30 November 2022
Round Two of FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament Played in Khiva
Both games are drawn.
Round Two of the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament finished in Khiva. As in Round One, both games ended in a draw.
Kateryna Lagno and Tan Zhongyi opened into the 3. Bb5+ Sicilian. White opted for a rare setup on move 11. Tan's natural moves got her a comfortable position, but then she chose a somewhat risky plan advancing her queenside pawns, which led to the dark squares weakening. Lagno failed to profit from this downside, and White's central pawn's leaving the board equalised the position. The game ended in a draw by repetition on move 34.
Playing White against Alexandra Kosteniuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina employed a new for her line in Ruy Lopez to get a slight edge out of the opening. However, White failed to build on her success: precise play allowed the 12th World Women's Champion to achieve a dynamic balance. The opponents would not skin a flint and opted for a draw via move repetition.
The matches scores are equal — 1:1.
Thursday, December 1, is a rest day. The competition is to resume on December 2.
Photos by Eteri Kublashvili
