Far from laudable, but unfortunately nothing new.
The Women's World Chess Championship of 2012
Maybe they're friends and don't want to hurt each other's chance of winning. Maybe they were tired. Hard to know their motivation, but it may not be as base and craven as it seems.
I can't really see much wrong with grandmaster draws. Tournament organisers and people who have paid money to watch good chess don't like them and there are an increasing number of tournaments which bar early draws. But if that condition is not written into the tournament conditions it seems to me the competitors are entitled to focus their energy and concentration into the games they think are critical to achieving their target in the competition.
You would not expect an athlete to bust a gut in heats or a semi final if they don't have to. Grandmaster draws are not so very different from that.
I disagree. I think it would be more similar to two athlete's conspiring to take it easy in a semi final. It is the collusion part I don't like.
The Kosintseva sisters NEVER play against each other. This pair will be decided on blitz, or sudden death.
Their game today was a draw, but looks like they played on a bit and tried to win
The fight spirit of women Trysts talked about
I was quoting Khalifman, pdela, and I agree that the women in this tournament are putting on an exciting display of chess! I again relate it to women's tennis where it's nearly impossible to know how a match would end based upon their rank(or ratings). The Kosintseva sisters are finally going to play chess against each other after six years of avoiding it. Remember, I watched the open candidates tournament, and the open world chess championship so I'm a bit more excited about the battles going on in the women's tournament.
The OP mentioned that she is not cheering for Irina Krush on principle however in my case I'm outside the USA and I like Irina ( she is married to a Candian GM plus she writes some nice articles for " Chess Life " from time to time ). She is also a 4 time USA Women's Champion.
I bet Anna Muzychuk will win, 20$ on Muzychuck
SHE IS ALREADY ELIMINATED. i take ur bet
I bet Anna Muzychuk will win, 20$ on Muzychuck
SHE IS ALREADY ELIMINATED. i take ur bet
Late I put my money on Marie Sebag
Socko has been eliminated from the tournament by former world champion Stefanova Antoaneta. Pogonina has been eliminated by Anna Ushenina.
I thought Pia Cramling was a former WWC, I was wrong. Here are the past world champions:
Name | Years | Country |
---|---|---|
Vera Menchik | 1927–1944 | Soviet Union / Czechoslovakia / England |
Lyudmila Rudenko | 1950–1953 | Soviet Union (Ukrainian SSR) |
Elisabeth Bykova | 1953–1956 | Soviet Union (Russian SFSR) |
Olga Rubtsova | 1956–1958 | Soviet Union (Russian SFSR) |
Elisabeth Bykova | 1958–1962 | Soviet Union (Russian SFSR) |
Nona Gaprindashvili | 1962–1978 | Soviet Union (Georgian SSR) |
Maya Chiburdanidze | 1978–1991 | Soviet Union (Georgian SSR) |
Xie Jun | 1991–1996 | China |
Susan Polgar | 1996–1999 | Hungary |
Xie Jun | 1999–2001 | China |
Zhu Chen | 2001–2004 | China |
Antoaneta Stefanova | 2004–2006 | Bulgaria |
Xu Yuhua | 2006–2008 | China |
Alexandra Kosteniuk | 2008–2010 | Russia |
Hou Yifan | 2010– | China |
The Kosintseva sisters drew their game and now go to tie-breaks. Irina Krush only needed a draw to advance, but she lost so now will play tie-breakers w/ Huang Qian. Marie Sebag has advanced to the quarterfinals. Dronavalli Harika has advanced to the quarterfinals.
Natalia Zhukova needs to win in order to get to tie-breaks against Wenjun Ju. Zhukova has a queen and two pawns against Ju's bishop, knight, and one pawn. Oddly, the game looks like a draw! It may go to the fifty move rule to obtain the draw. The last capture or pawn move was move 55. They are now on move 78.
Zhukova actually found a way to win, so she will continue her match with Ju tomrrow in tie-breaks. The highest seeded player, number four seed Xue Zhao has also won today, advancing to the quarterfinals.
So, tomorrow we have three tie-break matches, including the Kosintseva sisters playing each other, and Qian vs Krush
edit: because I'm not too bright this morning
In the 2010 superfinal, the exact fourteen moves of the above game were played by the sisters. In fact they played this opening 7 times against each other for draws. They weren't even hiding the collusion!
That shouldn't be allowed, it really sux