Kosteniuk, Pogonina, Girya Advance to Third Round

The second round tie-breaks were played in Tehran.

On Thursday, February 16, the tie-breaks of the second round of the Women's World Championship were played in the capital of Iran. Alexandra Kosteniuk prevailed over Inna Gaponenko in two 25-minute games, 1.5 to 0.5. Natalia Pogonina lost a first game to Huang Qian, but came back in the next one, and then sealed the match in 10-minute games, winning one and drawing another. Kosteniuk and Pogonina joined Olga Girya in the third round. 

Two matches were decided in the Armageddon. Former World Champion Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) and Tan Zhongyi (China) played 8 decisive games, exchanging blows in each of them, but the ultimate game ended in a draw, which was equal to a win for the Chinese. In the second Armageddon, Nino Khurtsidze (Georgia) defeated her compartiot Nino Batsiashvili. 

Other results: Guramishvili (Georgia) – Buksa (Ukraine) 3.5-2.5, Paetz (Germany) – Cramling (Sweden) 1-3, Zhao Xue (China) – Padmini (India) 1-3, Dronavalli (India) – Sadaukassova (Kazakhstan) 2.5-1.5, Melia (Georgia) – Stefanova (Bulgaria) 1.5-2.5.



In the third round Olga Girya will face Ju Wenjun (China), Alexandra Kosteniuk will play with Pia Cramling (Sweden), and Natalia Pogonina will meet Ni Shiqun (China). 

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