tag: Women's World Championship 2012 - Page 1

Tumultuous welcome for Women's World Champion Anna Ushenina

12/5/2012 – On December 1st for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine a chess player won the title of World Women Chess Champion. A few days later Anna Ushenina, the 27-year-old IM from Kharkiv, returned to her home town to an enthusiastic welcome of family, friends, admirers and dignitaries, with press conferences, gifts and commendations from the country's leadership.

Women’s World Championship Final – Ushenina takes the title

12/1/2012 – After two draws in the regular games Anna Ushenina and Antoaneta Stefanova traded blows, each taking a game. With the score tied at 2:2 rapid chess tiebreaks had to be played. In the first Ushenina held her pressing opponent to an 89-move draw, in the second she ground her down in 94 moves. The Ukrainian is now Women's World Champion. Congratulations, Anna!

Women’s World Championship Final – Ushenina goes into the lead

11/29/2012 – The first game was a fighting draw, the second a short, sharp theoretical battle. In the third former women's world champion, Antoaneta Stefanova went for the Chebanenko Variation. Her opponent, Anna Ushenina conducted an interesting tactical operation, and when Stefanova got into time trouble played flawlessly to win. She leads with 2:1 points and one (regular) game to go. Not impressed?

Women’s World Championship – Ushenina vs Stefanova in the finals

11/26/2012 – In the semifinals the Bulgarian GM and former women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova knocked out the Indian GM Harika Dronavalli in their regular games. The Ukrainian IM Anna Ushenina and Chinese WGM Ju Wenjun drew their two games, so that the decision, in favour of Ushenina, came in the rapid tiebreaks. Monday is a free day, and the four-game final starts on Tuesday. Round five report.

Women’s World Championship – Stefanova, Harika, Ju Wenjun

11/22/2012 – After winning a rough-and-tumble first game the former women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova defeated the French GM Marie Sebag in the second game as well. The Indian GM Harika Dronavalli won her first game and drew the second against the high-ranked Chinese GM Zhao Xue. WGM Ju Wenjun went into the ten-minute games to defeat Huang Qian. Round four tiebreak report.

Women’s World Championship – Ushenina in the semis

11/21/2012 – IM Anna Ushenina from Ukraine faced a formidable opponent in round four of this knock-out event: Russian GM Nadezhda Kosintseva, rated close to 90 points above her. In the first game Anna was on the verge of defeat but managed to draw. In the second she won nicely with a pawn sacrifice. Stefanova beat Sebag to equalise their match. There will be three tiebreak encounters on Thursday.

Women’s World Championship – and then there were eight

11/20/2012 – The weather outside is frightful – 17°C, or 1.4°F – but the games and fighting spirit in the playing hall were quite delightful. At the end of the tiebreak round, which did not go beyond the rapid games, eight players had proceeded, and eight take their leave of Khanty-Mansiysk in what was certainly the most thrilling round of the tournament. Big illustrated report on round three.

Favourites fall at the Women’s World Championship round two

11/16/2012 – The three top seeds, Humpy Koneru, Hou Yifan and Anna Muzychuk were eliminated, by players well over 150 rating points below them. The fourth seed Zhao Xue squeaked through, but the fifth seed Kateryna Lahno was knocked out. The sixth seed Nadezhda Kosintseva required four rapid tiebreak games to proceed to round three. Tough going for the top stars. Big illustrated report.

The Women’s World Chess Cup 2012 round one

11/13/2012 – There were no big surprises in the first round, where the top seeds were generally paired against lower ranked players. Women's world champion Hou Yifan and 2012 challenger Humpy Koneru scored 2-0 victories over their lesser opponents, as did Anna Muzychuk, Zhao Xue, Kateryna Lahno and Nadezhda Kosintseva. We bring you the results, games and some wonderful portraits of the players.

The Women’s World Chess Cup 2012 in Khanty-Mansiysk

11/10/2012 – The strongest female players from nine different countries have gathered in the eastern Russian oil boom town for the knock-out women's world championship, which starts on Sunday. There will be live video coverage and commentary in three languages. Saturday was the spectacular opening ceremony, which you can watch in HD video – a visual treat.

Women’s World Chess Championship 2012 starts on Friday

11/8/2012 – 64 of the world's strongest female players have gathered in the eastern Russian oil boom town of Khanty Mansiysk for this six round 64-player knockout tournament. The winner plays the winner of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011-2012 (Hou Yifan), which will determine the World Champion among women. The event will be held from 11 November to 2 December. List of participants and travel info.
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