FIDE Women Grand Prix Qatar 20 Feb - 6 Mar 2011

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Does anyone know why Chiburdanidze didn't try 52 Bc6 instead of agreeing a draw?

It does seem like a rather obvious winning attempt. She played what looked to me like a horrible blunder in the first round when she grabbed an irrelevant pawn in a drawn ending, allowing her opponent to obtain a powerful protected passed pawn on the sixth rank. Maybe she's just getting too old to play chess at this level. Not everyone is Korchnoi.

Koneru had a very strong position earlier in round 9, but it looks very difficult to win now, particularly as she has next to no time left.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Maybe she's just getting too old to play chess at this level. Not everyone is Korchnoi

Hmm, you would think she is rock bottom of the table based on those comments

[LozCooper]

.

[Matt Mackenzie]

.

[LozCooper]

Maybe she's just getting too old to play chess at this level. Not everyone is Korchnoi

Hmm, you would think she is rock bottom of the table based on those comments

She's still a 2500 GM on 50% in a tough tournament full of GMs. There may be a good reason why she didn't play it, but not sure what it is.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Fair comment - (even) stronger players than her have done similar before, though

[LozCooper]

Round 10 on 2011/03/04 at 15:00

Name Rtg Res. Name Rtg

GM Dzagnidze Nana 2550 - GM Zhu Chen 2495 0-1
GM Koneru Humpy 2607 - IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2475 1-0
IM Fierro Baquero Martha L 2363 - GM Xu Yuhua 2484 0-1
GM Cramling Pia 2516 - GM Danielian Elina 2454 1-0
GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2546 - IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2410 0.5-0.5
GM Sebag Marie 2489 - GM Chiburdanidze Maia 2502 0.5-0.5

Leaders:

Danielian 7.5
Koneru & Sebag 7
Cramling 5.5
Chiburdanidze & Dzagnidze 5
Fierro & Mkrtchian, Munguntuul & Xu Yuhua 4
Stefanova & Zhu Chen 3.5

[LozCooper]

Round 11 on 2011/03/05 at 09:00 UK time

Name Rtg Res. Name Rtg

GM Danielian Elina 2454 (7.5) - GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2546 (3.5) 0.5-0.5
GM Zhu Chen 2495 (3.5) - GM Koneru Humpy 2607 (7)
IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2410 (4) - GM Sebag Marie 2489 (7)
GM Xu Yuhua 2484 (4) - GM Cramling Pia 2516 (5.5)
GM Chiburdanidze Maia 2502 (5) - GM Dzagnidze Nana 2550 (5) 0.5-0.5
IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2475 (4) - IM Fierro Baquero Martha L 2363 (4)

[LozCooper]

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7059

Humpy in striking distance – showdown on Saturday
04.03.2011 – In round ten of the Women Grand Prix in Doha the leading player, GM Elina Danielian of Armenia was outplayed by her Swedish colleague Pia Cramling, while Humpy Koneru, the hot contender for the right to challenge for the women's world championship later this year, took a full point from Lilit Mkrtchian. All is set for an exciting finish on Saturday. Note that the round begins three hours earlier!

So here's the situation: Danielian may opt to take a short draw against Antoaneta Stefanova to secure at least equal first. Humpy needs to beat Zhu Chen with black in the last round in order to challenge the reigning world champion Hou Yifan in this year's championship match.

[LozCooper]

Humpy Koneru has played the Bd6 Benoni in her must win game

[Carl Hibbard]

Humpy Koneru has played the Bd6 Benoni in her must win game

Ouch, that something you still play Loz - isn't it considered rubbish?

[LozCooper]

Humpy Koneru has played the Bd6 Benoni in her must win game

Ouch, that something you still play Loz - isn't it considered rubbish?

I won my first 10 games with it and I also used it to beat a 2600, Mikhailevski, in the Queenstown blitz.

But I am also aware that's rubbish although probably not as bad as the Bd6 Czech Benoni which I punted on a couple of occasions including a game against Keith Arkell where he jokingly said Bd6 to me just as I picked up the bishop

[Richard Bates]

Lol at Chiburdanidze-Dzagnidze. Good to see that some of the old stagers won't take Sofia rules lying down!

[LozCooper]

Round 11 on 2011/03/05 at 09:00 UK time

Name Rtg Res. Name Rtg

GM Danielian Elina 2454 (7.5) - GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2546 (3.5) 0.5-0.5
GM Zhu Chen 2495 (3.5) - GM Koneru Humpy 2607 (7) 0-1
IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2410 (4) - GM Sebag Marie 2489 (7) 1-0
GM Xu Yuhua 2484 (4) - GM Cramling Pia 2516 (5.5) 1-0
GM Chiburdanidze Maia 2502 (5) - GM Dzagnidze Nana 2550 (5) 0.5-0.5
IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2475 (4) - IM Fierro Baquero Martha L 2363 (4) 0.5-0.5

Final scores:

Danielian & Koneru 8/11
Sebag 7
Chiburdanidze, Cramling & Dzagnidze 5.5/11
Munguntuul & Xu Yuhua 5
Fierro & Mkrtchian 4.5
Stefanova 4
Zhu Chen 3.5

[Leonard Barden]

Koneru wins final round, shares first with Danielian, qualifies for 10-game world title match with Hou Yifan.