After the impressive run in the first eight rounds of the Nalchik FIDE Grand Prix GM Zhao Xue secured the first place with three rounds to go. The inspired Chinese player collected 7.5 points to create a three points margin ahead of the nearest follower.
In a rarely seen distribution of places on the crosstable, Ju Wenjun, also from China, is clear second with 4.5 points ie 50% score! There follows a huge tie with seven players on the shared third place with 4 points each.
Zhao Xue, playing White against Nadezhda Kosintseva, started a brave attack in the early middlegame, first offering a Bishop for three pawns, and then sacrificing an exchange. Kosintseva did not defend with precision and after two errors the game was quickly lost.
Zhao Xue - Nadezhda Kosintseva
Alexandra Kosteniuk and Munguntuul Batkhuyag both won their games but still remained on the shared last place, only now being closer to the rest of the field.
Live games with computer analysis
Round 8 results:
IM Kovalevskaya Ekaterina 2421 0 – 1 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2469
IM Galliamova Alisa 2498 ½ – ½ GM Cmilyte Viktorija 2525
IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2467 1 – 0 WGM Ju Wenjun 2536
GM Lahno Kateryna 2554 ½ – ½ GM Kosintseva Tatiana 2536
GM Zhu Chen 2490 1 – 0 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2528
GM Zhao Xue 2497 1 – 0 GM Kosintseva Nadezhda 2560
Round 8 standings:
1. GM Zhao Xue 2497 CHN – 7½
2. WGM Ju Wenjun 2536 CHN – 4½
3-9. IM Kovalevskaya Ekaterina 2421 RUS, GM Lahno Kateryna 2554 UKR, GM Cmilyte Viktorija 2525 LTU, GM Zhu Chen 2490 QAT, GM Kosintseva Tatiana 2536, GM Kosintseva Nadezhda 2560 RUS and GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2528 BUL – 4.0
10. IM Galliamova Alisa 2498 RUS – 3.0
11-12. IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2467 MGL and GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2469 RUS – 2½
Round 9 pairings:
GM Kosintseva Nadezhda 2560 – IM Kovalevskaya Ekaterina 2421
GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2528 – GM Zhao Xue 2497
GM Kosintseva Tatiana 2536 – GM Zhu Chen 2490
WGM Ju Wenjun 2536 – GM Lahno Kateryna 2554
GM Cmilyte Viktorija 2525 – IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 2467
GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2469 – IM Galliamova Alisa 2498
Hotel Sindika
Munguntuul Batkhuyag
Alexandra Kosteniuk
Tatiana Kosintseva
