|
|
Women's World Championship in Nalchik
10.07.2008 – The Women's World Chess Championship will be held from August 28th to September 18th 2008 in Nalchik, a city in the Caucasus region of southern Russia and capital of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. 64 top qualified players take part in the knockout event for the highest title. Nalchik is not very well-known, but it is located in a hotbed region for chess. You can convice yourself by clicking on our map. |
|
|
Ilyumzhinov: Do not mix politics and sport
14.08.2008 – In reply to a recent appeal by a number of participants to move the forthcoming World Chess Championship from Nalchik to a safer location, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov writes: "In the current situation I appeal to all not to mix politics and sport, and not to involve FIDE and the world chess community into political, territorial and other disputes." Statement by Ilyumzhinov. |
|
|
Ilyumzhinov reiterates: we should not mix sport and politics
20.08.2008 – Recently a number of participants in the World Women's Championship appealed to FIDE to have it moved away from a region of armed conflict. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the ECU and the organizers have appealed to the players not to politicize the event. Now Ilyumzhinov gives further assurances. Here's his latest message and letters from participants and readers. |
|
|
Ilyumzhinov to Saakashvili: let your players participate
22.08.2008 – "Fully realizing all complexity of the present situation for the Georgian chess players," writes FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov to the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, "I am appealing to you for your kind assistance in providing the sportsmen with conditions for smooth participation in the World Championship." Letter from the President to the President. |
|
|
Festive opening at the Women's World Championship in Nalchik
30.08.2008 – The Presidents of the World and Russian Chess Federations were there, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and the Kabardino-Balkaria President. But not the Georgian players, and some international participants, who did not attend due to the Russian-Georgian conflict. They lost their games by default. Otherwise most of the top seeds won their first games comfortably. Big pictorial report with video. |
|
|
Nalchik: most favourites through, Zhukova, Sachdev falter
01.09.2008 – Most of the top seeds in the Women's World Championship won their round one matches without much difficulty, with a few long struggles (Elisabeth Paehtz squeaked through in the fifth tie-break game) and a few shockers (13th seed Natalia Zhukova was knocked out by 52nd seed Katerine Rohonyan). We bring you a big pictorial report and some new dramatic Armageddon footage. |
|
|
Nalchik R2: Matveeva beats world champion Xu Yuhua
02.09.2008 – The first game of round two in the Women's World Championship saw 33rd seed IM Svetlana Matveeva of Russia defeat the reigning Women's World Champion and top seed GM Xu Yuhua of China. IM Elisabeth Paehtz lost her white game against Anna Ushenina, while Chinese wondergirl Hou Yifan beat WGM Bathuyang Mongontuul of Mogolia. Big pictorial report with lots of new faces. |
|
|
Nalchik R2: World Champion Xu Yuhua knocked out
03.09.2008 – 4-3-2-1. No, it's not the latest scoring system, but the number of players of different nationalities to qualify for round three: four Russians, three Chinese, two Indians, two Ukrainians, and one player each from Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Sweden. Reigning World Champion Xu Yuhua was knocked out by Svetlana Matveeva, 14-year-old Hou Yifan has won all four games. Full pictorial report. |
|
|
Nalchik R3: Four players score in first game of round three
04.09.2008 – "Hou do you think will win the Championship?" skyped Nigel Short after today's round. Indeed. The 14-year-old Chinese talent Hou Yifan has won all five games she has played so far and must be considered a hot favourite for the title. In other games Ushenina beat Matveeva, Stefanova crushed Gaponenko, Cramling beat Ruan Lufei, top seed Humpy was held by Hoang Thanh Trang.
Full pictorial report. |
|
|
Nalchik R3: And then there were eight
06.09.2008 – Two Chinese girls, Hou and Shen, one Russian, one Ukrainian, an Armenian, Bulgarian, Swede and an Indian remain in the Women's World Championship in Nalchik. Both the high-rated Konsintseva sisters were eliminated in round three, the reigning junior world champion Harika is out as well, so is Svetlana Matveeva, who eliminated World Champion Xu Yuhua in round two. Pictorial report. |
|
|
Nalchik R4: Kosteniuk, Humpy, Hou and Cramling in Semifinals
08.09.2008 – The top seeds have made it in the Women's World Championship. Indian GM Koneru Humpy, rated 2622, defeated Chinese WGM Shen Yang 2-0; Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk eliminated Anna Ushenina of Ukraine; 14-year-old Hou Yifan knocked out Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenian; and GM Pia Cramling of Sweden defeated GM Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria. Round four report. |
|
|
Nalchik R5: Kosteniuk through, Hou and Humpy in tiebreak
11.09.2008 – GM Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia outplayed her Swedish opponent GM Pia Cramling in the first game of the semi-finals of the World Women's Championship, and then drew the second game to advance to the Final. Top seed GM Koneru Humpy of India lost her first game against Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan but won the second one, narrowly, to foced a tiebreak. Illustrated report. |
|
|
Nalchik R5: 14-year-old Hou Yifan in the final
12.09.2008 – Facing the top seed GM Koneru Humpy of India in the Women's World Championship the young Chinese super-talent proved to have the better nerves. After winning the first rapid chess game she lost the second, but then in the blitz playoff it was Hou all the way. With two wins in succession she reached the final and will play Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk. Full illustrated report. |
|
|
Nalchik Final: Kosteniuk leads, miracle save by Hou
15.09.2008 – In the first of the four-game final of the Women's World Championship Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, playing with the black pieces, scored a very convincing victory over her Chinese opponent. In the second game Kosteniuk had four pawns against Hou's one in a rook ending, but the 14-year-old was able to pull off a miracle save. The score is now 1.5:0.5 for Kosteniuk. Report from Nalchik. |
|
|
Nalchik Final: Kosteniuk leads 2:1, needs just a draw
16.09.2008 – The third game of the Women's World Championship Final was a tough, 72-move draw. That left the Russian GM Alexandra Kosteniuk in the lead with 2:1 points. On Wednesday the 14-year-old Chinese has to win with black in the last game to force a tiebreak. Kosteniuk can pick up the title with a draw. The game starts at 15:00h local time (GMT +3). You can watch it on the Playchess server. |
|
|
Nalchik: Alexandra Kosteniuk is Women's World Champion
17.09.2008 – The Russian GM drew the fourth game against the 14-year-old Chinese wondergirl Hou Yifan to win the final of the Women's World Championship with a 2.5:1.5 score. In the final game Alexandra Kosteniuk was winning but played it safe and drew with a perpetual check. We bring you a final pictorial report from Nalchik with a special section of the actors in the background. Beautiful people. |
