The seventh round of the Women’s Grand Prix in Monaco again produced five decisive results. The finish promises to be enthralling at the local Yacht Club.
The participants of the FIDE Grand Prix in Monaco enjoyed a rest day on Monday. After six consecutive rounds, this break proved necessary in order to recharge the batteries for the second half of the event. While some players rested in the first sense of the word, others took the opportunity to visit Monaco’s surroundings or even Nice. To conclude the day, a gala dinner took place at the beautiful Casino de Monte-Carlo, where the Women’s Grand Prix was held back in 2015.
At the start of the seventh round, the tension was palpable, as if an irresistible urge to play chess seized the champions. In the encounter between Humpy Koneru and Zhao Xue, the game immediately took an unusual turn, when the Chinese opted for b5 on move 2. The leader of the Grand Prix Series thought for a while and reacted aggressively. This seemed promising, but the Indian did not follow through and soon faced problems. Zhao Xue played well for a big portion of the game but erred when she timidly decided to give back a pawn she had won earlier. Both players exchanged inaccuracies until the Chinese miscalculated and gave up a piece. It was the end of the battle, as Koneru did not look back.
Aleksandra Goryachkina and Nana Dzagnidze delivered an equally exciting fight, where each had an advantage on one part of the board. The Russian mounted pressure against the king, whereas her opponent possessed a valuable passed pawn on the queenside. Dzagnidze should have resisted the temptation to push her main trump too early, as it suddenly fell. The rest was a smooth sail for Goryachkina who collected a full point.
The third leader before this round, Harika Dronavalli, had the difficult task of defending with the black pieces against Anna Muzychuk. The game ended on a threefold repetition on move 24, but this short battle was tense nevertheless.
The three other games were highly entertaining and ended with the victories. The Russian duel between Kateryna Lagno and Alexandra Kosteniuk was rather one-sided, as Black made a mistake after the opening. Lagno confidently overcame her opponent’s resilience and won on move 48.
The encounter between Mariya Muzychuk and Elisabeth Paehtz followed a very similar pattern when the German weakened her castle after the opening. Nothing terrible happened immediately, but the damage was done in the long-term. After mutual inaccuracies, White won a pawn and later the game.
Valentina Gunina’s suffering continues in Monaco. Her opening play was not convincing, as she allowed Pia Cramling to reach a comfortable position with the black pieces. The rest day definitely proved beneficial to the oldest participant in the event. The Swedish legend displayed the same freshness as in the first rounds and efficiently used her opponent’s inaccuracies to score her second victory in the event.
Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru are now jointly in the lead, a half-point ahead of Harika Dronavalli. Round 8 features a highly interesting Indian duel, whereas the Russian co-leader will also face her compatriot, Valentina Gunina.
Results of Round 7:
Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo): 1-0
Kateryna Lagno (Rus) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus): 1-0
Humpy Koneru (Ind) – Zhao Xue (China): 1-0
Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Harika Dronavalli (Ind): ½-½
Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger): 1-0
Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Pia Cramling (Swe): 0-1
Standings after round 7:
1-2. Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru – 5 points
3. Harika Dronavalli – 4½
4-6. Anna Muzychuk, Kateryna Lagno, and Pia Cramling – 4
7-8. Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk – 3½
9. Nana Dzagnidze – 3
10. Zhao Xue – 2½
11. Elisabeth Paehtz – 2
12. Valentina Gunina – 1
Round 8, 11 December at 3 pm:
Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus)
Zhao Xue (China) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus)
Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Humpy Koneru (Ind)
Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr)
Pia Cramling (Swe) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr)
Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Valentina Gunina (Rus)
Official website with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, IM Almira Skripchenko, and GM Josif Dorfman: https://wgp2019.fide.com
Pictures are available on our official Flickr account, both in high resolution (for printing) or low resolution (for internet/social media).
Text: Yannick Pelletier
Pictures: Karol Bartnik
