The 2012 European Individual Women Chess Championship is taking place from 2nd to 13th March at the Anatolian Hotel in Gaziantep, Turkey. European Rapid Championship and European Blitz Championship will follow in the same venue on 15-18th March.
GM Hoang Thanh Trang scored a victory in the sixth round and moved into the sole lead with 5.5 points. Her opponent Olga Girya decided to trade the queens and transfer the game into the knight endgame which happened to be more pleasant for the Hungarian player, who proceeded to convert the advantage.
On the first board Cristina-Adela Foisor stood a bit passive with black and conceded a nice advantage to her opponent Marie Sebag. But in the severe time trouble French player proposed a draw even if her position still offered good winning chances.
Thanh Trang Hoang in action
Nastassia Ziaziulkina - Katerina Lahno
The defending champion Viktorija Cmilyte wins another game and is already near the top with several other players on the shared 2nd place.
Kateryna Lahno, European champion in 2005 and 2008, made a doubtful opening sacrifice but continued to press against Nastassia Ziaziulkina. Belarus champion didn’t find the best continuation and the game moved into an interesting endgame with heavy pieces on the board and slight advantage for white. Lahno continued to probe the opponent’s weaknesses and eventually pulled a full point.
Valentina Gunina, who had Black pieces against former World and European champion Antoaneta Stefanova, mixed the move order in the opening and lost a pawn for nothing. She didn’t lose spirit and offered another pawn in order to complicate matters and create counter-chances.
Stefanova grabbed the material and assumed nearly decisive advantage but a couple of inaccuracies allowed black back into game. Further mistakes in a complicated position from both sides and suddenly black pieces were all over the white king. Stefanova lost after 77 moves of tense battle.
Antoaneta Stefanova - Valentina Gunina
Before the rest day the leader Hoang Thanh Trang holds 5,5 points. Four other participants Marie Sebag, Valentina Gunina, Cristina-Adela Foisor and Viktorija Cmilyte are half a point behind.
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Photos by Anastasiya Karlovich
Anna Muzychuk - Tatiana Kosintseva
Zeinab Mamedjarova - Nana Dzagnidze
Nazi Paikidze - Inna Ivakhinova
