Kazan Chess Final Report: Humpy, Muzychuk Joint Winners; Hou-Cmilyte 0-1 Best Game

India's Koneru Humpy and Slovenia's Anna Muzychuk were declared joint winners of the fourth stage of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix on June 22, 2012. After 11 rounds, both Humpy and Muzychuk had 7.5 points. Grand Prix regulations require sharing of prize money, title and Grand Prix points in case of a tie. 

The winners: Anna Muzychuk (left) and Koneru Humpy with Fide president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

India's most talented woman chess 

player Koneru Humpy with dad and trainer Koneru Ashok.

(Photos: Rashit Shiriyazdanov and Anastasiya Karlovich/Fide official website)

Three players were sharing the lead before the last round - Viktorija Cmilyte, Anna Muzychuk and Humoy Koneru. In the final round Humpy Koneru sacrificed a piece and beat Alisa Galliamova with black pieces. Anna Muzychuk capitalised on a mistake by Nadezhda Kosintseva to win. Viktorija Cmilyte settled for a draw with Antoaneta Stefanova. Reigning Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan (China) and Lithuanian Viktorija Cmilyte concluded the tournament with 7 points each. In her last game in Kazan, Hou Yifan beat Elina Danielian who had been leading for most of the tournament, but ended up losing her last three games. Elina Danelian from Armenia and Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk collected 6 points each to share 5th – 6th positions. Kosteniuk beat Betul Yildiz in the last round. Russian Tatiana Kosintseva beat Ukrainian Kateryna Lahno and finished seventh with 5.5 points. Lahno consequently ranked one spot lower half a point behind.

Nadezhda Kosintseva and Bulgarian Antoaneta Stefanova finished at the joint 9th – 10th places with 4.5 points, Russian Alisa Galliamova was next with 3 points, followed by Betul Yildiz from Turkey with 2.5 points.

The closing ceremony took place in the Korston Hotel and was attended by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Minister on Affairs of Youth, Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Rafis Burganov, players, officials and spectators. The winners Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru were awarded wooden chess pieces and all the participants of FIDE Grand Prix in Kazan were felicitated with flowers and presents. 

Viktorija Cmilyte received a special prize devoted to 100 years anniversary since the birthday of Rashit Nezmetdinov. Her victory against World Champion Hou Yifan was chosen by the organizing committee as the best game.

At the closing ceremony FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov made a surprise gift for the Chess Federation of the Republic of Tatarstan - the entire set of electronic boards that the participants had played on!

Best chess game award at the Kazan Chess Grand Prix went to Viktorija Cmilyte. It was a special prize on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Rashit Nezmetdinov. The organising committee chose her game against Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan as the best game of the event. You can read:
Tal Chess Round 4: Viktorija Cmilyte Explains Win Over Hou Yifan

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Kazan Chess Grand Prix: Koneru Humpy, Anna Muzychuk Declared Joint Winners (Updated)

Kazan Chess Grand
Prix Winner - India's Koneru Humpy

India's Koneru Humpy has just won the Kazan Chess Grand Prix for women on Friday with a steady and strong performance in the Republic of Tatarstan. Though, she had a better tiebreak, Humpy was declared joint winner along with Anna Muzychuk as tiebreaks are not to be counted in the Grand Prix series. Humpy went into the last round tied for the lead with Viktorija Cmilyte and Anna Muzychuk. Humpy played Black and beat Alisa Galliamova of Russia. While Cmilyte drew with Antoaneta Stefanova, Muzychuk beat Nadezhda Kosintseva with Black. Both Humpy and Muzychuk ended Round 11 with 7.5 points, but Humpy had the better tiebreak score.

Cmilyte had to settle for the third place. Meanwhile, the reigning women's world chess champion Hou Yifan scored a total of 7 points for the fourth place and her predecessor, the 12th women's world chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk scored 6 points to be fifth. Armenia's Elina Danielian, who had played a thoroughly powerful tournament up to the eighth round, lost both Rounds 9 and 10 to finish the tournament with 6 points as well. 

Humpy's 7.5 points came from draw with Hou Yifan, draw with Elina Danielian, draw with Anna Muzychuk, win over Betul Cemre Yildiz, draw with Tatiana Kosintseva, draw with Viktorija Cmilyte, draw with Nadezhda Kosintseva, win over Antoaneta Stefanova, win over Kateryna Lahno, draw with Alexandra Kosteniuk and win over Alisa Galliamova. She did not lose a single game in this powerful tournament that saw some of the best women chess players of the planet taking part. 

Kazan hosted the Women's Grand Prix from June 9 to 23 as part of a series of elite events organised by FIDE and Global Chess. There will be six tournaments over two years in various countries around the world. The winner of each tournament takes home 6,500 euros from a total prize fund of 40,000 euros. The overall winner will get a further 15,000 euros at the end of the series. (More updates and photos to follow from Kazan Chess Grand Prix.)

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Kasparov to Speak @ Alan Turing Centenary Conference in Manchester

Legendary Garry Kasparov

June 23, 2012 marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing. Alan Turing is arguably the most famous computer scientist of all time. The Turing Centenary Conference will be held in Manchester on June 22-25, 2012, hosted by The University in Manchester, where Turing worked in 1948-1954. The main theme of the conference is Alan Turing’s Centenary. It has the following aims:
to celebrate the life and research of Alan Turing;
to bring together the most distinguished scientists, to understand and analyse the history and development of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

You can watch a live streaming of the event at the official website later today and subsequent days. Kasparov would speak tomorrow.

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