World Junior: Hovhannisyan and Cori+Girya lead

The SDAT–RAMCO 50th World Junior & 29th Junior Girls Chess Championships 2011 This event is taking place from August 1st to 16th at the Hotel Vijay Park in Chennai, India. It is one of the strongest WJCC ever, featuring over 80 titled players among the juniors and girls. Top seeds in the Open Section are Russian GMs Maxim Matlakov (2632) and Sanan Sjugirov (2629), Spanish GM Ivan Salgado Lopez (2626) and fifteen more GMs. In the Girls' Section there are five WGMs led by Nazi Paikidze (2416, GEO), Anastasia Savina (2398, RUS), Deysi Cori (2376, PER), Olga Girya (2371, RUS) and Rout Padmini (2348, IND).

Round nine

Armenian GM Robert Hovhannisyan (right) brought down FM Koushik Girish

The win moved Hovhannisyan into sole lead with 8.0 points followed by fellow Armenian GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan at 7.5 points. Girish Koushik (India) and GM Dariusz Swiercz (Poland) share the third spot with 7.0 points. In another big upset, Milos Roganovic of Serbia defeated top seed GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia, whose second successive defeat put his title chances in a jeopardy.

Chandika Divyasree (India) playing WGM Anastasia Savina (Russia)

The girls section saw WGM Deysi Cori from Peru take the sole lead with 8.0 points. Russian Olga Girya is in the second spot with 7.5 points. Earlier, Cori defeated top seeded WGM Nazi Paikidze of Georgia, even as the top board game between two Russian girls, Elena Semenova and Girya ended in a draw.

The day belonged to the quartet of performers who made their respective norms. Nine-game WIM norms were achieved by Elena Semenova of Russia and Catherina P Michelle of India, while the IM norms were achieved by S L Narayanan and V A V Rajesh (both India). FIDE Master V.A.V. Rajesh defeated Peruvian Grandmaster Jorge Cori, completing his third and final IM norm. He now needs to cross Elo 2400 to become India's latest International Master. Promising Kerala lad S.L. Narayanan scored over Polish IM Piorun Kacper achieving his maiden IM norm.

Round ten

The Armenian GM duo Robert Hovhannisyan and Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (above) drew their top board game, which meant that Hovhannisyan kept his half-point lead at 8.5 points, followed by fellow Armenian Ter-Sahakyan and Dariusz Swiercz (Poland) at 8.0 points. Sharing the fourth spot were GMs Adhiban Baskaran (India) and Ray Robson (USA) at 7.5 points.

On second board Swiercz Dariusz of Poland (above left) inflicted Indian FM Girish A Koushik his second consecutive defeat. Also facing continuous defeat was Italian Axel Rombaldoni, who went down to Indian GM Adhiban Baskaran.

WGM Deysi Cori Tello of Peru maintained her stay on top, holding Ozturk Kubra of Turkey to a draw. The Peruvian girl pressed for victory and stretched herself as the game went into a knight versus three pawns ending. Kubra defended accurately, as the marathon game concluded after 75 moves. Russian Girya Olga joing Deysi on the top, scoring over Gulnar Marfat Qizi Mammadova of Azerbaijan. Cori and Girya lead the table with 8.5 points, followed by Ozturk, Irina Bulmaga (Romania) and Julia Dogodkina (Russia) at 7.0 points. A seizable 1.5 lead with three rounds to go, makes the leading duo strong title contenders.

Chief Arbiter R Antharam confirmed the following nine game norms: GM norm for Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (India), and IM norms for Tihomir Janev of Bulgaria and Vladislav Kovalev of Belarus. Among girls, Klaudia Kulon of Poland gained a nine-game WIM Norm. Israel GM Tamir Nabaty withdrew from the event on health grounds.

Round eleven

With comfortable wins WGMs Deysi Cori (Peru) and Olga Girya (Russia) built a huge two point lead in the Girls Section, followed by Rout Padmini (India), Nazi Paikidze, Keti Tsatsalasvili (both Georgia), Bulmaga Irina (Romania) and Dogodkina Julia (Russia) at 7.5 points.

In the Open ection, Armenian GM Robert Hovhannisyan drew his game against Polish GM Swiercz Dariusz and maintained his lead with 9.0 points. Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (Armenia) and Dariusz Swiercz (Poland) followed with 8.5 points. Sharing the fourth spot at 8.0 points were Vladislav Kovalev (Belarus), Vasif Durarbeyli (Azerbaijan), Ray Robson (USA) and Adhiban Baskaran (India). With two rounds to go, the games are bound to intense, as the big medals are at stake.

Top rankings after eleven rounds: Open – Girls

Endgame analysis by GM Karsten Müller

The following are two interesting didactic analyses submitted by our endgame expert for the CBM Blog.

Links Official tournament site All games in zipped PGN: Open – Girls A selection of games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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