The return games of the first round of the FIDE Women’s World Championship were played at the CS Galactica (Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana) on March 18.
The top seeded players Humpy Koneru (India), Ju Wenjun (China), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Victoria Cmilyte (Lithuania), Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Valentina Gunina (both – Russia) won their matches and advanced to the second round.
Humpy Koneru
They are joined by Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria), Bela Khotenashvili (Georgia), Pia Cramling (Sweden), Harika Dronavalli (India), Tan Zhongyi (China), Anna Ushenina (Ukraine), Marie Sebag (France), Irina Krush (USA), Olga Girya, Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, Natalia Pogonina (all – Russia), and Lei Tingjie (China).
The Ukrainian Mariya Muzychuk managed to equalize the score after her first round loss to Yuan Yuanling (Canada). Also Sopiko Guramishvili from Georgia defeated her compatriot Lela Javakhishvili and tied the score 1-1.
The biggest upset of the day brought Marisa Zuriel (Argentina), who defeated Zhao Xue (China). All these players will determine the winner of their match on the tie-break.
The experienced Elina Danielian (Armenia) sensationally lost to Yanet Marrero Lopez (Cuba) and is eliminated from the championship. The ex-European champion Natalia Zhukova (Ukraine) lost as White to her friend and compatriot Inna Gaponenko, and is also eliminated.
Hoang Thanh Trang (Hungary) did not manage to equalize the match score against Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (Scotland) and will also have to leave Sochi.
Replay games / Photo galleries
Olga Girya
The fate of 11 matches that ended in a draw will be determined on the next day, March 19, on the tie-break.
It starts with two rapid games of 25 minutes + 10 seconds per move. If the score remains equal, the players proceed to another two games with a slightly faster time control – 10 minutes + 10 seconds per move. If these games do not determine the winner as well, then there are two blitz games: 5 minutes + 3 seconds per move. Finally, if the score is still even, there is an Armageddon game: White has 5 minutes, Black has 4 minutes, 3 seconds per move are added after the move 61, and a draw counts as a win for Black.
Ju Wenjun
The tie-break pairs: Carolina Lujan (Argentina) – Alisa Galliamova (Russia), Mary Ann Gomes (India) – Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia), Yuan Yuanling (Canada) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine), Monika Socko (Poland) – Deimante Daulyte (Lithuania), Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany) – Meri Arabidze (Georgia), Shen Yang (China) – Alina Kashlinskaya (Russia), Zhao Xue (China) – Marisa Zuriel (Argentina), Salome Melia (Georgia) – Irine Kharisma Sukandar (Indonesia), Huang Qian (China) – Baira Kovanova (Russia), Alexandra Goryachkina (Russia) – Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenia), Sopiko Guramishvili (Georgia) – Lela Javakhishvili (Georgia). The players named first will have White in the first game. The tie-breaks begin at 3 pm Moscow time.
Online broadcasting of the games with video is available in two languages (Russian and English) on the official site of the championship (http://sochi2015.fide.com) and the Russian Chess Federation website (http://ruchess.ru/).
RCF Press Officer Eteri Kublashvili
Valentina Gunina
Alexandra Kosteniuk
