Chengdu GP 05+06: Humpy stays in the lead as three follow

by Priyadarshan Banjan - 09/07/2016

The Chengdu Grand Prix is being hosted by China from 1-15th July 2016. In a range of stars, two Indians are in the fray, and not surprisingly, both of them have always been there for the nation in the Grand Prix cycle for quite some years now. Both Harika and Humpy have slowed down a bit, drawing their last two games rather insipidly. Humpy still leads with 4.0/5, while she is followed by Harika and Wenjun at 3.5/5. An illustrated report.

Chengdu GP 05+06: Humpy stays in the lead as three follow

The Chengdu Grand Prix is being hosted by China from 1-15th July 2016. The organizer of the tournament is the Chinese Chess Association, in partnership with the International Chess Federation (FIDE). This is the fourth stage of the 2015-16 FIDE grand Prix cycle.

In a range of stars, two Indians are in the fray, and not surprisingly, both of them have always been there for the nation in the Grand Prix cycle for quite some years now.

Round 05: Koneru Humpy (2575) took on Lela Javakhishivili (2487)

The Georgian surprised Humpy with the daring 8.g4.

Humpy reacted calmly. White castled long and black countered in the center. However, after the exchange of the queens the ending was quiet. Seeing that no progress can be made, white offered a draw on move 31.

[Event "Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.07"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Javakhishvili, Lela"]
[Black "Koneru, Humpy"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D58"]
[WhiteElo "2487"]
[BlackElo "2575"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:04"]
[BlackClock "0:00:06"]

1. d4 {5340} d5 {5340} 2. c4 {29} e6 {29} 3. Nf3 {30} Nf6 {30} 4. Nc3 {30} Be7
{30} 5. Bg5 {32} h6 {30} 6. Bh4 {29} O-O {30} 7. e3 {30} b6 {30} 8. g4 $6 {30}
(8. Be2) 8... Nbd7 {48} 9. Rg1 {31} Bb7 {32} 10. g5 {31} Ne4 {36} 11. cxd5 {30}
exd5 {36} 12. Bh3 {30} Nxg5 {34} 13. Nxg5 {38} hxg5 {32} 14. Qh5 {37} g6 {50}
15. Qh6 {37} Re8 {31} 16. Bxg5 {37} Bxg5 {31} 17. Rxg5 {30} Nf8 {30} 18. O-O-O
{49} Qf6 {30} 19. Rg3 {38} c5 {32} 20. Qg5 {38} Qxg5 {35} 21. Rxg5 {29} Nh7 {35
} 22. Re5 {32} cxd4 {31} 23. Rxe8+ {36} Rxe8 {30} 24. Rxd4 {29} Re5 {32} 25.
Bg4 {32} Nf6 {31} 26. h3 {33} Kf8 {36} 27. Ra4 {31} a5 {30} 28. Rd4 {32} Bc6 {
32} 29. b4 {32} Ke7 {32} 30. bxa5 {31} bxa5 {29} 31. Kd2 {33} 1/2-1/2

Round 05: Harika vs. Pia Cramling (2463)

Cramling played the Hedgehog opening with black. Harika succeeded in taking off the black Bb7, but Cramling got enough time to take out her pieces. Harika was unhappy about several "slow moves" she made, like h3, Kh2, and believes she should have been more concrete with Kh1, f4, h4 and then f5 or h5.

After black got the b5-advance her position was perfectly fine. After massive exchanges the game was drawn on move 31.

[Event "Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.07"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Harika, Dronavalli"]
[Black "Cramling, Pia"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "2526"]
[BlackElo "2463"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:18"]
[BlackClock "0:00:20"]

1. c4 {5340} c5 {5340} 2. Nf3 {29} Nf6 {30} 3. Nc3 {30} e6 {31} 4. g3 {31} b6 {
30} 5. Bg2 {30} Bb7 {30} 6. O-O {30} Be7 {29} 7. d4 {35} cxd4 {30} 8. Qxd4 {30}
d6 {32} 9. Bg5 {33} a6 {31} 10. Bxf6 {31} Bxf6 {29} 11. Qf4 {32} O-O {34} 12.
Rad1 {33} Be7 {30} 13. Ne4 {33} Bxe4 {30} 14. Qxe4 {29} Ra7 {29} 15. Nd4 {30}
Qc8 {35} 16. b3 {34} Re8 {32} 17. Qd3 {44} Bf8 {36} 18. e4 {36} Nd7 {36} 19. h3
{32} (19. Kh1 g6 20. f4 e5 21. Ne2 b5 22. cxb5 axb5 23. Nc3 exf4 24. gxf4 b4
25. Nd5 Rxa2 26. Bh3 Bg7 27. Nb6 Qb7 28. Nxd7 Rc8 29. Qd5 Qxd5 30. Rxd5 Rcc2
31. Rf3 Rxh2+ 32. Kg1 Bc3 33. Rxd6 $16) 19... Rc7 {38} 20. Kh2 {31} g6 {31} 21.
f4 {35} Nc5 {42} 22. Qf3 {34} Bg7 {42} 23. Nc2 {36} b5 {39} 24. Ne3 {36} bxc4 {
32} 25. Nxc4 {35} Nxe4 {30} 26. Qxe4 {33} d5 {30} 27. Nd6 {30} dxe4 {30} 28.
Nxc8 {30} Rcxc8 {32} 29. Bxe4 {30} Red8 {29} 30. Kg2 {30} a5 {31} 31. Rxd8+ {30
} 1/2-1/2

Round 06: Koneru Humpy (2575) vs. Ju Wenjun (2578)

Ju Wenjun (2578) is actually the new women's world no. 2, leaving Humpy behind. The game however was nothing special and the players repeated the position and settled for peace.

[Event "Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.08"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Koneru, Humpy"]
[Black "Ju, Wenjun"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D37"]
[WhiteElo "2575"]
[BlackElo "2578"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 dxc4 6. a4 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O
Be7 9. Qe2 cxd4 10. Rd1 e5 11. exd4 exd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Qe5 Qd6 14. Qxd4
Qxd4 15. Rxd4 Bc5 16. Rd3 Bf5 17. Rf3 Be6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Bg5 O-O 20. Rd1
Rad8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Kf1 Kf7 23. Ke2 Kg6 24. Rg3 Kf7 25. Rf3 Kg6 26. Rg3 Kf7
27. Rf3 1/2-1/2

Round 06: Anna Muzychuk (2545) vs. Dronavall Harika (2526)

The game began with a sharp French, but eventually petered out to a repetition as well.

[Event "Women's FIDE Grand Prix Series"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.08"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Muzychuk, Anna"]
[Black "Harika, Dronavalli"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C19"]
[WhiteElo "2545"]
[BlackElo "2526"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 8.
Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 12. h4 Bd7 13. h5 O-O-O 14. Qd3
d4 15. h6 Rg6 16. h7 Rh8 17. Nxd4 Nxd4 18. Qxd4 Bc6 19. Rh2 Rg7 20. Qxa7 b6 21.
Qxc7+ Kxc7 22. Be3 Rhxh7 23. Rxh7 Rxh7 24. g3 Rh1 25. O-O-O Nf5 26. Bf2 Rh2 27.
Bg1 Rh1 28. Bf2 Rh2 29. Bg1 Rh1 30. Bf2 1/2-1/2

Chinese Chess

Standings after Round 06:

Games in PGN

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