Valentina Gunina and Yulia Grigorieva Lead Women's Event at Russian Championship Higher League
Six participants are heading the open tournament.
The third round of the Russian Championships Higher League was played in Sochi on October 10. Before the game, the participants held a moment of silence in memory of Yuri Razuvaev (1945-2012), who would have turned 75 this day. Alexander Tkachev announced that the Chess Federation of Russia would award special prizes for the best games in Razuvaev's style in both tournaments. The winners will be determined by the commission consisting of Yury Razuvaev's friends and trainees.
In the open event, the leaders' encounters Antipov - Rakhmanov, Goganov - Chigaev, Artemiev - Goryachkina, Khismatullin - Esipenko, and Sakaev - Sjugirov ended in draws. Vladimir Fedoseev defeated Ivan Rozum, while Pavel Ponkratov bested Maksim Samusenko.
Aleksandr Rakhmanov, Aleksey Goganov, Pavel Ponkratov, Mikhail Antipov, Maksim Chigaev, and Vladimir Fedoseev are leading the race with 2.5 points scored.
15 participants, including Aleksandra Goryachkina and Polina Shuvalova, are half a point behind. The latter outplayed Mikhail Kobalia in a rather sharp game.
Shuvalova - Kobalia
21. Rag1! Rad8 22. Rg4! Qe7 23. Rhg1 Kh8 24. Rxg7 Rg8 25. Rxf7 Rxg1 26. Rxe7 Nb3
27. Rh7+! Kxh7 28. Qf7+ Rg7 29. Nd6+ Kh8 30. Qf6. Black resigns.
Valentina Gunina and Yulia Grigorieva beat Zarina Shafigullina and Dina Belenkaya respectively to take the lead with a perfect score. Marina Guseva, who outplayed Ekaterina Nasyrova, is trailing by half a point.
Valentina Gunina, the event's rating favourite, gave a short comment on her game:
- The game happened to be quite interesting. I had prepared myself for a different variation since the opponent doesn't play the main Sicilian lines. I thought she would have played 2...Nc6, but she opted for 2...d6, which I had prepared, of course, but didn't remember everything.
I think that I've been better since I got two connected pawns on the queenside. I wouldn't have played so as Black. Of course, the position of my king was a bit open after f4 (I guess my coach will storm at me); however, my pawn structure with connected pawns was much stronger in the endgame. The rival tried to create counter chances, but I think it all was lost for her already.
In general, I am delighted to play normal chess. I have been training myself all the time, and I think I'm in pretty good shape now.
Tournament on Chess-Results
Tournament page
Information & photos by Eteri Kublashvili
