Top Seeds Out Of The Women's World Championship
An amazing second round of the Women's World Chess Championship has ended the title challenge of the top three seeds in the competition!
Reigning champion Hou Yifan and third seed Anna Muzychuk both lost on tie-breaks today, joining Humpy Koneru who had already been eliminated yesterday.
That leaves 4th seed Zhao Xue from China as the new ratings favourite, but with the competition format producing such upsets already, all 16 of the players left could realistically have ambitions to take the title.
There will be a new champion after Hou Yifan lost in round two
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Third seed Anna Muzychuk (left) also exited the competition
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Fourth seed Zhao Xue (right) made it though to round three
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Irina Krush won both her tie-break games to advance
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Anna Zatonskih (left) was eliminated by Ju Wenjun
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Nadezhda Kostintseva (right) set up an intriguing clash with her sister Tatiana in round three
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The results in round two
| Name | G1 | G2 | R1 | R2 | r3 | r4 | Tot |
| Round 2 Match 01 | |||||||
| Socko, Monika (POL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Hou, Yifan (CHN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Round 2 Match 02 | |||||||
| Koneru, Humpy (IND) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Zhukova, Natalia (UKR) | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Round 2 Match 03 | |||||||
| Ushenina, Anna (UKR) | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Muzychuk, Anna (SLO) | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Round 2 Match 04 | |||||||
| Zhao, Xue (CHN) | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ | ||
| Khurtsidze, Nino (GEO) | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ | ||
| Round 2 Match 05 | |||||||
| Javakhishvili, Lela (GEO) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Lahno, Kateryna (UKR) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 06 | |||||||
| Kosintseva, Nadezhda (RUS) | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3½ |
| Mkrtchian, Lilit (ARM) | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2½ |
| Round 2 Match 07 | |||||||
| Huang, Qian (CHN) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Cmilyte, Viktorija (LTU) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 08 | |||||||
| Sebag, Marie (FRA) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Girya, Olga (RUS) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 09 | |||||||
| Galliamova, Alisa (RUS) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Gunina, Valentina (RUS) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 10 | |||||||
| Cramling, Pia (SWE) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Krush, Irina (USA) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Round 2 Match 11 | |||||||
| Hoang, Thanh Trang (HUN) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Kosintseva, Tatiana (RUS) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 12 | |||||||
| Harika, Dronavalli (IND) | 1 | ½ | 1½ | ||||
| Danielian, Elina (ARM) | 0 | ½ | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 13 | |||||||
| Muzychuk, Mariya (UKR) | 1 | ½ | 1½ | ||||
| Arribas Robaina, Maritza (CUB) | 0 | ½ | ½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 14 | |||||||
| Kosteniuk, Alexandra (RUS) | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||||
| Pogonina, Natalija (RUS) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Round 2 Match 15 | |||||||
| Zatonskih, Anna (USA) | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ju, Wenjun (CHN) | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Round 2 Match 16 | |||||||
| Stefanova, Antoaneta (BUL) | ½ | 1 | 1½ | ||||
| Zhu, Chen (QAT) | ½ | 0 | ½ |
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The pairings for the third round
М. Socko (Poland) – А. Stefanova (Bulgaria)
Ju Wenjun (China) – N. Zhukova (Ukraine)
А. Ushenina (Ukraine) – N. Pogonina (Russia)
М. Muzychuk (Ukraine) — Zhao Xue (China)
L. Javakhishvili (Georgia) – H. Dronavalli (India)
T. Kosintseva (Russia) – N. Kosintseva (Russia)
Huang Qian (China) – I. Krush (USA)
А. Galliamova (Russia) – М. Sebag (France)
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The schedule is below. Games start at 15:00 local time (09:00 UTC).
| Date | Day | Event |
| 11.11.2012 | Sunday | Round I - game 1 |
| 12.11.2012 | Monday | Round I - game 2 |
| 13.11.2012 | Tuesday | Tiebreak |
| 14.11.2012 | Wednesday | Round II- game 1 |
| 15.11.2012 | Thursday | Round II- game 2 |
| 16.11.2012 | Friday | Tiebreak |
| 17.11.2012 | Saturday | Round III- game 1 |
| 18.11.2012 | Sunday | Round III- game 2 |
| 19.11.2012 | Monday | Tiebreak |
| 20.11.2012 | Tuesday | Round IV- game 1 |
| 21.11.2012 | Wednesday | Round IV- game 2 |
| 22.11.2012 | Thursday | Tiebreak |
| 23.11.2012 | Friday | Round V- game 1 |
| 24.11.2012 | Saturday | Round V- game 2 |
| 25.11.2012 | Sunday | Tiebreak |
| 26.11.2012 | Monday | Free Day |
| 27.11.2012 | Tuesday | Round VI - game 1 final |
| 28.11.2012 | Wednesday | Round VI - game 2 final |
| 29.11.2012 | Thursday | Round VI - game 3 final |
| 30.11.2012 | Friday | Round VI - game 4 final |
| 01.12.2012 | Saturday | Tiebreak |
| 02.12.2012 | Sunday | Closing Ceremony |
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The 2012 championship runs from 11 November - 2 December, with each round consisting of 2-game matches (4 in the final) between the players drawn against one another. Tied matches are decided by rapid and blitz tie-break deciders.
Pictures via the official website. Results and games via TWIC.
