Turkish Children's Team Championship 2011

Turkish Children's Team Championship 2011
12-17th April in Kemer, Antalya
Chessdom

Turkish Children's Team Championship U-11 started in Kemer (Antalya) on Tuesday, April 12th, 2011, and will continue until 17th April. More than 1100 chess clubs all around Turkey were trying to earn the right to participate here. This year 288 players and 46 clubs are taking part in the event.

In comparison, the first such tournament was organized by the Turkish Chess Federation last year and gathered 165 players within 26 teams in total. After the start of the program "Chess in schools" few years back, thousands of young chess players appeared in the country. Statistic of the TCF shows that the number of children learning chess from 2005 till 2010 increased to 2.250.000 (two million, two hundred fifty thousand).

The Championship is played over 9 rounds of Swiss system, with time control 60 min per game +30sec from the 1st move. The organizers are providing live transmission of all the games in the tournament (96 boards).

Text and photo by Anastasiya Karlovich

European Individual Women Championship canceled

The Turkish Chess Federation was granted the 2011 European Individual Women Championship, the 2011 European Women Rapid and the European Women Blitz. The contract was signed in March, 2010 in Rijeka, Croatia.

The Turkish Chess Federation has a concrete strategy in investing in women’s chess by supporting and organising Atatürk Memorial in 2008, FIDE Women Grand Prix in 2009, Women’s World Championship in 2010, ACP Women World Cup in 2009 and the events granted specifically for women are 2011 European Women Individual Championship, 2012 European Women Individual Championship, 2011 Women World Team Championship, ACP Women World Cup 2011, FIDE Women Grand Prix in 2012.

These last few weeks, we started to communicate with the General Secretary of ECU to finalise the details of this event and then as a result of insulting and condescending behaviour on her part we requested the intervention of the President of the ECU, Mr.Silvio Danaiolov.

None of those attempts have however worked, as you will see from the various emails and letters sent, and we were completely neglected by ECU management. This is really a big disappointment for me considering that I was the first person celebrating the victory of ECU President just after election and wishing him good luck in the next 4 years.

I also sent a last official message on 24th December 2010.

Again, we have not been answered.

After all this unfair approach, we have decided to withdraw from the organisation of the 2011 European Individual Women Championship. Event, may I add, which would have created chess history with prizes at the same level as the event in Aix les Bains. Please look at below for the prize fund comparison.

We will take under careful consideration the legal rights of Turkish Chess Federation in the next few days.

We try to hope that this will be the last conflict between TSF and ECU management, created for no reason.

We would like to draw your attention to these issues in the interest of ECU and its future.

Best regards,
Ali Nihat YAZICI
President

Women's World Championship Final LIVE! Playoff

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

And we have a playoff!

Yifan inexplicably chose to get into a very sharp game when she only needed a draw to win the Women's World Championship. Just as in past games, Lufei misplayed her position to let her advantage disappear and to allow Yifan back into the game. However, a few inaccurate moves by Black allowed White to regain the momentum. This time, Lufei capitalized on her good position to even up the match. The match is now tied at 2-2. They will go into the playoff to decide the title.

Ruan, Lufei (2480) vs. Hou, Yifan (2591)
Women's World Championship (game 4)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4 h6 7. h4 Nc6 8. Rg1 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Bg2 Qe5+ 12. Be3 Qh2 13. f4 Bd7 14. Qd2 Nxd4 15. O-O-O Bc5 16. Bxd4 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 O-O-O 18. Qc4+ Kb8 19. Qe4 Bc8 20. h5 Ka8 21. a4 Rd5 22. Rdf1 Qh4 23. Qc4 Rd7 24. a5 Qd8 25. a6 Qa5 26. Kb1 Kb8 27. axb7 Bxb7 28. Bxb7 Rxb7 29. Qd4 Ka8 30. Rf3 Rhb8 31. b3 f6 32. Rd1 Qb4 33. Qe3 Rb6 34. Rd4 Qe7 35. Qd3 R6b7 36. Re3 Re8 37. Rd6 e5 38. fxe5 fxe5 39. Re4 Qc7 40. Rd5 Qb8 41. Rc4 Rf8 42. Kb2 Qe8 43. Rdc5 Qe6 44. Qe4 Kb8 45. Rxe5 Qf6 46. Rc6 Qf7 47. Rf5 1-0

Can she do it?

Ruan, Lufei is trailing Hou, Yifan by the score of 1-2 with just one more classical game left. But she will have White in game 4. Do you think she can even up the score to force another playoff?

Student aims to be Chess Queen

CMU student aims to be chess queen
By Craig Smith
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Carnegie Mellon University doctoral student is hoping to return to Pittsburgh as the women's world chess champion -- if she can play David to her opponent's Goliath.

Lufei Ruan, 23, a student at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business who is playing for China, beat Xue Zhao, also of China, to reach the finals at the world championships in Hatay, Turkey, on Saturday. She's playing another Chinese player, Hou Yifan, 16, for the title this week.

Their first match Monday ended in a draw, which some observers count as a good sign for Ruan. But Yifan struck back Tuesday and led in the four-game match.

"Her nerves are very good," Alexander Shabalov, a four-time U.S. chess champion who lives in Squirrel Hill, said of Ruan, who defeated defending champion Alexandra Kosteniuk on her way to the finals. Ruan declined to be interviewed.

Strong nerves are needed in the high-stakes game, said Carnegie Mellon doctoral student Iryna Zenyuk, 24, a women's international master from Ukraine.

According to World Chess Federation rankings, Yifan is No. 3 in the world with 2,591 points; Ruan is rated No. 21 with 2,480 points.

Here is the full article.

Hou Yifan draws first blood in game 2

Ruan had a promising position early in the opening. However, a few inaccuracies cost her the advantage. Ruan continued to misplay the endgame and Hou Yifan took full advantage of it to score her first win in the Women's World Championship.

Ruan, Lufei (2480) - Hou, Yifan (2591) [B83]
WWC (2), 21.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Be3 0–0 9.f4 e5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Kh1 exf4 12.Bxf4 Be6 13.Bf3 Qb8 14.b3 Qb4 15.Qe1 a5 16.Rd1 Rfe8 17.e5 dxe5 18.Bxe5 Rac8 19.Qg3 g6 20.Na4 Nd5 21.Bxd5 cxd5 22.Bc3 Qg4 23.Qxg4 Bxg4 24.Rxd5 Bb4 25.Bxb4 axb4 26.Rd2 Bf5 27.Kg1 Rxc2 28.Rxc2 Bxc2 29.Kf2 Bd3 30.Re1 Rc8 31.Ke3 Bb5 32.Rd1 Re8+ 33.Kf4 Re2 34.g4 Bxa4 35.bxa4 Rxa2 36.Rd4 Rxa4 37.h4 Kf8 38.Re4 f6 39.Rc4 Ke7 40.Rd4 Ke6 41.Ke4 Ke7 42.Kf4 h6 43.h5 gxh5 44.gxh5 Kf7 45.Re4 Kf8 46.Kg4 f5+ 47.Kxf5 Ra5+ 48.Kg6 Ra6+ 49.Kh7 Rb6 50.Rf4+ Ke7 51.Rf1 b3 52.Kg7 b2 53.Rb1 Ke6 54.Kxh6 Kf5+ 55.Kg7 Kg5 56.Kf7 Kxh5 57.Ke7 Kg4 58.Kd7 Black wins 0–1
　
Click here to replay the game.

Women's World Championship Final LIVE! Game 2

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

Paving way for a Chinese Chess Queen

Humpy leaves, paving way for a Chinese queen
Hari Hara Nandanan, TNN,
Dec 19, 2010, 01.03am IST

CHENNAI: There will be a Chinese queen in the women's World Chess Championship at Hatay. As Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy left the stage in the semi, losing to 16-year-old Hou Yifan 0.5-1.5, the final will now be a Chinese affair.

Yifan, who is a step away from creating a record for becoming the youngest women's (or open) world champion, will meet either Zhao Xue or Lufei Ruan, in the four-game final from Monday.

For Humpy, it was a second successive defeat in the semifinals of the World Championship and what must hurt her is the fact that both of them were inflicted by Yifan. Humpy has a good record against all the women GMs but against Yifan, she seems to have problems.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Women's World Championship LIVE / Semi Playoff

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

There will be a new Chinese Chess Queen

In spite of Koneru's valiant effort, Hou Yifan held to advance to the final. She will face the winner of the Zhao - Ruan playoff tomorrow.

Top draw

Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480 1/2 / 1/2 (Playoff tomorrow)
Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474

Bottom Draw

Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591 1-0 / 1/2 (Advanced to the final)
Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600

WWC Semifinal results

Top draw

Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480 1/2 White is a little better in the final position but she accepted the draw offer.
Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474

Bottom Draw

Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591 1-0
Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600

http://wwcc2010.tsf.org.tr/

Women's World Championship LIVE

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

Ruan and Hou will open with White in game 1

In the semifinal, Lufei Ruan and Yifan Hou will have White in the first game.

Top draw

Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480
Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474

Bottom Draw

Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591
Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600

Who will make the final?

http://wwcc2010.tsf.org.tr/

The WWC Semifinal is set

There will be 3 Chinese and 1 Indian in the semifinal. Here are the matchups:

Top draw

Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480
Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474

Bottom Draw

Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591
Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600

Prediction?

Women's World Championship LIVE round 4 / playoff

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

Koneru, Hou and Zhao are the 3 Semi-Finalists

Koneru, Hou and Zhao are the 3 Semi-Finalists

After the second game 3 participants of semi-final matches were determined. Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru will meet at the board in semi-final as it happened in Nalchik in 2008. Both of them confidently drew their games today and thus won their matches against Katerina Lahno and Ju Wenjun accordingly.

Almira Skripchenko was eliminated today by Zhao Xue. The French player simply blundered a piece in a good position. She was playing for 11 days without any pause and won three previous matches on tie-breaks. Her opponent Chinese Zhao Xue will meet with the winner of the match Harika – Ruan which will be determined on tie-breaks tomorrow.

The classic part of Indian-Chinese encounter ended with two draws. Both participants proved to be good rapid players and it`s not easy to give prognoses.

http://wwcc2010.tsf.org.tr/

Video from WWC in Turkey by Europe Echecs

3/4 of semifinal is set

Harika could have played on in the final position but chose to settle matters in the playoff tomorrow. In a sharp middlegame position, Skripchenko blundered a piece. Even though she fought valiantly to save the game, Zhao was simply too tough.

In the bottom draw, Koneru drew comfortably and moved on. Lahno after a bad loss in a equal position yesterday against Hou had to go all out today with the Black pieces to even up the score. Hou played well enough to hold to advance for a big showdown against Koneru.

Top draw

W: Harika, Dronavalli IND IM 2525 1/2 / 1/2 (match is tied at 1-1)
B: Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480

W: Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474 1/2 / 1-0 (Zhao will play the winner of Harika vs. Ruan match)
B: Skripchenko, Almira FRA IM 2460

Bottom Draw

W: Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600 1-0 / 1/2 (Koneru will face Hou in the semifinal)
B: Ju, Wenjun CHN WGM 2524

W: Lahno, Kateryna UKR GM 2522
B: Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591 0-1 / 1/2 (Hou will face Koneru in the semifinal)

Women's World Championship LIVE round 4 / game 2

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom