2010 Women’s Chess Championship: Round #2


2010 Women World Chess Championship
Round #2 Pairings
# Player ELO
Nation
Flag
Player ELO
Nation
Flag
1 Kosteniuk 2507
RUS
Russia
Khukhashvili, 2430
GEO
Georgia
2 Koneru 2600
IND
India
Houska 2421
ENG
England
3 Hou 2591
CHN
China
Romanko 2414
RUS
Russia
4 Kosintseva 2581
RUS
Russia
Dembo 2454
GRE
Greece
5 Dzagnidze 2551
GEO
Georgia
Skripchenko 2460
FRA
France
6 Stefanova 2548
BUL
Bulgaria
Huang 2402
CHN
China
7 Muzychuk, A 2462
SLO
Slovenia
Ovod 2387
RUS
Russia
8 Yildiz 2225
TUR
Turkey
Muzychuk, M 2462
UKR
Ukraine
9 Harika 2525
IND
India
Shadrina 2384
RUS
Russia
10 Ju 2524
CHN
China
Kovanova 2380
RUS
Russia
11 Lahno 2522
UKR
Ukraine
Hoang 2473
HUN
Hungary
12 Cmilyte 2514
LTU
Lithuania
Paehtz 2474
GER
Germany
13 Chiburdanidze 2502
GEO
Georgia
Zhao 2474
CHN
China
14 Socko 2495
POL
Poland
Zhu 2477
QAT
Qatar
15 Sebag 2494
FRA
France
Zatonskih 2478
USA
USA
16 Ruan 2480
CHN
China
Zhang 2339
CHN
China

Round #2 – Game #1
Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Kosintseva and Cmilyte fall… backs against the wall.

The second round showed more competitive games. Hou Yifan played an interesting game with two nimble knights versus an advanced white king. Romanko’s rook seemed impotent against the circular coverage of the galloping horses.

Maia Chiburdanidze hopes things will warm up after her loss to China’s Zhao Xue.

Tatiana Kosintseva’s game against Yelena Dembo was a big disappointment. The Russian got a promising position out of a Rauzer Attack and seemed ready to land a finishing blow. There were opportunities to sacrifice a piece for a strong attack, but they were passed up for safer continuations. Kosintseva lost the thread and Dembo’s bishop picked off the white knight and stole the full point.

Dronavali Harika gave a good example of the old video game “Space Invaders” as she unleashed a pawn avalanche up the board. Elizabeth Paehtz crushed Viktoria Cmilyte after sacking her queen for two rooks which coordinated with great effect. Zhao Xue trounced former women’s world champion Maia Chiburdanidze when she uncorked a combination to trap the queen. Zhao kept the edge and in a time scramble to reach move, Chiburdanidze walked into mate.

Official Site
Drum Coverage
Round Two Results
(MS-Excel)

2 Comments

  1. Round #2 – Game #2
    Wednesday, 8 December 2010

    Only one Russian left… three Chinese advance to make final sixteen

    IM Yelena Dembo had lots to smile about today. Photo by wwcxc2010.tsf.org.tr.

    IM Yelena Dembo had lots to smile about today.
    Photo by wwcxc2010.tsf.org.tr.

    The Russians destroyed the competition in the 2010 Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk going a perfect 11-0. It appeared that they were showing that Russian women are back on track to reclaiming excellence in women’s chess. That goal took a tremendous hit as Natalia Kosintseva was eliminated today by Yelena Dembo. All other Russians were eliminated except for Alexandra Kosteniuk who has to battle Georgia’s Sopiko Khukhashvili in the tiebreaks.

    China continues to roll after three players advance to the next round. Another Chinese will join Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun, Zhao Xue since the winner of Ruan Lufei-Zhang Xiaowen match will advance. Huang Qian will play former women’s champion Antoaneta Stefanova. Thus, China could possibly have five players of the remaining sixteen! Former women’s champion Zhu Chen, who won the title as a Chinese national, is still in the hunt. She now plays for Qatar. Chinese remains as a strong force in women’s chess.

    There are a whopping seven tiebreak matches (out of sixteen) tomorrow.

    Official Site
    Drum Coverage
    Round Two Results
    (MS-Excel)

  2. Round #2 – Tiebreak
    Thursday, 9 December 2010

    Asians storm into round three!

    Is Zhu Chen being overlooked?

    In an unprecedented event, two more Chinese climbed into contention at the Women’s World Championship in Turkey. There will be five Chinese in the “Sweet Sixteen” after Huang Qian ousted Antoaneta Stefanova in tiebreaks 2-0.

    Despite the loss of Stefanova, there are several favorites remaining such as World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, top-seed Koneru Humpy, Kateryna Lahno and Viktorija Cmiltye.

    Zhu Chen is another former World Champion who has an impressive contingent here with GM Alexander Morozevich and husband GM Mohamed Al-Modiakhi in Turkey helping her. Zhu won the crown as a Chinese national, but has since moved to Qatar. She will have a tough task ahead facing Hou Yifan in round #3.

    Official Site
    Drum Coverage
    Round Two Results
    (MS-Excel)

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