WWCh 2018 Round 1.2: Humpy advances, Bhakti gets eliminated
Humpy advanced to round 2 with ease by winning her game against Hayat Toubal while Bhakti only managed to draw against Natalija Pogonina, resulting in her exit from the tournament. There is a reason this knockout format of Women's World Championship is being abolished. It is because of the unpredictable nature, where half the players are eliminated after every round. Harika drew her game against Sopiko Khukhashvili and Padmini also drew against Zhansaya Abdumalik. Both Harika and Padmini will have to play tie-break matches. We bring you photos, games and videos from Khanty Mansiysk. Photo: ugra2018.fide.com
Humpy moves to round 2 emphatically while Bhakti goes home despite a draw
Koneru Humpy continued her momentum and won her round 1.2 game against Hayat Toubal quite easily in the exact same number of moves 46 as yesterday.
Sopiko Khukhashvili played an unusual move order which seemed like a Ponziani opening. Harika equalized with Black pieces easily and slowly started to have a slight pull in the position. At one point in Double Rook and Bishop vs. Double Rook and Knight endgame, Harika had a clear advantage which she was unable to convert and the game ended up in a draw in rook endgame.
Harika played 32...Bxf3 and the game continued with 33.Rxd3 Rxd3 34.gxf3. The position became equal and the game ended up in a draw eventually. Instead 32...Be6 keeps the active bishop on the board and we all know that the combination of rook and bishop in an open position is much better than a rook and knight.
Bhakti knew that she was in a must-win situation, from the get-go. She went for an attack in QGD exchange variation, but unfortunately a draw was not what she was looking for. Pogonina played solid and did not allow any chances and Bhakti had no other option but to settle for a draw.
After 8.g4 if Black plays Bxg4 then 9.Qxb7 Nb4 10.Rc1 [10.Bb5+ Kf8 =+] 10...Rb8 [10...Bf5 11.a3 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Nc2 + 13.Rxc2 +/-] 11.Qxc7 Qxc7 12.Bxc7 +=
Zhansaya tried to stir some trouble on the kingside during the middle game but Padmini handled the probable attack quite well and managed to exchange off the queens at the right time. Double bishop and knight vs. double knight and bishop endgame consisted more than half of the game. After the duel running for over 5 hours, finally both players decided to call it a draw.
Zhansaya Abdumalik - Padmini Rout, round 1.2
Indian Women's situation after round 1.2
1. Humpy advances to round 2
2. Harika and Padmini will have to play tie-breaker matches against their respective opponents
3. Bhakti is eliminated
Photo Gallery:
Video Gallery:
Results of Round 1.2
| Hardegen Kathryn | (AUS) | 0-2 | Ju Wenjun | (CHN) |
| Koneru Humpy | (IND) | 2-0 | Toubal Hayat | (ALG) |
| February Jesse Nikki | (RSA) | 0-2 | Lagno Kateryna | (RUS) |
| Muzychuk Anna | (UKR) | 2-0 | Hamid Rani | (BAN) |
| Vazquez Maccarini, Danitza | (PUR) | 0-2 | Kosteniuk Alexandra | (RUS) |
| Goryachkina Aleksandra | (RUS) | 1½-½ | Ouellet, Maili-Jade | (CAN) |
| Wafa Shahenda | (EGY) | 0-2 | Muzychuk Mariya | (UKR) |
| Tan Zhongyi | (CHN) | 1½-½ | Sun Fanghui | (CHN) |
| Aliaga Fernandez, Ingrid Y | (PER) | ½-1½ | Gunina Valentina | (RUS) |
| Paehtz Elisabeth | (GER) | ½-1½ | Alinasab Mobina | (IRI) |
| Miranda Llanes, Yerisbel | (CUB) | 0-2 | Dzagnidze Nana | (GEO) |
| Harika Dronavalli | (IND) | 1-1 | Khukhashvili Sopiko | (GEO) |
| Foisor Sabina-Francesca | (USA) | 1-1 | Stefanova Antoaneta | (BUL) |
| Pogonina Natalija | (RUS) | 1½-½ | Kulkarni Bhakti | (IND) |
| Padmini Rout | (IND) | 1-1 | Abdumalik Zhansaya | (KAZ) |
| Batsiashvili Nino | (GEO) | 2-0 | Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan | (SCO) |
| Zhai Mo | (CHN) | 2-0 | Girya Olga | (RUS) |
| Zhao Xue | (CHN) | 2-0 | Lujan, Carolina | (ARG) |
| Zhu Jineer | (CHN) | 2-0 | Javakhishvili Lela | (GEO) |
| Saduakassova Dinara | (KAZ) | 1-1 | Matnadze Ana | (ESP) |
| Vo Thi Kim Phung | (VIE) | ½-1½ | Khotenashvili Bela | (GEO) |
| Lei Tingjie | (CHN) | 1-1 | Gara Anita | (HUN) |
| Shvayger Yuliya | (ISR) | ½-1½ | Socko Monika | (POL) |
| Ushenina Anna | (UKR) | 1½-½ | Mkrtchian Lilit | (ARM) |
| Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim | (UZB) | 1½-½ | Kashlinskaya Alina | (RUS) |
| Atalik Ekaterina | (TUR) | 1-1 | Cori T., Deysi | (PER) |
| Nakhbayeva Guliskhan | (KAZ) | 1-1 | Galliamova Alisa | (RUS) |
| Ni Shiqun | (CHN) | 1-1 | Zhukova Natalia | (UKR) |
| Vega Gutierrez Sabrina | (ESP) | 1-1 | Bodnaruk Anastasia | (RUS) |
| Hoang Thanh Trang | (HUN) | 1-1 | Danielian Elina | (ARM) |
| Nechaeva (Guseva) Marina | (RUS) | ½-1½ | Zawadzka Jolanta | (POL) |
| Krush Irina | (USA) | 1-1 | Gaponenko Inna | (UKR) |
Watch Live Games and replay any game
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WWCh 2018 Round 3 TB: Harika gets Kosteniuk'd
@ 16/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 3.2: Harika heads to the tie-breakers with a draw
@ 11/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 3.1: Harika draws with Kosteniuk
@ 10/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 2 TB: Harika advances to Pre-Quarter Finals
@ 09/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 2.2: Humpy gets humbled by Jolanta Zawadska
@ 08/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 2.1: Humpy and Harika draw their games with black pieces
@ 07/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 1 TB: Harika survives a scare, Padmini knocked out
@ 06/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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WWCh 2018 Round 1.1: Humpy dominates, Bhakti loses to Pogonina
@ 04/11/2018 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |