World Team: Soumya, Gomes win Bronze

The Champions Ukraine: (From left) Mariya Muzychuk, Inna Gaponenko, Anna Ushenina, Kateryna Lahno, Natalia Zhukova.

India finished fifth in the world women’s team chess championship at Astana, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday. Seeded sixth in the 10-team event, India scored nine match points from nine rounds. Ukraine, comprising Anna Ushenina, Kateryno Lahno, Mariya Muzychuk, Inna Gaponenko and Natalia Zhukova, won the title with 16 points. China finished runner-up, while Russia was third with 13. Reigning women's world chess champion Anna Ushenina now also holds the title of the World Team Champion along with her compatriots.

(Top right) Mary Ann Gomes and (below left) Soumya Swaminathan with their Bronze medals for Boards 4 and 5 at the Astana Women's World Team Chess Championship 2013. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.

India, represented by Mary Ann Gomes, Eesha Karvade, Nisha Mohota, Padmini Rout and Soumya Swaminathan, lost to China 1.5-2.5 in the final round. In the other matches, Russia and Ukraine drew 2-2, France blanked Turkey 3.5-0.5, Georgia beat Kazakhstan 2.5-1.5 and United States and Romania drew 2-2.

For the individual boards, Mary Ann Gomes and Soumya Swaminathan won the Bronze medals on Board 4 and Board 5 respectively.

Final Standings
1. Ukraine 16 2. China 15 3. Russia 13 4. Georgia 12 5. India 9 6. USA 8 7. Kazakhstan 6 8. Romania 6 9. France 4 10. Turkey 1

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Harika in Quarter-Finals of Women's World Chess Championship 2012 in Khanty Mansiysk

KHANTY MANSIYSK (Russia): Grandmaster D Harika marched her way to the last-eight stage of the World Women's Chess Championship after disposing the challenge of Lela Javakhishvili of Georgia in the second game of the third round.

 

After drawing the first game easily with black, Harika played to her strength and outwitted Javakhishvili. The 1.5-0.5 victory also helped Harika gained some rating points apart from more assured prize money.

After the exit of top three seeds, fourth seed Zhao Xue of China also made it to the quarters following a victory over Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine.

Like Harika, Xue had also drawn the first game as black and a victory ensured her passage to the next round. Harika and Xue will meet in the next round now.

The championship this year is played on a knockout basis and highest rated Koneru Humpy, defending champion Yifan Hou of China and third seed Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia were ousted in the second round itself.

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Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Humpy vs Zhukova, Harika vs Danielian in Round 2 Today

RUSSIA: India's GM Koneru Humpy will take on Natalia Zhukova of Ukraine in the second round of the Women's World chess championship now in progress.

After winning the first round with an easy 2-0 whitewash against lower ranked Denise Frick of South Africa, Zhukova will be a much tougher challenge for Humpy with better practice as she beat World junior girls' champion Guo Qi of China in the first round.

 

GM D Harika will also face a tough opponent in Elena Danielian of Armenia after beating compatriot Soumya Swaminathan in the first round. Danielian showed excellent nerves in her come-from-behind victory against Sopiko Khukhashvili of Georgia.

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Russia's Valentina Gunina Wins Women's World Blitz Chess Championship 2012 in Batumi, Georgia; Natalia Zhukova, Anna Muzychuk Tie for Second

Valentina Gunina

Russian chess player Valentina Gunina has won the Women's World Blitz Chess Championship in Batumi, Georgia. On the second day of play, on Wednesday, she amassed a total of 13 points out of 15 rounds. Earlier, this year, Gunina had also won the European Women's Women's Blitz Chess Championship and the European Women's Championship in classical chess.

Second place went to Natalia Zhukova of Ukraine and third place went to Anna Muzychuk of Slovakia. Both tied for the second place with 10.5 points. Russia's Alexandra Kosteniuk was a trifle unlucky to miss out on the medals with her fourth place at 10 points. Kosteniuk had won the silver medal in the women's world rapid chess a day earlier. Bulgaria's Antoaneta Stefanova had to settle for the fifth place with 9.5 points. Stefanova had won the gold medal a day earlier in the rapid section.

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