Goryachkina, Harika Lead Lausanne Women's Grand Prix
GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina are tied for first place at the Lausanne Women's Grand Prix after five rounds. Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun almost lost her second game on Friday.
Results round 4
Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) – Pia Cramling (SWE) ½-½
Marie Sebag (FRA) – Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) ½-½
Ju Wenjun (CHN) – Anna Muzychuk (UKR) ½-½
Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) – Harika Dronavalli (IND) 0-1
Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) – Antoaneta Stefanova (BLG) 1-0
Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) – Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ) 0-1
Results round 5
Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ) – Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) ½-½
Antoaneta Stefanova (BLG) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) ½-½
Harika Dronavalli (IND) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) ½-½
Anna Muzychuk (UKR) – Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) 0-1
Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) – Ju Wenjun (CHN) ½-½
Pia Cramling (SWE) – Marie Sebag (FRA) ½-½
Standings
| # | Fed | Name | Rtg | Perf | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Pts | SB |
| 1 | Harika, Dronavalli | 2517 | 2664 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3.5/5 | 9 | ||||||||
| 2 | Goryachkina, Aleksandra | 2579 | 2626 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3.5/5 | 7.5 | ||||||||
| 3 | Dzagnidze, Nana | 2509 | 2560 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3.0/5 | 6.5 | ||||||||
| 4 | Kashlinskaya, Alina | 2485 | 2580 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3.0/5 | 6.5 | ||||||||
| 5 | Cramling, Pia | 2475 | 2506 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2.5/5 | 6.75 | ||||||||
| 6 | Muzychuk, Mariya | 2551 | 2505 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2.5/5 | 6 | ||||||||
| 7 | Muzychuk, Anna | 2535 | 2513 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2.5/5 | 5.5 | ||||||||
| 8 | Abdumalik, Zhansaya | 2461 | 2527 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 2.5/5 | 5.25 | ||||||||
| 9 | Sebag, Marie | 2443 | 2436 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 2.0/5 | 5.25 | ||||||||
| 10 | Ju Wenjun | 2583 | 2433 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2.0/5 | 4.75 | ||||||||
| 11 | Stefanova, Antoaneta | 2453 | 2449 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2.0/5 | 4 | ||||||||
| 12 | Kosteniuk, Alexandra | 2482 | 2257 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1.0/5 |
So far, the Lausanne Grand Prix is marked by what the bottom of the leaderboard looks like. Three world champions all the way down there. Is this for real?
Especially Kosteniuk losing three games in a row in rounds 2-4 is surprising, and the way she was outplayed by IM Zhansaya Abdumalik was nothing like her.
After drawing with her sister Anna on Thursday, Ju almost suffered her second loss of the tournament the next day against GM Mariya Muzychuk. The Ukrainian ex-world champion was on top of all the tactics in a Sicilian Sveshnikov as she came up with an ingenious exchange sacrifice. Shortly before the time control, she was clearly winning, and it's a miracle that Ju saved this one.
Meanwhile, Harika and Goryachkina topped the standings after both won on Thursday and drew each other the next day. Goryachkina scored a fine, technical win against GM Antoaneta Stefanova and, in a better position, Harika profited from a blunder by GM Nana Dzagnidze:
Games rounds 4-5
After Skolkovo and Monaco, Lausanne is the third Women's Grand Prix in the 2019-2020 series. The fourth and final leg will be held in May in Sardinia, Italy.
Each tournament is a 12-player round-robin. The prize fund in each Grand Prix is 80,000 euros, with 15,000 euros and 160 Grand Prix points awarded to the winner.
Pairings round 6
Alina Kashlinskaya RUS) - Marie Sebag (FRA)
Ju Wenjun (CHN) - Pia Cramling (SWE)
Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) - Mariya Muzychuk (UKR)
Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) - Anna Muzychuk (UKR)
Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) - Harika Dronavalli
Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ) - Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL)
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