North Urals Cup 2008

It has started – the North Urals Cup 2008
27.07.2008 – A low drawing ratio, fighting chess, grandmasters, girls with curls – this is what makes women's chess so attractive. The North Urals Cup 2008 begins today, with GM Koneru Humpy, GM Antoaneta Stefanova, GM Pia Cramling, IM Marie Sebag, IM Anna Muzychuk, GM Xu Yuhua (world champions), IM Anna Ushenina and WGM Natalija Pogonina. Pictorial, interview with Xu Yuhua.

North Urals R2: Stefanova leads 2-0, Humpy slumps with 0-2
28.07.2008 – Shocking: top seed and second strongest female player in the world, GM Koneru Humpy of India, lost her first two games in the North Urals Cup. On the other hand former World Women's Champion Antoaneta Stefanova won both her games to take the lead in in this strongest women's event in history. We bring you games, results, interviews, and a spectacular pictorial by Vadim Smalkov.

North Urals R3: Humpy beats Cramling, Stefanova leads
29.07.2008 – Two games ended in short draws, one (Ushenina vs Stefanova) in 14 moves, one (Xu-Muzychuk) in 18. Apparently this was the calm after the storm. Koneru Humpy recovered from her two shock defeats with a victory over Pia Cramling, while Marie Sebag battered away, in vain, at Natalija Pogonina for 117 moves. Round three report with more beautiful pictures by Vadim Smalkov.

North Urals: An active day off for active players
31.07.2008 – Three arduous rounds of chess, one nice day of rest, but not by any means of inactivity. The eight participants of the strongest women's chess tournament of all time made a trip to the river, where you throw in coins to ensure your return. Then a festive dinner. Speeches. Then Karaoke. Then some dance moves. Free day report, richly illustrated with pictures by Vadim Smalkov.

North Urals R7: Stefanova wins, followed by Ushenina, Sebag
03.08.2008 – It was the strongest women's tournament in history – category 11, Elo average 2522. The round robin North Urals Cup in Krasnoturinsk, Russia, was won by former women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova, half a point ahead of Anna Ushenina and Marie Sebag. The event was a big disappointment for top seed Koneru Humpy, who played 114 points below her 2622 FIDE rating. Final report.