Rostov R5: Four wins, three with the black pieces

The Rostov Chess Federation in collaboration with FIDE and Global Chess is organising the first event for the 2011/2012 Women's Grand Prix series. The tournament is being held in the Don-Plaza Hotel and runs from August 1st (arrival, opening) until August 15 (departure). The eleven rounds are between August 2nd and 14, with rest days on the 6th and 11th. The start of the games from of rounds 1-10 is 3:00 p.m. local time, round 11 at starts at noon local time. The winner receives 6,500 Euros out of a total prize fund of 40,000 Euros, and the overall winner of the Women's Grand Prix will win a further 15,000 Euros at the end of the series.

Round five report

Alisa Galliamova-Lufei Ruan was an English Opening with a bishop fianchetto. Black defended accurately, exchanging queens and reaching an equal position. However, 17.b4 brought a slight stable advantage to White, which Galliamova used to win a pawn before the first time control. The Russian Champion converted this into a technically winning ending and victory.

Elina Danielian-Kateryna Lahno was also an English Opening, with Lahno taking control around move 14 and gaining a clear advantage by move 23. Danielian tried to sharpen the position by sacrificing a pawn on e2, and succeeded in equalising. But the Armenian missed 27.Qf7+ and ended up simply a pawn down. She resigned in a completely hopeless position after move 36.

Ekaterina Kovalevskaya-Tatiana Kosintseva saw White choosing a closed position, but Black vigorously attacking her kingside fianchetto. At the time control Black had a clear space advantage. Kosintseva took over the queenside and pushed her b-pawn to promotion. She ended it on move 50 a queen and bishop up and a forced mate on the board.

Humpy Koneru and Alexandra Kosteniuk in the press conference after their game

Alexandra Kosteniuk-Humpy Koneru was a Ruy Lopez Breyer, with the Indian GM gaining a clear advantage by the first time control. However Black played an inaccurate 40th move (exchanging queens instead of protecting hers with the king). However the former women's world champion did not seize the opportunity to enter a drawish endgame and Humpy took over again to win her second game in this tournament.

Nadezhda Kosintseva-Yifan Hou saw Black going for a Najdorf and showing that she knew the variation perfectly: her first 23 moves were executed in just a minute and a half. After that Hou launched an enterprising attack, but Kosintseva had a way out and ended up a pawn up in a drawn ending (which her opponent knew how to play).

Anna Muzychuk-Antoaneta Stefanova was a game between the only two players who skipped the free day excursion (see below) in order to have more time for their preparation. The game produced an interesting line of the Caro-Kann in which White launched a thematic kingside attack. However when queens came off the board (on move 14) it was Black who had a distinct advantage. But with small inaccuracies around move 28 she let her opponent off the hook and the game ended after 68 moves in a draw.

Our friends in the press room of Rostov: Bambusha Nominkhanova (in red) and...

... Kema Goryaeva from Kalmykia. She worked for FIDE for about ten years – actually she ran the FIDE office in Elista, and then for UEP for three years, helping to organise a number of big events (like the 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship in Bonn). Today Kema freelances occasionally at chess tournaments, and also organises international boxing events in Elista (the next is in October). "BTW boxing is a very interesting game," she writes us, "more actions, more emotions."

Current standings

Free day

On the free day (Saturday) the players are taken into the city to get a feel for Rostov-on-Don

The first church on this site was the wooden Church of the Intercession was built in 1735 with logs from the fortress of St. Anna, abolished by Dimitry Rostovsky. The last church on this site was completely destroyed in the 1930s and the current "temple" was built in 2005 with money provided by the residents of Rostov-on-Don. There is a beautiful picture of the church here.

An arial vies of Pokrovsky Park and the church (click to view larger map)

The participants gather around a map showing how the town was founded from a
serfdom settlement and given the name Rostov-on-Don in the year 1806

Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, Tatiana and Nadezhda Kosintseva on the outing

In Pokrovsky Park: Ruan Lufei takes a picture of Hou Yifan and her mother...

... and now someone takes a picture of the WGM , the mom and the GM WCh

In 1865 Rostov-on-Don becaime one of the first Russian cities to introduce a water
supply system with five kilometres of pipes – a revolution that allowed housewives...

In the Natural History Museum: GMs Lahno, Kosteniuk, Danielian, T. Kosentseva

Photo with photographer: Katya, Elina and Anastasiya Karlovich shooting into a mirror

Chess players in the park – a typical scene anywhere in Russia

A special gala lunch for the players and officials

Gifts for the international guests

Hand painted wall plaques and plates

Souvenirs are always welcome – Kateryna Lahno, Ruan Lufei

A final picture from the outing, with all participants and a proud chess player from the park

Pictures by Anastasiya Karlovich and
Kema Goryaeva with kind permission of FIDE

Schedule and results

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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