparation in the Caro-Kann, sacrificing a pawn for a strong pressure. In a practical game, defending such difficult positions is almost impossible. Gunina failed to find the most resilient moves and suffered one more defeat. In the last game to finish, Anna Muzychuk outplayed Zhao Xue on the black side of the Grunfeld Defense. She found an ingenious way to transpose into a favorable position with rook vs knight and bishop. The finale featured some nice artistic patterns, which Muzychuk skilfully combined to score a full point. All players and officials are invited to a gala dinner at the Monaco Casino on Monday evening. Before that, some will simply relax, others will join an excursion offered by the local organizers, while some others will visit Nice. Finally, the Muzychuk sisters and Elisabeth Paehtz will cross swords on the ice skating ring – the German claims that she will win the race comfortably. Results of Round 6: Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus): 0-1 Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Humpy Koneru (Ind): ½ – ½ Zhao Xue (China) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr): 0-1 Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr): 1-0 Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Valentina Gunina (Rus): 1-0 Pia Cramling (Swe) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus): 0-1 Standings after Round 6: 1-3. Harika Dronavalli, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru – 4 points 4-5. Anna Muzychuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk – 3,5 6-8. Kateryna Lagno, Nana Dzagnidze and Pia Cramling – 3 10. Zhao Xue and Mariya Muzychuk – 2,5 11. Elisabeth Paehtz – 2 12. Valentina Gunina – 1 9 December: free day Round 7, 10 December at 3 pm: Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) Kateryna Lagno (Rus) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) Humpy Koneru (Ind) – Zhao Xue (China) Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Harika Dronavalli (Ind) Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Pia Cramling (Swe) Official website with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Josif Dorfman and GM Bartlomiej Heberla: https://wgp2019.fide.com Pictures are available in FIDE Flickr Text: Yannick Pelletier Pictures: Karol Bartnik
Ding Liren is the winner of Grand Chess Tour 2019
A new name was etched on the Grand Chess Tour trophy as Ding Liren was crowned the 2019 champion after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the final. The Chinese player earned $150,000 for his efforts, bringing his winnings to a total of almost $300,000 for the entirety of the tour. Vachier-Lagrave consequently finished in second place and collected $100,000. Magnus Carlsen won his match against Levon Aronian, claiming the third qualifying spot to the 2020 tour and $60,000, while Aronian took home the remaining $40,000. The 2020 season will kick off in Bucharest, Romania in May. Ding Liren vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave The six-point lead going into the day gave Ding Liren a huge advantage, allowing him to clinch the title in the first two games. Vachier-Lagrave must have felt an enormous amount of pressure to score in the rapid games, choosing the risky Benoni with the black pieces in game one. Perhaps the lack of experience of playing those structures was the main culprit, but the Frenchman’s position went down in flames shortly after the opening stage. The eventual champion was under a bit of pressure in the second game with the black pieces but managed to hold without many difficulties. There was some consolation for Vachier-Lagrave, who scored 3.5/4 in the remaining blitz games. The win was a big confidence boost for Ding, who now believes that in his best shape he can compete with anyone. His next big event will be the Candidates Tournament, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where he is one of the favorites to win and earn the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen’s crown. Vachier-Lagrave conceded graciously, telling Maurice that Ding played “amazing” in the second classical game and “struck when it counted and struck very hard.” Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian Just as Ding, Magnus Carlsen also entered the day with a six-point advantage. He, too, was close to putting away his opponent when the unthinkable happened and he blundered a checkmate in a completely winning position. The World Champion couldn’t help but chuckle at the ludicrousness that had transpired at the board after resigning. The win in the second rapid game practically meant the end of the match, as Aronian would need to win the rest of the blitz games to tie the score while Carlsen only needed a draw. The World Champion achieved the desired result in the first blitz game, thus bringing the match to a conclusion. The final score in the blitz was 2-2. Carlsen has had a phenomenal year, specifically in the Grand Chess Tour, but felt that he was already in poor shape in London and felt that “the right two people played in the final.” Photo: Lennart Ootes (Grand Chess Tour) Official site
Rating Analytics: Seniors case study
Kaspars Migla is the creator and founder of chessratings.top. In his column, he analyzes monthly FIDE standard rating changes, career-high ratings, rating distribution by country, continent, region, and other rating-related statistics. This time he looks at the latest developments in seniors’ rating lists. Extra €30,000 added by FIDE to the prize fund (which totaled to €46,000) helped to organize the biggest World Senior Championship with 366 players from 58 countries competing in four categories. Maybe this financial boost will make this championship stronger because looking from the rating standpoint only women’s events can boast of the TOP players participating in it. Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia, 2270) who tops the rating list in the W65+ category took the title. Despite winning the competition, the first woman-GM in history of chess lost five rating points. The list of entrants to the W65+ included three more players from the top 10, namely WGM Elena Fatalibekova (Russia, 2158), WIM Natalia Titorenko (Russia, 2113) un WGM Valentina Kozlovskaya (Russia, 2140). Ironically, the champion in the W50+ category WGM Elvira Berend (Luxembourg) also dropped a few rating points. Currently, she holds the fourth position (2348) among the women aged 50 years or older. The top 3 in this age category – Pia Cramling (Sweden, 2461), GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (Scotland, 2376) and GM Zhaoqin Peng (Netherlands, 2358) – opted not to play in the World Senior Championship. On the men’s side, there was only one participant in both categories from the top 10 active players. I am referring to GM Rafael Vaganian (Armenia, 2516) who occupies the 9th position in the M65+ category. The rating favorite lived up to his status and won gold at the recent World Senior Championship. The leader in this age group is Anatoly Karpov (Russia, 2617) who would be very welcome at the World Senior Championship. The 12th World Champion has been playing rarely lately, just in matches in various leagues here and there. The last time Karpov participated in a round-robin or Swiss tournament was ten years ago in Spain. Robert Huebner (Germany, 2576) and Henrique Mecking (BRA, 2553) holding second and third positions in the M65+ rating list also skipped the last World Senior Championship. There are nine players rated 2600+ in the M50+ rating list. Usually, having such a rating one feels comfortable and much-wanted in most of the tournaments. Most likely, that is the reason why high-rated GMs shy away from the World Senior Championship. On the top of the rating, we see infamous Igors Rausis (Czech Republic, 2685), but it is on paper only because he confessed to cheating, was imposed a 6-year ban by FIDE Ethics Commission and retired from chess. The real leader in the age group is none other than Boris Gelfand (ISR, 2684), followed by Julio Granda Zuniga (PER, 2644), Evgeny Bareev (CAN, 2638) and FIDE Vice President Nigel Short (England, 2626). It is no secret that senior age gives many players an opportunity to spend more time on chess. With 34 games in classical chess under his belt, Aleksandar Arandjelovic (SRB, 1933) became the most active player in December. According to chessratings.top, quite a few strong players reached their career high in December 2019: IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE, 2455), IM Meri Arabidze (GEO, 2435), WGM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2387) and WIM Anna Sargsyan (ARM, 2382) among women and Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL, 2758), Richard Rapport (HUN, 2758), Hao Wang (CHN, 2756), Alireza Firouzja (IRI, 2723) among men. It is worth noting that the last time Firouzja lost rating points was in July of 2018. Since then he has been steadily improving his rating except for one month. Vadim Shishkin (UKR, 2456) made the biggest rating progress among all grandmasters in December. The Ukrainian picked up 28 points after winning the World Senior Championship in the Open 50+ category. Igor Naumkin (RUS, 2415) has a distinction of playing most games with classical time control. Aged 54, he, nonetheless, did not participate in the World Senior Championship. Looking at the big picture, Mahdi Gholami Orimi (Iran, 2432) became the most active player in December. His busy chess schedule included 4 tournaments and 35 chess games with classical time control. Emanuel Lazic from Bosnia and Herzegovina showed the biggest progress (312 points) among all players, jumping from a 1549 to 1861 mark. Photo: Mark Livshitz Kaspars Migla, chessratings.top Category W65+, active players1. GM Gaprindashvili, Nona (GEO, 2270)2. WGM Veroci, Zsuzsa (HUN, 2246)3. WGM Fatalibekova, Elena (RUS, 2158)4. WGM Kozlovskaya, Valentina (RUS, 2140)5. WGM Saunina, Ludmila (RUS, 2130)6. WIM Titorenko, Natalia (RUS, 2113)7. WIM Sorokina, Tamara (RUS, 2062)8. WFM Malachowski, Margrit (GER, 2061)9. WIM Khurshudova, Lyudmila (RUS, 2046)10. Dwars, Conchita (NED, 2032) Category W50+, active players1. GM Cramling, Pia (SWE, 2461)2. GM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan (SCO, 2376)3. GM Peng, Zhaoqin (NED, 2358)4. WGM Berend, Elvira (LUX, 2348)5. FM Schuurman, Petra (NED, 2346)6. IM Schleining, Zoya (GER, 2316)7. IM Sedina, Elena (ITA, 2299)8. WGM Grabuzova, Tatiana (RUS, 2284)9. IM Klinova, Masha (ISR, 2275)10. WGM Ning, Chunhong (CHN, 2270) Category M65+, active players1. GM Karpov, Anatoly (RUS, 2617)2. GM Huebner, Robert (GER, 2576)3. GM Mecking, Henrique (BRA, 2553)4. GM Dorfman, Iossif (FRA, 2540)5. GM Timman, Jan (NED, 2533)6. GM Ribli, Zoltan (HUN, 2529)7. GM Pinter, Jozsef (HUN, 2528)8. GM Beliavsky, Alexander (SLO, 2519)9. GM Vaganian, Rafael A (ARM, 2516)10. GM Andersson, Ulf (SWE, 2516) Category M50+, active players1. GM Gelfand, Boris (ISR, 2684)2. GM Granda Zuniga, Julio (PER, 2644)3. GM Bareev, Evgeny (CAN, 2638)4. GM Short, Nigel (ENG, 2626)5. GM Illescas Cordoba, Miguel (ESP, 2612)6. GM Krasenkow, Michal (POL, 2611)7. GM Khalifman, Alexander (RUS, 2608)8. GM Smirin, Ilia (ISR, 2607)9. GM Dautov, Rustem (GER, 2595)10. GM Sokolov, Ivan (NED, 2595)
GCT London Finals: Ding Liren scores, Carlsen escapes
The 2019 Grand Chess Tour is nearing the end after another action-packed day in London. Levon Aronian was very close to equalizing the score but ultimately was unable to break Magnus Carlsen’s defense. Ding Liren, on the other hand, played a clean game to put away Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Both Carlsen and Ding will enter the final day with a 6 point lead, putting an enormous amount of pressure on their opponents to score in the rapid to collect as many points as possible. The winner of the tour will be decided tomorrow at the end of two rapid and four blitz games followed by tiebreaks if required. As a special treat, legendary former World Champion Garry Kasparov will be calling into the show to share his thoughts. It’s not a day to miss! Results after the classical games Ding Liren vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave: 1-0 After failing to deliver the decisive blow yesterday, Ding Liren proceeded more methodically in the final moments today. The commentators thought that Ding didn’t get any advantage out of the opening in the Symmetrical English, but that he simply played better than his opponent thereafter. The critical developments in the game happened on move 33, when the opening of the kingside made the g-file available for Ding, while he still kept control of the queenside and the center. While Vachier-Lagrave’s pieces were overcommitted on the queenside, the Chinese star was able to launch an unstoppable attack on the opposite wing by lifting his rook. The game ended with a beautiful sacrifice by Ding, who admitted to double-checking the line several times in order to avoid yesterday’s fiasco. Tomorrow, one of these two fine players will be crowned the 2019 Grand Chess Tour Champion. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave after Ding Liren’s making 48.Rg7! Levon Aronian vs Magnus Carlsen: ½ – ½ Magnus Carlsen ended the year without a single loss in classical chess after a miraculous save, extending his undefeated streak to 107 games. Trouble began for the World Champion right out of the opening when he felt compelled to sacrifice a pawn in order to muddy the waters. He gave up another pawn a few moves later to open the center and get at his opponent’s king, but could never claim enough compensation for the material deficit. The evaluation of the position was changing throughout the game as Aronian kept allowing his opponent back in the game. The final blunder occurred on move 43, when Aronian miscalculated a tactic, ultimately entering a queen ending which ended with a perpetual on move 82. Carlsen described the game as “objectively awful quality-wise”, but to his credit, he did find amazing resources to survive. Photo: Grand Chess Tour Official site
Goryachkina misses a chance to join the lead in Monaco
Quiet day at the Women’s Grand Prix de Monaco, as four games end in a draw. Five players are on Humpy Koneru’s heels. The fifth round of the Women’s FIDE Grand Prix was launched by Inna Bazhenova who played the first symbolic move at the board of tournament leader Humpy Koneru. The Russian publisher of The Art Newspaper, co-sponsor of the tournament and of the Monte Carlo Chess Club, is passionate about chess. Her two sons Egor and Boris are members of the youth team of the Club and also faced Garry Kasparov in the simultaneous exhibition last weekend. Another young guest attended the start of the round. Twelve-year-old Fiorina Berezovsky represented the Monaco national team at the last two Olympiads and was one of the youngest players to ever win a game at an Olympiad at the age of 9. In 2017, Fiorina held a talk about chess at TEDx Monte Carlo. In short, a brilliant young lady! The games of the Grand Prix were slightly less tense on Saturday than on previous days, but spectators still had their share of excitement. Aleksandra Goryachkina got an edge from the opening against Elisabeth Paehtz and was methodically increasing it throughout the game. The Russian reached a winning rook endgame, yet, finding the right path was far from trivial. The World Championship challenger was on the winning course but failed to avoid the last not that difficult pitfall and had to content herself with a draw. A victory would have allowed Alexandra to catch up with the leader Humpy Koneru, who made a draw with Kateryna Lagno. This game followed a well-known variation of the Grunfeld, where Black gets sufficient compensation for a sacrificed pawn. The Indian showed nothing new and agreed to a repetition early on. Anna Muzychuk had Alexandra Kosteniuk on the ropes when the Russian played inaccurately after the opening. Muzychuk’s decision to sacrifice the exchange proved unwise, as this allowed her opponent to stay in the game. After the exchange of Queens, it became clear that only Kosteniuk could press for a win. White had to play precisely in order to hold the knight vs rook endgame, but Anna made several mistakes and lost. Valentina Gunina started the game with aggressive intentions, as evidenced by her choice of 7.g4. Harika Dronavalli reacted solidly and both players soon simplified on the queenside to reach an equal position. The game seemed to be heading toward a draw but the Russian spurned a move repetition and played for more. Gunina’s decision was hardly justified, inasmuch she has been clearly out of form in this event, and the position did not offer much. She blundered immediately after with 31.Bf7 and lost her rook. A sad and painful outcome for Valentina. The game between Mariya Muzychuk and Zhao Xue was a very complicated battle. The Chinese played in very inspired fashion after the opening and obtained a promising position, where the white king was exposed. Muzychuk cleverly exploited her opponent’s time pressure and went for complications. With more time on the clock, Zhao Xue may have found the few precise moves to clinch the victory, but in the actual game, she failed to do so. In the end, the Ukrainian escaped with a draw. Pia Cramling did not challenge Nana Dzagnidze’s Vienna Variation and chose a risk-free line. White’s extra pawn proved worthless with opposite-colored Bishops on the board, and both opponents agreed to a draw on move 32. More and more players gather behind the sole leader Humpy Koneru. In the 6th round on Sunday, the Indian will have the black pieces against one of her pursuers, Alexandra Kosteniuk. Results of Round 5: Pia Cramling (Swe) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo): ½ – ½Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus): 0-1Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Zhao Xue (China): ½ – ½Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Harika Dronavalli (Ind): 0-1Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger): ½ – ½Humpy Koneru (Ind) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus): ½ – ½ Standings after Round 5: 1. Humpy Koneru – 3½ points2-6. Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Pia Cramling – 37-9. Zhao Xue, Mariya Muzychuk and Anna Muzychuk – 2½10. Kateryna Lagno – 211-12. Valentina Gunina and Elisabeth Paehtz – 1 Round 6, 8 December at 3 pm: Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus)Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Humpy Koneru (Ind)Zhao Xue (China) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr)Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr)Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Valentina Gunina (Rus)Pia Cramling (Swe) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) Official website with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Josif Dorfman and GM Bartlomiej Heberla: https://wgp2019.fide.com Pictures are available on our official Flickr channel. Text: Yannick PelletierPictures: Karol Bartnik
Chess and Female Empowerment conference concluded in London
London Chess Conference 2019, focusing on the ground-breaking theme “Chess and Female Empowerment” took place on November 30 and December 1, 2019, in the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith. For the last four years the event has been supported by the European Chess Union, and this year additionally through the FIDE Development Fund. The conference opened with the welcome speech by Mr. Malcolm Pein who has been supporting the event from the very first year as a part of the London Chess Classic. After the welcome speech, Chairman of ECU Education Commission Mr. Jesper Hall presented the agenda of the conference and the work in progress by the ECU EDU commission. The conference examined the involvement of women and girls in chess and provided insights into how to improve gender balance. Primary and secondary school teachers had a chance to learn how to make chess a more engaging activity through its social and collaborative modes. With many workshops, presentations, debates, round tables and demonstrations in the program, the Conference provided ideas and initiatives for those striving to improve the engagement of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The conference was also dedicated to the recent study developed by ECU EDU Commission and Survey on Women’s Chess in Europe. Analyzing the results of the Survey, Ms. Alice O’Gorman, a member of the ECU Women’s Commission presented the current state of women’s chess throughout European countries and Chess Federations. A study conducted through the US Chess Federation provided qualitative insights into chess and gender issues, while an analysis of online play in the Netherlands revealed details of how boys and girls compare. The US Chess Federation has shared a short video by Jenny Schweitzer, a New York-based director. In this inspiring film, young female chess players explain the emotional and intellectual impact of chess on their lives and the challenges they have faced in the game. After receiving an award in Monaco at the Golden Pawn Ceremony legendary Judit Polgar flew to London to share her valuable experiences on women’s chess during the 7th London Chess Conference. Among more than 40 speakers from around 30 countries of the Conference were also the Chairman of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission Mr. Smbat Lputian and the Secretary Mr. Kevin O’Connell who actively participated in the sessions and debates. Text: Dr. Uvencio Blanco HernándezPhoto: John Saunders
GCT London Finals: Vachier-Lagrave miraculously escapes
The players returned to the board after spending their day off at the Pro Biz Cup raising money for the UK charity Chess in Schools and Communities. After the opening phase, the commentators expected to see two victories. While Carlsen was able to put away his opponent, Vachier-Lagrave escaped by the skin of his teeth thanks to his resilient and resourceful defense. Aronian will have the white pieces tomorrow to try to overcome the 6 point deficit. The games will resume tomorrow 2 hours earlier, at 2 PM GMT/8 AM CST. Results after first classical games Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs Ding Liren: ½ – ½ Vachier-Lagrave miraculously weathered the storm in what looked like a completely lost position. Ding repeated the same line against the Ruy Lopez that he had played against Carlsen in 2017. The Frenchman misplayed the middlegame and found himself in an unpleasant position, with a bad knight against a superior bishop in a queen endgame. Vachier-Lagrave decided to give up a pawn in order to trade the minor pieces, but inadvertently entered a lost endgame where his opponent’s passed c-pawn was unstoppable. Ding’s king ran across the board in order to hide from his opponent’s checks and to support his passed pawn. The situation looked hopeless for the Frenchman, but at the critical moment on move 66, the Chinese star made the grave error of allowing his opponent to promote to a queen as well, thinking that he had a forced win. The unusual endgame with four queens on the board went on for 32 moves until Ding had to accept that the victory had slipped out of his hands, eventually settling for a perpetual. Vachier-Lagrave was very critical of his performace, calling it unworthy of a final match. Ding was disappointed but found some solace in his high-quality middlegame play. Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian: 1-0 Carlsen returned to the board eager to recover from his loss against Vachier-Lagrave. The main culprit of Aronian’s downfall was his poor time management throughout the game. The World Champion maintained a small edge after getting the bishop pair but Aronian was in the game. The position blew up on move 32 when the Armenian sacrificed a pawn in order to activate his pieces. Unfortunately, he was already low on time and missed a key resource to fully equalize. After a few more inaccuracies by both sides, the players ended up in an opposite-colored bishop endgame where Aronian was down a pawn and already relying heavily on increment, making it practically impossible to hold. He conceded defeat after it became clear that another one of his pawns would inevitably fall. Photo: Grand Chess Tour Official site
Humpy Koneru earns a draw and keeps the lead
Another exciting day at the Yacht Club with four decisive results. The veteran Pia Cramling, the oldest participant in the event and a member of the Cercle d’Echecs de Montecarlo since 2007, climbs to the second position. The Grand Prix had the honor to welcome the Honorary Consul General of Russia in Monaco, Mrs. Ekaterina Semenikhin, to launch the fourth round. The diplomat played a symbolic first move in the encounter between former World Champions Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk. In an interview given afterward, Mrs. Semenikhin revealed that she had played a part in the organization since she had suggested holding the event at the Yacht Club de Monaco. “As one of the most beautiful buildings in Monaco, symbolizing the modern style and modern life, this is a perfect place for the Grand Prix”, she added. For the record, the game between Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk finished rather early with a draw by repetition. The only other encounter where the point was split witnessed a tense battle. Nana Dzagnidze tried hard to beat Humpy Koneru with the white pieces, as this would enable her to overtake her opponent, who has been leading the tournament since day one. The Georgian got a definite edge from the opening and pushed until the very end. It did not work out as Koneru’s defensive skills and resilience proved sufficient. In the remaining four games one part came out victorious and surprisingly only once it was White. Valentina Gunina misplayed her Bogo-Indian opening and soon ended up in a critical position against Zhao Xue. The Chinese produced a good game and did not let this chance slip away. Aleksandra Goryachkina fully recovered from her loss in round two and scored her second consecutive win against Harika Dronavalli. This game seemed to be heading toward a quiet draw, but the World Championship challenger found a way to obtain an edge in the endgame. The Indian did not defend too well, which allowed Goryachkina to display an excellent technique and score a full point. Pia Cramling is having a great event so far. The Swedish legend, the lowest-rated participant in Monaco, is giving a hard time to her younger competitors. After three initial draws, where she actually missed some chances, Pia overcame the resistance of Elisabeth Paehtz. The German is visibly out of shape, as she inexplicably forgot to exchange queens with 27.Qc8. Cramling managed to put pressure on her opponent after that and won a pawn. The fight ended abruptly with a terrible blunder by Paehtz, although most likely she would have lost anyway. Kateryna Lagno and Anna Muzychuk played the longest game of the day. Black refrained from castling, which possibly provoked her opponent into an attacking attempt with 14.Ng5. But eventually, this knight ended up being cut off from its own camp. In order to avoid losing this piece, Lagno had to take some drastic measures, which gave Black wonderful play. The Ukrainian won a pawn and converted it convincingly. Humpy Koneru keeps the lead with three points but is now trailed by four players. Results of Round 4:Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Humpy Koneru (Ind): ½ – ½Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr): ½ – ½Kateryna Lagno (Rus) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr): 0-1Zhao Xue (China) – Valentina Gunina (Rus): 1-0Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus): 0-1Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Pia Cramling (Swe): 0-1 Standings after Round 4:1. Humpy Koneru – 32-5. Nana Dzagnidze, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk and Pia Cramling – 2½6-9. Harika Dronavalli, Zhao Xue, Mariya Muzychuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk – 210. Kateryna Lagno – 1½11. Valentina Gunina – 112. Elisabeth Paehtz – ½ Round 5, 7 December at 3 pm:Pia Cramling (Swe) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo)Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus)Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Zhao Xue (China)Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Harika Dronavalli (Ind)Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger)Humpy Koneru (Ind) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus) Official website with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Josif Dorfman and GM Bartlomiej Heberla: https://wgp2019.fide.comPictures are available in this Dropbox folder. Text: Yannick PelletierPictures: Karol Bartnik
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix reaches cruising speed
Four wins and two draws in an exciting third round at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Humpy Koneru keeps the lead. The second leg of the Women’s Grand Prix seems to run like a clockwork. Like on the previous day, the round ended with four victories and two draws. The game between Mariya Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno was a real roller coaster. Lagno’s opening choice clearly backfired, as she quickly found herself in a critical position. But the King’s Indian would not be the King’s Indian if Black was unable to fish in muddy waters by launching a desperate attack. The value of every move is very high and any mistake by White may turn the tables. Muzychuk wasted part of her advantage with 30.Bb6 and even gave Black a winning attack by playing 31.fxe4. But the position was so unusual and complex that both grandmasters squandered their chances. After Lagno missed a forced mate by 33…Qf4+ (33…Qg5+ instead was winning on the spot), Muzychuk emerged from the time trouble with a winning position and eventually won the game. In fact, Mariya Muzychuk was not the only player to bounce back from a defeat in round two, as both Valentina Gunina and Aleksandra Goryachkina accomplished the same feet. This proved particularly important for Gunina who had suffered two initial losses. Valentina actually won a very nice game against her compatriot Alexandra Kosteniuk, reminding everybody how dangerous an attacking player she can be. In her post-game commentary, Goryachkina felt that her win had been rather smooth after her opponent Zhao Xue made a few inaccuracies in the early middle-game. Indeed, she won a pawn with 23.Bxd5, and converted it confidently in the endgame. Nana Dzagnidze handled the middlegame much better against Elisabeth Paehtz and inflicted a second consecutive defeat to the German. The Georgian gradually increased her advantage and obtained an endgame with a rook and a knight each, where her pieces were much more active. The leader Humpy Koneru somewhat carelessly allowed Anna Muzychuk to grab a pawn on a7. Humpy admitted afterwards that had hoped to trap this adventurous Bishop, but timely realized that she actually had to be careful and seek for equality. Koneru was up to the task as she managed a draw by repetition. Harika Dronavalli and Pia Cramling exchanged queens very early on. The symmetrical structure presaged a quiet game that indeed ended in a draw after 31 moves. Koneru remains the sole leader but faces one of her pursuers in the next round. With the white pieces, Dzagnidze will certainly try to overtake the Indian. Results of Round 3:Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo): 0-1Pia Cramling (Swe) – Harika Dronavalli (Ind): ½ – ½Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Zhao Xue (China): 1-0Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus): 1-0Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus): 1-0Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Humpy Koneru (Ind): ½ – ½ Standings after Round 3: 1. Humpy Koneru – 2½ points2-3. Nana Dzagnidze and Harika Dronavalli – 24-9. Mariya Muzychuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk, and Pia Cramling – 1½10-11. Zhao Xue and Valentina Gunina – 112. Elisabeth Paehtz – ½ Round 4, 6 December at 3 pm:Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Humpy Koneru (Ind)Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr)Kateryna Lagno (Rus) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr)Zhao Xue (China) – Valentina Gunina (Rus)Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus)Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Pia Cramling (Swe) Official website with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Josif Dorfman and GM Bartlomiej Heberla: https://wgp2019.fide.com Pictures are available in this Dropbox folder.