Women's Grand Prix, Skolkovo

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JustinHorton
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Women's Grand Prix, Skolkovo

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:19 am

Currently taking place in the outskirts of Moscow, two places in the next Candidates' Tournament being there to be won. Ju Wenjun, who won't qualify for either place on account of being world champion already, leads wirh 3/4, jointly with Valentina Gunina.
Last edited by JustinHorton on Sun Sep 22, 2019 2:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:59 pm

Gunina's played a red move early doors when you'd maybe expect her to be still within her preparation, unless Stefanova's 9...g5 is new
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:42 pm

Amazing scenes in Gunina v Stevanova where White recovered a draw from a position of about minus five after having played like a drain for 25 moves or so. Harika let slip an advantage of similar dimensions against Kosteniuk.
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John McKenna

Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:00 am

JustinHorton wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:59 pm
Gunina's played a red move early doors when you'd maybe expect her to be still within her preparation, unless Stefanova's 9...g5 is new
Gunina,V [GM 2502]-Stefanova,A [GM 2491] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.d3 d6 7.c3 Ba7!? 8.h3 (Be3... 0-1 [31] Georgiadis,I [2312]-Stefanova,A [2520] 2006 Kavala Op.) 8... h6 9.Re1 g5!? 10.Nh2N!? (d4 Qe7 11.de de 12.Bc6 bc 13.Be3 g4 14.hg Be3 15.Re3 Ng4... 1/2 [39!] Matoewi,R [2219]-Harper,R [2284] 2013 Paramaribo) 10... g4 11.hg Rg8... 1/2 [39!] FIDE Womens' GP 2019

So, the above 9... g5, played p.d.q. by Stefanova, is not new (Gunina's reply took about 6 mins.) but this one might be -

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 O-O 6.O-O Re8 7.Bg5 a6!? 8.Ba4 h6 9.Bh4 g5N!? (b5 10.Bc2 g5 ... 0-1 [46] Giri-Nakamura 2016 Paris) 10.Bg3 b5 11.Bb3 d6... 0-1 [42] ??-?? [2.1] FIDE World Cup 2019

Mick Norris
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:07 am

TWIC
It is the first of four Women's Grand Prix events. 16 players compete in the series. 12 players compete in each of the four round robin events. Players: Dronavalli Harika, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Pia Cramling, Humpy Koneru, Valentina Gunina, Kateryna Lagno, Elisabeth Paehtz, Wenjun Ju, Antoaneta Stefanova, Alina Kashlinskaya, Marie Sebag, Anna Muzychuk, Mariya Muzychuk, Nana Dzagnidze and Xue Zhao.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:27 am

Thanks for that, my understanding of what was happening clearly pretty wonky.
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:00 am

At the time I read your "red move" I thought Stefanova's understanding was wonky, too.

Seems she didn't give it any thought at the board if clock times are to be believed.

Not sure about 9.Nh2 by Gunina - a bit defensive - 9.d4 by the Suriname FM Roger Matoewi is the standard central reply but he came under attack and had to take a perpetual to avoid losing.

??-?? is Maghsoodloo v. Aronian from round 2 (game 1, I think), which also surprised me - looks like Black can advance on both wings and if White does not find an effective response, somewhere, it will just result in Black beating a White retreat.

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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:38 am

I would particularly like Harika to do well and ideally win the world championship...because I've played her.

I lost, obviously, but "I have played the world champion" would be a nice boast to be able to make.
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:50 pm

R6 pairs -

Paehtz,E (2479) 2.5 - 3.5 Gunina,V (2502)
Stefanova,A (2491) 2 - 3 Lagno,K (2545)
Cramling,P (2487) 1.5 - 3 Koneru,H (2560)
Goryachkina,A (2564) 3 - 2.5 Dronavalli,H (2503)
Kosteniuk,A:(2495) 2 - 1.5 Sebag,M (2450)
Ju,W (2576) 3.5 - 2 Kashlinskaya,A (2487)

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JustinHorton
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:01 pm

Goryachkina is absolutely pasting Harika, and her opponent in January, Ju, shouldn't be detained too long. In the absence of Hou these two do look a class above the rest.

Round-up after three hours: Cramling was playing Olympiads before any of the other seven were even born, and her age may be showing a bit as she gets worn down. Kosteniuk v Sebag is a tight game. Gunina is worse against Paehtz but not on the clock, and for the second time in as many days Stefanova is resisting her opponent's attempts to throw the game at her.
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:28 pm

Ju wins. Kosteniuk and Sebag draw a very drawn game. Stefanova losing her won game today, as opposed to the draw she got from a won game yesterday. Gunina has lost her time advantage and is losing everything else. Cramling still struggling but not dead yet.

A funny thing happened in Goryachnika v Harika: White, with plenty of time for four moves and a plus eight position, passed up what look like a couple of instant-resignation inducers for a move that kept the game alive, albeit still comfortably won if White keeps her head. The extra half-hour she shortly recieved ought to be helpful in that respect.
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:33 pm

R6 results -

Paehtz,E (2479) [2.5] 1-0 [3.5] Gunina,V (2502)
Stefanova,A (2491) [2] 0-1 [3] Lagno,K (2545)
Cramling,P (2487) [1.5] 0 -1 [3] Koneru,H (2560)
Goryachkina,A (2564) [3] 1-0 [2.5] Dronavalli,H (2503)
Kosteniuk,A (2495) [2] 1/2 [1.5] Sebag,M (2450)
Ju,W (2576) [3.5] 1-0 [2] Kashlinskaya,A (2487)

Mick Norris
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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:11 pm

Rest day tomorrow

Future GPs are Monaco, 2-15 December, Lausanne, 1-20 March, and Sardinia, 20 May to 10 June

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Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Wed Sep 18, 2019 1:09 pm

After a rest day play just resumed.

Standings -

1. Ju 4.5/6

2-4. Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno 4/6

5-6. Gunina, Paehtz 3.5/6

7-8. Harika, Kosteniuk 2.5/6

9-11. Stefanova, Kashlinskaya, Sebag 2.0/6

12. Cramling 1,5/6

R7 pairs -

Gunina,V (2502) Ju,W (2576)

Koneru,H (2560) - Stefanova,A (2491)

Lagno,K (2545) - Paehtz,E (2479)

Sebag,M (2450) - Goryachkina,A (2564)

Kashlinskaya,A (2487) - Kosteniuk,A (2495)

Harika,D (2503) - Cramling,P (2487)
Last edited by John McKenna on Wed Sep 18, 2019 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

John McKenna

Re: Women's Grand Prix

Post by John McKenna » Wed Sep 18, 2019 1:35 pm

Lagno-Paehtz, French Defence, started at a rate of knots,

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