2018 Women's World Championship

[NickFaulks]

Hadn't realised that zero tolerance was in effect.

Really? I'm not sure that Pavel has got that right.

[Mick Norris]

Hadn't realised that zero tolerance was in effect.

Really? I'm not sure that Pavel has got that right.

Pete Doggers report

One odd regulation this year is that there will be zero-tolerance for arriving at the games. Most tournaments work with a 15- or 30-minute time for players to arrive after that start of the round, but to the (unpleasant) surprise of the participants, chief arbiter Igor Bolotinsky announced zero-tolerance at the opening ceremony. (He even remarked that there was also zero-tolerance at the Batumi Olympiad, which isn't true.)

[Tim Harding]

18-year-old Iranian Mobina Alinasab beat Elisabeth Paehtz in the biggest upset of Day 1, but favourites Olga Girya, Alina Kashlinskaya, Ni Shiqun & Lela Javakhishvili also lost & must win tomorrow to stay in the event!

As at approx 1345 GMT:
Girya is out. Ni Shiqun won to force a tie-breaker tomorrow.
Some other matches will also continue, including Krush and Lei.
Stefanova-Foisor is still going but Foisor may be able to hold with B+N v two Bs

It looks like Javakhishvili and Paehtz are toast. Also Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant unfortunately.

Kashlinskaya needs to win an equal R+B ending,

[Chris Rice]

18-year-old Mobina Alinasab from Iran knocks out 259-point higher rated Elisabeth Paehtz by drawing the second game. Alina Kashlinskaya also leaves in Round 1 after failing to get the win she needed against her talented 19-year-old Uzbek opponent.

[JustinHorton]

[Chris Rice]

Tie-breaks tomorrow:

Lei Tingjie-Gara
Saduakassova-Matnadze
Krush-Gaponenko
Zhukova-Ni Shiqun
Atalik-Cori
Foisor-Stefanova
Harika-Khukhashvili
Vera Gutierrez-Bodnaruk
Padmini-Abdumalik
Nakhbayeva-Galliamova
Hoang Thanh Trang-Danielian

The tie-break will start with two games with rapid time control: 25 minutes plus 10 second per move. If the match is still tied, it will continue with two slow blitz games – 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. After that, if the winner is still not determined, two 5+3 blitz games will follow. Finally, those matches that are still tied, will proceed to the Armageddon game.

[Tim Harding]

Playoffs just under way at 10am GMT

[Tim Harding]

Results of the first tie-break games:
(List as above but colours may have been different)

Lei Tingjie-Gara LEI
Saduakassova-Matnadze SADUAKASSOVA
Krush-Gaponenko KRUSH
Zhukova-Ni Shiqun DRAW
Atalik-Cori ATALIK
Foisor-Stefanova STEFANOVA
Harika-Khukhashvili DRAW
Vera Gutierrez-Bodnaruk BODNARUK
Padmini-Abdumalik DRAW
Nakhbayeva-Galliamova GALLIAMOVA
Hoang Thanh Trang-Danielian HOANG

[Tim Harding]

ROUND TWO line-ups starting tomorrow Tues at 10am GMT:

Ju, Wenjun v Krush
Batsiashvili v Zhai, Mo
Tan Zhongyi v Tokhirjonova
Gunina v Ushenina
A. Muzychuk v Bodnaruk
Stefanova v Saduakassova
Kosteniuk v Ni, Shiqun
Harika v Khotenashvili
Koneru v Zawadzka
Abdumalik v Zhao, Xue
M. Muzychuk v Atalik
Alinasab v Socko
Lagno v Hoang
Pogonina v Zhu, Jiner
Goryachkina v Galliamova
Dzagnidze v Lei, Tingjie

[JustinHorton]

I like the look of that top pairing. Krush was pretty fearless at the Olympiad.

Western European women's chess definitively demonstrating its strength in depth.

[Leonard Barden]

Western European women's chess definitively demonstrating its strength in depth.

? Krush (ex-Ukraine) is the only survivor in the round of 32 from outside Asia and Eastern Europe.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

It took me a while to pick up on Justin's sarcasm there.

[Leonard Barden]

There are only seven women in the Fide top 50 from outside Asia/E Europe. Paehtz and Krush were the only two of those in K-M, so what happened in round one hardly demonstrates anything new.

[Chris Rice]

I haven't seen any public announcement yet but Emil Sutovsky is reporting on FB that FIDE has negotiated with the organizers 20% payment on the top of the prize fund, hence this money will not be deducted from the players' prizes.

[Alex Holowczak]

I haven't seen any public announcement yet but Emil Sutovsky is reporting on FB that FIDE has negotiated with the organizers 20% payment on the top of the prize fund, hence this money will not be deducted from the players' prizes.

I think the consensus on that thread was that it was actually agreed several months ago, but no one noticed/it wasn't explained very well.