10 August 2019
First Round of Russian Championships Superfinals Played in Votkinsk
No great sensations happened.
The first round of the Russian Championships Superfinals was played in Votkinsk on August 10.
The tournament's debutant Kirill Alekseenko defeated the newly-married Vladimir Fedoseev: White created serious threats to the opponent's king, and Fedoseev, who had to make big material concessions, resigned on move 40.
Another Supefinal's first-timer Alexandr Predke could have created a sensation by winning his game against Vladislav Artemiev, but the rating favourite managed to escape.
Alexander Motylev miscalculated in a sharp position against Ernesto Inarkiev with the white pieces, so that Black managed to get a decisive edge.
The games Dreev - Vitiugov, Sarana - Tomashevsky, and Jakovenko - Matlakov were drawn.
Standings after Round 1:
1-2. Ernesto Inarkiev, Kirill Alekseenko - 1
3-10. Vladislav Artemiev, Nikita Vitiugov, Maxim Matlakov, Evgeny Tomashevsky, Dmitry Jakovenko, Alexey Dreev, Alexey Sarana, Alexandr Predke - 0.5
11-12. Vladimir Fedoseev, Alexander Motylev - 0.
Round 2 pairings:
Inarkiev - Vitiugov, Tomashevsky - Dreev, Fedoseev - Sarana, Matlakov - Alekseenko, Artemiev - Jakovenko, Motylev - Predke.
In the women's event, Aleksandra Goryachkina managed to survive in the central game versus Alexandra Kosteniuk.
The youngest participant Zarina Shafigullina couldn't maintain resistance against Valentina Gunina: the three-time Russian champion outplayed her opponent with the white pieces.
The reigning champion Natalija Pogonina defeated Elena Tomilova as White by demonstrating the strength of a queen against a rook and a bishop.
Daria Charochkina organized a kingside attack with a piece sacrifice against Margarita Potapova and literary crushed her opponent.
The games Shuvalova - Bodnaruk and Girya - Kashlinskaya were drawn.
Standings after Round 1:
1-3. Valentina Gunina, Natalija Pogonina, Daria Charochkina - 1
4-9. Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alina Kashlinskaya, Anastasia Bodnaruk, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Olga Girya, Polina Shuvalova - 0.5
10-12. Elena Tomilova, Margarita Potapova, Zarina Shafigullina - 0.
Round 2 pairings:
Kashlinskaya - Shafigullina, Tomilova - Gunina, Goryachkina - Pogonina, Bodnaruk - Kosteniuk, Potapova - Shuvalova, Girya - Charochkina.
Tournament page
Photos by Eteri Kublashvili
