English Chess Forum

Still no draws!

Tim Harding wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:00 pm

Still no draws!

Refresh your screen

At last. My post above was written before the final game.

That was a brutal match.

The schedule is pretty brutal as well; Abdumalik has played 12 straight days I think, 20 games of chess altogether. The first rest day isn't until after the semi-finals. I find the knock-out format entertaining, but it must be really tough on the players. Compare and contrast with Carlsen-Caruana.

Kosteniuk Alexandra (RUS) - Ju Wenjun (CHN)
Muzychuk Mariya (UKR) - Lagno Kateryna (RUS)

1 will be world champion; the other 3 qualify for the Candidates to find a challenger in the new cycle

Interesting how the knockout format always provides a few shocks along the way, but normally ends up with 4 of the higher rated players in the semis

Presumably the last Kosteniuk v Ju game was the last round of the Olympiad?

Muzychuk-Lagno drawn. Ju has an extra pawn vs Kosteniuk although the size of her advantage appears less than move 23.

Lagno and Muzychuk draw again. Kosteniuk is not going to win her ending.

And it's Ju against Lagno.

The first game of the final Ju Wenjun - Katerina Lagno finished in a draw after 36 moves. Nervous first game. Lagno kept staring down Ju who was eating chocolate and coughing quite a bit. Lagno looked to be doing really well after the opening but then in a little time trouble surprisingly opted to trade queens. Ju then looked to have an edge but, to the surprise of the commentators, Morozevich and Kosteniuk, offered a draw in a position where she could do all the pressing.

In game two, Lagno appears to have been thinking for half an hour on move 13

Lagno a pawn up with winning chances after the time control.

She's going to win this. Immense performance.

One-nil to Lagno.