2 April 2015
The World Championship final match started in Sochi
Natalia Pogonina drew with Mariya Muzychuk in the first game.
The final match of the Women's World Chess Championship started in SCC Galactica (Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana) on April 2. Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine) and Natalia Pogonina (Russia) are competing for the chess crown in a 4-game match with classical time control (90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with 30 seconds added after each move). If the match ends in a tie, the winner will be determined on tie-break on April 6. Natalia Pogonina became the first Russian in the World Championship final since 2008, when Alexandra Kosteniuk won the title. Anna Ushenina from Ukraine won the 2012 World Championship in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Pogonina had White in the first game. A fashionable line of the Meran variation arose, which leads to a calm in appearance but actually highly tense game. Muzychuk showed an interesting novelty, forcing her opponent to solve new problems at the board.
Pogonina found a logical way of regrouping her pieces and created certain pressure. On the move 26 Muzychuk made a serious mistake, allowing White to get a significant advantage. However, Natalia sent her knight to the wrong route, and Black equalized soon. After several exchanges the players agreed to a draw on the move 40.
The second game is played on April 3 at 3 pm Moscow time. Mariya Muzychuk has White.
Players' profiles
Natalia Pogonina (09.03.1985). 2012 Russian champion. 2013 Russian team champion with Ugra team. 3rd place at the 2009 European Championship. Chess Olympiad winner of 2012 and 2014 with Russian national team. 2011 European Team champion with the Russian national team. 2nd place in the 2011 World Team Championship and 3rd place in the 2013 World Team Championship with the Russian national team.
Mariya Muzychuk (21.09.1992). Two-time Ukrainian champion (2012 and 2013). 2013 World Team and European Team champion with the Ukrainian national team. 3rd place at the Chess Olympiad in 2012 and 2014 with the Ukrainian national team.
