Ju Wenjun is near 1st Hangzhou Women Tournament title

Zhu Chen defeats 3rd seed Tatiana Kosintseva today. This brings Tatiana's score to -2 with 1 game to play. Top seed Hou Yifan does not fare much better. She is at -1 with just 1 game to play. In the mean time, Ju Wenjun leads the field with just 1 game to go.

Round 8 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Result		Name	No.
1	10	GM	Dzagnidze Nana		GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	9
2	1	GM	Hou Yifan	1/2	GM	Zhao Xue	8
3	2	GM	Sebag Marie	1-0	IM	Zatonskih Anna	7
4	3	IM	Harika Dronavalli	1/2	WGM	Ju Wenjun	6
5	4	GM	Zhu Chen	1-0	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	5

Standings after 8 rounds

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	WGM	Ju Wenjun	CHN	2515	6.0
2	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	RUS	2560	4.5 + 1 game
3	IM	Harika Dronavalli	IND	2513	5.0
4	GM	Sebag Marie	FRA	2510	4.5
5	GM	Zhao Xue	CHN	2470	4.0
6	GM	Zhu Chen	QAT	2485	4.0
7	GM	Hou Yifan	CHN	2575	3.5
8	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	RUS	2557	3.0
9	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	GEO	2537	2.5 + 1 game
10	IM	Zatonskih Anna	USA	2522	2.0

Final round pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Result		Name	No.
1	5	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana		GM	Dzagnidze Nana	10
2	6	WGM	Ju Wenjun		GM	Zhu Chen	4
3	7	IM	Zatonskih Anna		IM	Harika Dronavalli	3
4	8	GM	Zhao Xue		GM	Sebag Marie	2
5	9	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda		GM	Hou Yifan	1

http://blog.sina.com.cn/chessnews

Breaking News: Judit vs Yifan Hou in the World Cup

I believe that there is a mistake in the pairings. Several GM friends of mine have told me the same thing. We will wait for the confirmation by FIDE.

World Cup 2011 pairings
The 2011 Chess World Cup pairings announced by FIDE

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS_2011/fide_news/World_Cup_2011/Pairing_List_Round_1.pdf

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS_2011/fide_news/World_Cup_2011/Pairings_Tree.pdf

The World Chess Cup 2011 will take place 26.08-21.09 in Khanty Mansiysk. It is a knock out competition and includes 128 players. The winner qualifies for the next World Chess Championship Candidates event.

The World Cup 2011 is a long event, where the winner has to progress through seven consecutive match victories and possible tiebreaks to reach the top position. However, the competition also has one of the biggest prize funds, amounting to 1.6$ million.

Last year's winner Boris Gelfand went on to win the Candidates matches and will play the World Chess Championship 2012.

1 GM Karjakin, Sergey RUS - IM Kaabi, Mejdi TUN
2 GM Ivanchuk, Vassily UKR - FM Steel, Henry Robert RSA
3 GM Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar AZE - Ibrahim, Hatim EGY
4 GM Ponomariov, Ruslan UKR - IM Gwaze, Robert ZIM
5 GM Gashimov, Vugar AZE - FM Quesada Perez, Yasser CUB
6 GM Grischuk, Alexander RUS - IM Hansen, Eric CAN
7 GM Radjabov, Teimour AZE - IM Genba, Vladimir RUS
8 GM Kamsky, Gata USA - GM De La Paz Perdomo, Frank CUB
9 GM Svidler, Peter RUS - IM Di Berardino, Diego Rafael BRA
10 GM Jakovenko, Dmitry RUS - GM Lima, Darcy BRA
11 GM Vitiugov, Nikita RUS - GM Salem, A.R. Saleh UAE
12 GM Almasi, Zoltan HUN - GM Bezgodov, Alexei RUS
13 GM Vallejo Pons, Francisco ESP - GM El Gindy, Essam EGY
14 GM Navara, David CZE - GM Cori, Jorge PER
15 GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime FRA - GM Kabanov, Nikolai RUS
16 GM Dominguez Perez, Leinier CUB - GM Rahman, Ziaur BAN
17 GM Wang, Hao CHN - GM Moradiabadi, Elshan IRI
18 GM Leko, Peter HUN - GM Ivanov, Alexander USA
19 GM Moiseenko, Alexander UKR - GM Shankland, Samuel L USA
20 GM Le, Quang Liem VIE - GM Esen, Baris TUR
21 GM Adams, Michael ENG - GM Megaranto, Susanto INA
22 GM Shirov, Alexei ESP - GM Paragua, Mark PHI
23 GM Jobava, Baadur GEO - GM Leon Hoyos, Manuel MEX
24 GM Caruana, Fabiano ITA - GM Guliyev, Namig AZE
25 GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian RUS - GM Pridorozhni, Aleksei RUS
26 GM Bacrot, Etienne FRA - IM Ortiz Suarez, Isan Reynald CUB
27 GM Wang, Yue CHN - GM Robson, Ray USA
28 GM Tomashevsky, Evgeny RUS - GM Fier, Alexandr BRA
29 GM Efimenko, Zahar UKR - GM Zhao, Zong-Yuan AUS
30 GM Malakhov, Vladimir RUS - GM Babula, Vlastimil CZE
31 GM Sutovsky, Emil ISR - GM Felgaer, Ruben ARG
32 GM Movsesian, Sergei ARM - GM Vorobiov, Evgeny E. RUS

33 GM Polgar, Judit HUN - GM Hou, Yifan CHN

34 GM Fressinet, Laurent FRA - GM Corrales Jimenez, Fidel CUB
35 GM Eljanov, Pavel UKR - GM Jumabayev, Rinat KAZ
36 GM Berkes, Ferenc HUN - GM Zherebukh, Yaroslav UKR
37 GM Andreikin, Dmitry RUS - GM Mareco, Sandro ARG
38 GM Morozevich, Alexander RUS - GM Kazhgaleyev, Murtas KAZ
39 GM Zhigalko, Sergei BLR - GM Halkias, Stelios GRE
40 GM Riazantsev, Alexander RUS - GM Filippov, Anton UZB
41 GM Motylev, Alexander RUS - GM Bluvshtein, Mark CAN
42 GM Wojtaszek, Radoslaw POL - GM Drozdovskij, Yuri UKR
43 GM Potkin, Vladimir RUS - GM Pashikian, Arman ARM
44 GM Nielsen, Peter Heine DEN - GM Shulman, Yuri USA
45 GM Grachev, Boris RUS - GM Postny, Evgeny ISR
46 GM Inarkiev, Ernesto RUS - GM Romanov, Evgeny RUS
47 GM Mamedov, Rauf AZE - GM Salgado Lopez, Ivan ESP
48 GM Kobalia, Mikhail RUS - GM Gupta, Abhijeet IND
49 GM Bologan, Viktor MDA - GM Lysyj, Igor RUS
50 GM Bu, Xiangzhi CHN - GM Socko, Bartosz POL
51 GM Onischuk, Alexander USA - GM Adly, Ahmed EGY
52 GM Bruzon Batista, Lazaro CUB - GM Ivanisevic, Ivan SRB
53 GM Yu, Yangyi CHN - GM Parligras, Mircea-Emilian ROU
54 GM Korobov, Anton UKR - GM Zhou, Jianchao CHN
55 GM Harikrishna, P. IND - GM Rodshtein, Maxim ISR
56 GM Li, Chao b CHN - GM Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son VIE
57 GM Kasimdzhanov, Rustam UZB - GM Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter ROU
58 GM Akopian, Vladimir ARM - GM Negi, Parimarjan IND
59 GM Feller, Sebastien FRA - GM Iordachescu, Viorel MDA
60 GM Timofeev, Artyom RUS - GM Azarov, Sergei BLR
61 GM Ni, Hua CHN - GM Khairullin, Ildar RUS
62 GM Fridman, Daniel GER - GM Lupulescu, Constantin ROU
63 GM Alekseev, Evgeny RUS - GM Ragger, Markus AUT
64 GM So, Wesley PHI - GM Ding, Liren CHN

Hou Yifan is top seed at Hangzhou Women's Tournament

Hangzhou Women Grandmaster Chess Tournament
Ten-player round robin on 13th-24th July

The 1st Hangzhou Women Grandmaster Chess Tournament will take place on 13th - 24th July 2011 in Hangzhou, China. Ten top women players compete in the round robin event that is concurrent with the World Chess Team Championship in Ningbo, also in China.

Participants:

1. GM Hou Yifan CHN 2575 (Women's World Champion)
2. GM Nadezhda Kosintseva RUS 2560
3. GM Tatiana Kosintseva RUS 2557
4. GM Nana Dzagnidze GEO 2537
5. IM Anna Zatonskih USA 2522
6. WGM Ju Wenjun CHN 2515
7. IM Dronavalli Harika IND 2513
8. GM Marie Sebag FRA 2510
9. GM Zhu Chen QAT 2485 (former World Champion)
10. GM Zhao Xue CHN 2470

More information

In spite of 1st loss, Caruana secures at least a tie for 1st place

Fabiano Caruana suffered his first loss today. However, in spite of the loss, he still secured at least a tie for 1st place. Sasikiran is a full point behind going into the last round.

Round 9 results

So, Wesley	- Hou, Yifan	½
Laznicka, Viktor	- Caruana, Fabiano	1-0
Sasikiran, Krishnan	- Negi, Parimarjan	½

Standings after 9 rounds

1.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2714	6½
2.	Sasikiran, Krishnan	g	IND	2676	5½
3.	Laznicka, Viktor	g	CZE	2681	5
4.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2667	4½
5.	Negi, Parimarjan	g	IND	2622	3
6.	Hou, Yifan	g	CHN	2612	2½

Official website: http://www.aaichess.com

Yifan tops girls' list

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Rank	Name	Title	Country	Rating	Games	B-Year
1	Hou, Yifan	g	CHN	2575	24	1994
2	Ju, Wenjun	wg	CHN	2515	6	1991
3	Harika, Dronavalli	m	IND	2513	12	1991
4	Muzychuk, Mariya	m	UKR	2469	11	1992
5	Bodnaruk, Anastasia	m	RUS	2431	11	1992
6	Paikidze, Nazi	wg	GEO	2416	11	1993
7	Savina, Anastasia	wg	RUS	2398	11	1992
8	Tan, Zhongyi	wg	CHN	2396	15	1991
9	Cori T., Deysi	wg	PER	2376	9	1993
10	Girya, Olga	wg	RUS	2371	11	1991
11	Guo, Qi	wg	CHN	2368	15	1995
12	Sukandar, Irine Kharisma	wg	INA	2366	34	1992
13	Kashlinskaya, Alina	wg	RUS	2360	0	1993
14	Padmini, Rout	wg	IND	2348	9	1994
15	Soloviova, Liza	wg	UKR	2330	10	1993
16	Ding, Yixin	wg	CHN	2330	5	1991
17	Guramishvili, Sopiko	wg	GEO	2329	20	1991
18	Tsatsalashvili, Keti	wm	GEO	2318	20	1992
19	Kulkarni Bhakti	c	IND	2317	27	1992
20	Arabidze, Meri	wm	GEO	2311	20	1994

Good day for India

AAI Grandmaster Chess Tournament - Round Eight
Caruana wins again, wonderful day for Indians

New Delhi, June 30: Parimarjan Negi stopped his run of losses while Krishnan Sasikiran got back to his winning ways in what turned out to be good day for the Indian duo in the AAI Grandmasters Chess Tournament.

Negi completed a comprehensive 27-move win over Wesley So of the Philippines while Sasikiran after draws in previous two games took just 30 moves following a Queen’s Indian opening for a full point against Czech Viktor Laznicka in the eighth round on Thursday. In the third game of the day Fabiano Caruana beat Hou Yifan to extend his lead to 1.5 points with two rounds to go.

Caruana continues to be the only unbeaten player in the tournament scored his fifth win and with three other draws. With 6.5 points he is 1.5 points ahead of the second place Sasikiran, who has five points. Wesley So and Viktor Laznicka have four points each, Negi has 2.5 and Hou Yifan two.

Replay the games with computer analysis

“It was not really that easy because I took some risks today,” said Sasi. “At one point I offered a sacrifice which he need not have taken then but he did and it became a bit easier. Maybe the Kh1 (on 23rd move) from him was the mistake that helped me get to the win faster,” said Sasi, who with his 30-move win is now second place.

Parimarjan Negi and Krishnan Sasikiran

On his recent run with four wins and two draws in the last six rounds after starting with two losses, Sasikiran laughed and said, “Maybe the weather cooling down also helped me. I like playing in slightly cooler weather. There is two more games to go. As such before the tournament I was hoping to get to either plus three or plus four and I am right now plus two.” It was Sasi’s second win over Laznicka in the tournament as he had earlier beaten him in the third round.

The 17-year-old Indian National champion Negi approached the round rather cautiously but was surprised to see his rival, Wesley, play the Petroff defence, something he had played only once before against a noted opponent, Alexei Shirov, last year. “It was a big surprise to see him use the Petroff, maybe he just wanted to play solid and also surprise. I thought I wouldn’t take any chances,” said Negi.

But it was So who made the big error when he played Be7 on the 18th move and from there on the game turned decisively in Negi’s favour. It was thereafter only a matter of time as Negi won in just 27 moves. It was by far the quickest game in terms of moves and took less than three hours.

Asked is the nightmarish part of the week is over, Negi smiled and said, “I don’t know whether the nightmare is over as there are two more rounds to go, but this win was certainly welcome. There is always some pressure when you play a tournament, but I feel I have not been able to convert my chances. If you notice I have had my chances in many games, but was not able to use that.”

Negi and Sasi are both due to play Asian Team Chess in China next month and then the World Cup in Russia.

Negi, who had drawn his third round with Wesley So before his run of losses began in the fourth round, now has 2.5 points from eight games.

“It was a nice win. It is good to be 1.5 points ahead with two rounds to go, but no tournament is over till the last,” said the shy Caruana with a slight smile. He won in 46 moves from a Sicilian Najdorf.

There are two more rounds to go in the 10-round Category-17 tournament, which comes to an end on Saturday.

Points after eight rounds:
6.5 points - Caruana
5 - Sasikiran
4 - Wesley So and Laznicka
2.5 - Negi
2 - Yifan

Results of the eighth round: F Caruana beat H Yifan; Negi P beat W So; V Laznicka lost to K Sasikiran

Draw for the Ninth round: V Laznicka v F Caruana; K Sasikiran v Negi P; W So v H Yifan

Official website

Caruana widens lead, Hou scores 1st win at AAI

Round 7 results

So, Wesley	- Laznicka, Viktor	1-0
Sasikiran, Krishnan	- Caruana, Fabiano	½
Hou, Yifan	- Negi, Parimarjan	1-0

Standings after 7 rounds

1.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2714	5½
2-4.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2667	4
2-4.	Sasikiran, Krishnan	g	IND	2676	4
2-4.	Laznicka, Viktor	g	CZE	2681	4
5.	Hou, Yifan	g	CHN	2612	2
6.	Negi, Parimarjan	g	IND	2622	1½

Official website: http://www.aaichess.com/