Anna Ushenina is New Women's World Chess Champion

After a 2-2 deadlock in the normal games, the stage was set for an exciting finale in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia and Ushenina came up triumph winning the second game under rapid time control after the first game had ended in a draw. The Ukrainian won 60000 USD for her efforts in the championship and gets to play the next World Championship against Yifan Hou of China next year as part of the new cycle in the women’s World Championship.

The 64-players championship ended in a tie-break much like the men’s World Championship earlier this year where Vishwanathan Anand won defeating Boris Gelfand of Israel in the rapid tie-break. The Indian challenge in the championship had lasted till the semi-finals where D Harika went down to Stefanova after an intense struggle.

Speaking about the match, Ushenina did not mince words while calling it a gruelling schedule. “The match was very interesting, but we were clearly tired and made many mistakes. In the third and fourth games we exchanged blows -- first I took the lead, then Antoaneta equalised the score. In the first tie-break game white stood better, but I held a draw. In the second game black was slightly worse, but Antoaneta was very short on time, defended inaccurately and gave me a chance to win,” said the new women’s world champion.

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Khanty-Mansiysk World Chess Semi-Finals: Harika Loses 1st Game to Stefanova

Harika vs Stefanova

Grandmaster D Harika’s title aspirations suffered a major blow as she lost to Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in the first game of the semifinal of World Women chess championship in Khanty Mansisysk, Russia. Despite displaying top form so far, Harika could not get things moving well for her in the first game and went down rather easily. The next game is a must win for Harika as that’s the only way to proceed to the tiebreaker with some respite.

In the clash between Harika and Stefanova, there was a difference in approach as the Indian tried to make things happen, while the latter waited patiently for something to come her way. Eventually it did. Harika had slight initiative at the cost of a pawn. Normal play in the middle game would have yielded a decent result but in her bid to push for more, Harika went haywire with a piece sacrifice. The Bulgarian had to correctly calculate a few lines thereafter and she did not falter.

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Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Harika to Play Zhao Xue for Quarter Final Tiebreak Today

MANSIYSK (Russia): Grandmaster D Harika played a sensational game to survived the match against Zhao Xue of China in the Quarter Finals of the Women's World Chess Championship on Wednesday. After drawing the first round, Harika played with white and missed serious tactical chances. However, a late blunder by Zhao in a completely winning position allowed Harika to escape with a draw through perpetual checks.

 

Anna Ushenina of Ukraine made it to the semifinals defeating fancied Nadezhda Kosintseva of Russia in the second game. Ushenina won by 1.5-0.5 and sent back the last remaining Russian in the championship. Harika remains in the championship as the last Indian in the fray since the ouster of top-rated Koneru Humpy in the first round.

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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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Khanty-Mansiysk Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Humpy, Harika Sail into Round 2

KHANTY MANSIYSK (RUSSIA): Koneru Humpy effortlessly defeated Denise Frick of South Africa while D Harika outplayed compatriot Soumya Swaminathan to move to the second round of the World Women's Chess Championship 2012 on Monday. Humpy scored an easy win, though Harika had to struggle a bit against Soumya. The other higher-ranked players also cruised to the second round and topping the list was reigning world champion Yifan Hou of China who scored easily over Sachini Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka, former Women's World Chess Champions Alexandra Kosteniuk and Antoaneta Stefanova. 

Amongst the fancied, Ju Wenjun of China was the only exception as she suffered a reversal against Atousa Pourkashiyan of Iran and the two will now battle it out in the tie-break games of shorter duration.

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Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Humpy off to Winning Start; Harika, Soumya Draw

KHANTY MANSIYSK (Russia): Top rated Grandmaster Koneru Humpy has begun her campaign for the World Chess title with a win with Black over Denise Frick of South Africa in the first round on Sunday. Frick went for a crazy all-out attack on the Kingside down the h-file, but Humpy knew to handle it all with a forced Queen exchange and was never really in any serious trouble. The all-India match between Soumya Swaminathan and D Harika ended in a draw. 

 

While there were no great surprises in the first game of the first round, the second game to be played on Monday is likely to bring many of the higher ranked under pressure as they drew. The list includes Harika who either has to win or force herself in to the tiebreaker the following day.

The championship is back to the knock out format wherein 64 top woman players across the globe take part fighting for a total prize pool of $450000. Humpy and Harika were ousted in the semis in the previous edition of the event. In the return game now, Humpy just needs a draw to advance to the next round. 

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Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Humpy, Harika, Soumya Lead Indian Challenge; Games Begin Sunday

Reigning women's world chess champion, Hou Yifan of China, draws a white pawn at the colourful opening ceremony that took place in Khanty-Mansiysk earlier today.

RUSSIA: Grandmaster Koneru Humpy will take on Denise Frick of South Africa in the first round of the World Women's chess championship on Sunday.

Looking for an elusive world title, Humpy starts as the highest rated player in the 64-player knockout event that will have almost all the top rated woman players of the world.

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