The 10th Menchik Memorial 20th to 24th March 2025

[Mick Norris]

ECF

An IM/WGM women’s norm event from 20th to 24th March 2025 at the Mindsports Centre, 21 Dalling Road, London W6 0JD

[LawrenceCooper]

It started at 10am today with a 15 minute delay:

https://lichess.org/broadcast/10th-menc ... s28#boards
https://www.chess.com/events/2025-mench ... rial/games
https://chess-results.com/tnr1129984.as ... ES&flag=30

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 1 on 2025/03/20 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 1 2352 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 0 - 1 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10
2 2 2288 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea ½ - ½ WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272 9
3 3 2177 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 1 - 0 IM Unuk, Laura 2301 8
4 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga ½ - ½ FM Schulze, Lara 2313 7
5 5 2342 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 1 - 0 IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 6

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 2 on 2025/03/20 at 16:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No. PGN
1 10 2294 WGM Yao, Lan 0 - 1 IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 6 PGN
2 7 2313 FM Schulze, Lara ½ - ½ WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 2342 5 PGN
3 8 2301 IM Unuk, Laura ½ - ½ IM Zimina, Olga 2293 4 PGN
4 9 2272 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 1 - 0 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 2177 3 PGN
5 1 2352 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 0 - 1 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 2288 2 PGN

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 3 on 2025/03/21 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No. PGN
1 2 2288 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 1 - 0 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10
2 3 2177 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 0 - 1 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 2352 1
3 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga 1 - 0 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272 9
4 5 2342 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 1 - 0 IM Unuk, Laura 2301 8
5 6 2296 IM Hunt, Harriet V 1 - 0 FM Schulze, Lara 2313 7

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 4 on 2025/03/21 at 16:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 10 2294 WGM Yao, Lan ½ - ½ FM Schulze, Lara 2313 7
2 8 2301 IM Unuk, Laura ½ - ½ IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 6
3 9 2272 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 1 - 0 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 2342 5
4 1 2352 FM Van Foreest, Machteld ½ - ½ IM Zimina, Olga 2293 4
5 2 2288 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 1 - 0 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 2177 3

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 5 on 2025/03/22 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No. PGN
1 3 2177 WGM Toma, Katarzyna ½ - ½ WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10 PGN
2 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga 0 - 1 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 2288 2 PGN
3 5 2342 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 1 - 0 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 2352 1 PGN
4 6 2296 IM Hunt, Harriet V 0 - 1 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272 9 PGN
5 7 2313 FM Schulze, Lara ½ - ½ IM Unuk, Laura 2301 8 PG

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 6 on 2025/03/22 at 16:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No. PGN
1 10 2294 WGM Yao, Lan 0 - 1 IM Unuk, Laura 2301 8 PGN
2 9 2272 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira ½ - ½ FM Schulze, Lara 2313 7 PGN
3 1 2352 FM Van Foreest, Machteld ½ - ½ IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 6 PGN
4 2 2288 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea ½ - ½ WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 2342 5 PGN
5 3 2177 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 0 - 1 IM Zimina, Olga 2293 4 PGN

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 7 on 2025/03/23 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga 1 - 0 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10
2 5 2342 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja ½ - ½ WGM Toma, Katarzyna 2177 3
3 6 2296 IM Hunt, Harriet V ½ - ½ WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 2288 2
4 7 2313 FM Schulze, Lara ½ - ½ FM Van Foreest, Machteld 2352 1
5 8 2301 IM Unuk, Laura 0 - 1 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272 9

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Round 7 on 2025/03/23 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga 1 - 0 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10

I've gone over this game several times, trying to work out how White managed to turn a complete sterile position at move 15 (arising from the London System) into a big positional advantage just a few moves later. Although both players are better than me, they're not on a different level and I feel I ought to be able to work out what happened.
https://lichess.org/broadcast/10th-menc ... a/eTrrtiqL

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 7 on 2025/03/23 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga 1 - 0 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10

I've gone over this game several times, trying to work out how White managed to turn a complete sterile position at move 15 (arising from the London System) into a big positional advantage just a few moves later. Although both players are better than me, they're not on a different level and I feel I ought to be able to work out what happened.
https://lichess.org/broadcast/10th-menc ... a/eTrrtiqL

f5 looked a step in the wrong direction, weakening e5 and following up with Rhe8 seemed to give white a clear advantage.

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 8 on 2025/03/23 at 16:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No. PGN
1 10 2294 WGM Yao, Lan ½ - ½ WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272 9
2 1 2352 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 0 - 1 IM Unuk, Laura 2301 8
3 2 2288 WGM Navrotescu, Andreea ½ - ½ FM Schulze, Lara 2313 7
4 3 2177 WGM Toma, Katarzyna ½ - ½ IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 6
5 4 2293 IM Zimina, Olga ½ - ½ WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 2342 5

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 9 on 2025/03/24 at 10:00
Bo. No. Rtg White Result Black Rtg No.
1 5 2342 WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 1 - 0 WGM Yao, Lan 2294 10
2 6 2296 IM Hunt, Harriet V ½ - ½ IM Zimina, Olga 2293 4
3 7 2313 FM Schulze, Lara 1 - 0 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 2177 3
4 8 2301 IM Unuk, Laura ½ - ½ WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 2288 2
5 9 2272 WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 0 - 1 FM Van Foreest, Machteld 2352 1

WGM Navrotescu, Andreea 2288+42 6.5/9
WGM Sliwicka, Alicja 2342+16 6/9
IM Zimina, Olga 2293+10 5.5/9
WGM Mirzoeva, Elmira 2272+26 5.5/9
FM Schulze, Lara 2313−6 4.5/9
IM Hunt, Harriet V 2296 == 4.5/9
IM Unuk, Laura 2301−6 4/9
FM Van Foreest, Machteld 2352−36 3.5/9
WGM Yao, Lan 2294−40 2.5/9
Toma, Katarzyna 2177−9 2.5/9

[Mick Norris]

Is that an IM norm for the winner?

[LawrenceCooper]

Is that an IM norm for the winner?

Yes, her second, according to her Facebook post.

Elmira also needed to win for a norm but blundered in a very promising position.