European Women's Championship 2015

[Mick Norris]

Is this a qualifier for the World cup, and if so how many places are on offer?

I'm not sure about the World Cup, Mick, but, having just helped Liz write a piece on the event, I can confirm that there are 14 qualifying places available for the next Women's World Championship.

Thanks for that, Keith, I am assuming then that the next Women's World Championship is a knock out similar to the World Cup

[Jonathan Rogers]

Quite a few of the women play in the 4ncl so will also be very familiar names. ...

http://www.e2e4.ge/

Only three have played in recent years (Paehtz, Stefanova and Keti) so not too many. Top women's chess in Europe seems even more concentrated in Eastern Europe/former Soviet territories than the mens!

When I wrote that Jon I was also thinking of Anastasia Savina who played one weekend for the Jutes in 2013. She is good mates with Liz Paehtz. She drew on the Saturday but on the Sunday she played this long theoretical line in the Grunfeld against Simon Knott (link below to game should you be interested) and lost. Unfortunately, she lost today as well so remains on 2/3 and was close to getting paired with Keti in round 4.

http://chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/3403289

I remember the game well - I was on the next board (drawing with Neil Dickenson). Simon told me later that he had been waiting to play 22...h4 for some time!

Still, it is mainly an Eastern European business, isn't it?

[Roger de Coverly]

Still, it is mainly an Eastern European business, isn't it?

Georgia has been a frequent destination for FIDE and ECU events. I would not have thought it had the best of reputations for event quality, being difficult to reach from Western Europe and liable to find an unfinished hotel or resort when you get there.

[Chris Rice]

Is this a qualifier for the World cup, and if so how many places are on offer?

I'm not sure about the World Cup, Mick, but, having just helped Liz write a piece on the event, I can confirm that there are 14 qualifying places available for the next Women's World Championship.

Thanks for that, Keith, I am assuming then that the next Women's World Championship is a knock out similar to the World Cup

Top seed Nana Dzagnidze has been forced to withdraw from the tournament for family reasons.

Standings after round 3:

1= WGM Sandu Mihaela ROU 2300, IM Kashlinskaya Alina RUS 2423, WGM Girya Olga RUS 2479, IM Batsiashvili Nino GEO 2473 3
5= IM Galojan Lilit ARM, WIM Zaksaite Salomeja LTU 2203, GM Danielian Elina ARM 2458, WFM Sviridova Vlada RUS 2087, IM Galliamova Alisa RUS, 2478, GM Hoang Thanh Trang HUN 2472, GM Socko Monika POL 2467, IM Javakhishvili Lela GEO 2472, IM Kovalevskaya Ekaterina RUS 2450, IM Khurtsidze Nino GEO 2451, GM Khotenashvili Bela GEO 2527 2.5


Amended round 4 pairings:

http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=821

[LawrenceCooper]

Mihaela Sandu leads with 4/4 http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=821

[Chris Rice]

Ketevan now dropped to 60th place on 2/4 with her loss yesterday and will need a run of wins to have any chance of making the top 14.

[Mike Truran]

I'm surprised at the number of views for a thread about an event that has no English players and one Scottish player in it.

[LawrenceCooper]

I'm surprised at the number of views for a thread about an event that has no English players and one Scottish player in it.

I can't speak for the others posting in the thread but I've always tried to encourage women players and I personally know more of the players than I do in the FIDE Grand Prix. It's also easier for me to understand games played between 2300-2500 players than 2700 players

[Carl Hibbard]

I'm surprised at the number of views for a thread about an event that has no English players and one Scottish player in it.

Google tells me 2,643 unique users from 70 countries in the last 7 days so not hard to trigger that number.

[LawrenceCooper]

5/5 for Mihaela: http://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2015-ewc ... hvili_Lela

[Barry Sandercock]

Interesting game by Ketevan today. Both players in great time trouble up to move 40. Keti missed a possible win on move 35, now she will have to do it the hard way, a pawn up in an ending where they both have rook and bishop and pawns on the board.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I'm surprised at the number of views for a thread about an event that has no English players and one Scottish player in it.

I suppose quite a lot of people who frequent this site are interested in chess, period? Amazingly enough

[Chris Rice]

Interesting game by Ketevan today. Both players in great time trouble up to move 40. Keti missed a possible win on move 35, now she will have to do it the hard way, a pawn up in an ending where they both have rook and bishop and pawns on the board.

Ketevan won to go to 3/5 and joint 22= so still chances for the top 14.

http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=821

Round 6 draw is up, another winnable game for Keti I would have thought. http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=821

[Barry Sandercock]

Ketevan winning again (move 41) Tricky ending though.

[Barry Sandercock]

It's looking more like a draw now (move 47). Keti just a pawn up in an ending with K and N each and 4 pawns against 3 pawns.