The third day of the 2016 IMSA Elite Minds Games – Blitz saw a dramatic change on the top of both tournament sections.
In the men’s section the overnight leaders Ding Liren and Pentala Harikrishna lost the pace while the reigning European blitz champion Rauf Mamedov seized the opportunity to claim the first place with 19,5/30 points and take the gold medal to Azerbaijan.
Russian champion Evgeny Tomashevsky is silver with 18,5 points, while Harikrishna took the bronze after edging Leinier Dominguez and Wang Hao on tie-break.
Rauf Mamedov in the key game against Ding Liren
In the women’s section Kateryna Lagno overtook her compatriot Valentina Gunina in the final rounds to win the gold medal with 21,5/30 points.
Gunina, who had a remarkable start of ten consecutive wins, had to console herself with 20 points and the silver medal. Former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova claimed the bronze with 19,5 points.
From Wednesday the Basque competition is starting. More information on the official website.
Kateryna Lagno
Final standings (women):
1 GM Lagno Kateryna 2594 RUS – 21½
2 GM Gunina Valentina 2598 RUS – 20
3 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2518 BUL – 19½
4 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2485 RUS – 19
5 GM Ju Wenjun 2535 CHN – 17½
6 WGM Tan Zhongyi 2524 CHN – 17½
7 GM Zhao Xue 2552 CHN – 15½
8 GM Ushenina Anna 2472 UKR – 14½
9 GM Dzagnidze Nana 2581 GEO – 14½
10 GM Krush Irina 2400 USA – 14
11 GM Harika Dronavalli 2554 IND – 13½
12 IM Paehtz Elisabeth 2483 GER – 12½
13 GM Socko Monika 2375 POL – 12
14 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2430 GEO – 10
15 IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2405 ARM – 9½
16 WGM Huang Qian 2455 CHN – 9
Final standings (men):
1 GM Mamedov Rauf 2810 AZE – 19½
2 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2733 RUS – 18½
3 GM Harikrishna P. 2661 IND – 18
4 GM Dominguez Perez Leinier 2743 CUB – 18
5 GM Wang Hao 2744 CHN – 18
6 GM Ding Liren 2688 CHN – 17½
7 GM Navara David 2739 CZE – 16½
8 GM Ivanchuk Vassily 2811 UKR – 16
9 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2748 AZE – 14½
10 GM Wang Yue 2694 CHN – 13
11 GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2730 UKR – 12½
12 GM Sargissian Gabriel 2743 ARM – 12½
13 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2674 POL – 12½
14 GM Movsesian Sergei 2662 ARM – 11½
15 GM Li Chao b 2651 CHN – 11
16 GM Fressinet Laurent 2713 FRA – 10½
