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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Kazan Chess Last Round Today: Humpy in Joint Lead; Poised to Win Title

The Kazan Chess Women's Grand Prix title could go to India's Koneru Humpy today. The last round is to be played today in the republic of Tatarstan and Humpy is in joint lead with Viktorija Cmilyte and Anna Muzychuk with 6.5 points each. Humpy plays Alisa Gallimaova as Black today. The other two leaders have Black as well in the final round. You can watch the last round live today India time 2.30 pm via the official website. Humpy did well to draw with former women's world chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in the last round. 

Anna Muzychuk and Hou Yifan play for a draw in Round 10

Koneru Humpy and Alexandra Kosteniuk
play for a draw in Round 10 

Kazan is hosting 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. 

Round ten results

GM Anna Muzychuk 2598 ½-½ GM Hou Yifan 2623
GM Elina Danielian 2484 0-1 IM Alisa Galliamova 2484
GM Humpy Koneru 2589 ½-½ GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2457
WGM Betul Cemre Yildiz 2333 ½-½ GM Keteryna Lahno 2546
GM Tatiana Kosintseva 2532 ½-½ GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2518
GM Viktorija Cmilyte 2508 1-0 GM Nadezhda Kosintseva 2528

Armenia's Elina Danielian, who had been leading the tournament right up to the last rounds with a power-packed performance ended up losing two games in a row to Alexandra Kosteniuk and Alisa Galliamova. She is in second place now.

Standings after Round 10
1. GM Humpy Koneru 2589 IND 6.5
2. GM Viktorija Cmilyte 2508 LTU 6.5
3. GM Anna Muzychuk 2598 SLO 6.5
4. GM Elina Danielian 2484 ARM 6 0
5. GM Hou Yifan 2623 CHN 6
6. GM Keteryana Lahno 2546 UKR 5
7. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2457 RUS 5
8. GM Tatiana Kosintseva 2532 RUS 4.5
9. GM Nadezhda Kosintseva 2528 RUS 4.5
10. GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2518 BUL 4
11. IM Alisa Galliamova 2484 RUS 3
12. WGM Betul Cemre Yildiz 2333 TUR 2.5

Photos and reports by Anastasiya Karlovich and Rashit Shiriyazdanov from official Kazan Chess Website.

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Kazan Chess Round 9: How Humpy Beat Lahno for Lead

The Kazan Chess Grand Prix for women has just two more rounds to be played. India's Koneru Humpy is in joint lead after nine rounds along with Armenia's Elina Danielian and Slovenia's Anna Muzychuk. In Round 9, Humpy beat Kateryna Lahno to go into the lead. Humpy has the best tiebreak score among all the three leaders and she could very well win the tournament as well.

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Kazan Chess Grand Prix: Humpy Beats Lahno, Goes into Joint Lead

Kazan Chess Grand Prix Round 9 saw a super game by India's Koneru Humpy to beat Kateryna Lahno and go into joint lead on Wednesday. 

Kateryna Lahno-Koneru Humpy 0-1

The other very attacking game of the day was played by 12th women's world chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk to bring down leader Elina Danielian. This is Danielian's first loss of the tournament. Kosteniuk played for the initiative right from the start and found a nice sacrifice to open central files. Danielian's defeat allowed Anna Muzychuk, who drew with Viktorija Chmilyte, and Koneru Humpy, who beat Lahno, to take joint lead with Danielian.

 Alexandra Kosteniuk-Elina Danielian 1-0

Two more rounds have to be played. Meanwhile, women's world chess champion Hou Yifan managed to win an almost-drawn game against Alisa Galliamova. After about five hours of play, former women's world chess champion Antoaneta Stefanova managed to develop winning chances in a bishop endgame against Betul Yildiz, but could only draw. The Kosintseva sisters, as expected, drew their game in 14 moves. (Photos by Rashit Shiriyazdanov and Anastasiya Karlovich/FIDE.)


Round 9 Results
GM Viktorija Cmilyte 2508 ½-½ GM Anna Muzychuk 2598 12
GM Nadezhda Kosintseva 2528 ½-½ GM Tatiana Kosintseva 2532
GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2518 ½-½ WGM Betul Cemre Yildiz 2333
GM Keteryna Lahno 2546 0-1 GM Humpy Koneru 2589
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2457 1-0 GM Elina Danielian 2484
IM Alisa Galliamova 2484 0-1 GM Hou Yifan 2623

Standings after Round 9

1-3. Koneru Humpy, Elina Danielian, Anna Muzychuk 6

4-5. Viktorija Cmilyte, Hou Yifan 5.5

6-8. Kateryna Lahno, Nadezhda Kosintseva, Alexandra Kosteniuk 4.5

9. Tatiana Kosintseva 4

10. Antoaneta Stefanova 3.5

11. Alisa Galliamova, Betul Cemre Yildiz 2

Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan, is hosting the FIDE Women's Chess Grand Prix, part of a series of elite events organised by FIDE and Global Chess. This tournament is running from June 9 to 23, 2012. The entire Grand Prix series includes six tournaments over two years in various countries around the world. The winner of each tournament takes home 6,500 euros. The total prize fund is 40,000 euros. The overall winner will get a further 15,000 euros at the end of the series. 

Don't forget to watch the last two rounds of the Kazan Chess Grand Prix live at the official tournament website from India time 4.30 pm.

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