WGP Lausanne Round 1: A peaceful start
The first round of the Lausanne Grand Prix witnesses six balanced encounters, which all end in a draw. The event is gaining in popularity worldwide. The third leg of the Series is taking place in the Mövenpick Hotel in Ouchy, a beautiful area by the lake in Lausanne. Quite a few spectators gathered at the venue for the start of the first round, but the organizers are particularly enthusiastic about the growing interest which arouses from the online broadcast. Live commentary, interviews with guests and players, everything is made to satisfy the audience online. The games of the inaugural round were mostly tense, even though all of them ended in a draw. World Champion Ju Wenjun played the Berlin Defense against newcomer Zhansaya Abdumalik. In spite of the symmetrical pawn structure which appeared early on, things were anything but clear. The talented Kazakhstani got a slight initiative at the cost of misplacing her rook on the f file. The strategic battle turned around this awkward piece, and it slowly looked as if the Chinese would be able to outplay her young opponent. Yet, Abdumalik sensed the right moment to simplify and offer a draw. Aleksandra Goryachkina, the other proclaimed favorite of the event, played an interesting game with white pieces against her countrywoman Alina Kashlinskaya. She could have secured an edge with 21.Bb5, with the idea to use her passed pawn later on. She simplified instead and had to suffer a little to make a draw. The first ceremonial move in the game Kosteniuk – Dzagnidze was made by Renato Frick, Vice-President and General Secretary of the Liechtenstein Chess Federation. The winner of the second Grand Prix leg in Monaco, Alexandra Kosteniuk, somewhat misplayed the opening. The Russian soon lagged in development, and Nana Dzagnidze might have played in a more forceful way to try and use her initiative. After the exchange of some pieces, the game dried up and both players agreed to a draw on the move 42. The encounter between Harika Dronavalli and Pia Cramling was quite balanced. True to her typical classical style, the Swedish legend got a solid position with the black pieces. The apparent passivity was compensated for by the long-term asset of the two bishops. As both grandmasters played with care, none of them managed to outfox the other and the game ended peacefully. In hindsight, Marie Sebag regretted accepting her opponent´s draw offer. It is true that Antoaneta Stefanova kept some pressure throughout the game, but after simplifications, the French suddenly emerged with a better ending. As usual, the Muzychuk sisters opted not to fight in a classical tournament game and quickly repeated moves after the opening. Results of the first round: Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) – Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) ½-½Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) – Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) ½-½Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ) – Ju Wenjun (CHN) ½-½Antoaneta Stefanova (BLG) – Marie Sebag (FRA) ½-½Harika Dronavalli (IND) – Pia Cramling (SWE) ½-½Anna Muzychuk (UKR) – Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) ½-½ Program of round 2, 3 March at 3 pm: Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) – Mariya Muzychuk (UKR)Pia Cramling (SWE) – Anna Muzychuk (UKR)Marie Sebag (FRA) – Harika Dronavalli (IND)Ju Wenjun (CHN) – Antoaneta Stefanova (BLG)Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) – Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ)Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) – Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) All the action can be followed live with commentary by grandmasters Mikhail Gurevich and Keti Tsatsalashvili on the tournament website http://wgp2019.fide.com . Pictures in high resolution are available for the press at our official Flickr account. Text: Yannick Pelletier Photos: David Llada Contact: press@fide.com
Women’s Grand Prix launched in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne
The third leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2020 is officially open. The tournament, running until March 14 at the Mövenpick Hotel in Lausanne features the strongest female chess players in the world. The event has been launched on the evening of March 1st on the premises of the prestigious Olympic Museum, on the shore of Geneva Lake. The same venue had already hosted the FIDE Knockout World Championship Final 1998 between Anatoly Karpov and Viswanathan Anand. The opening ceremony was attended by some prestigious guests, such as Lausanne Mayor Grégoire Junod and Andrew Hoffer of the International Olympic Committee. In his speech, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his gratitude to the Olympic Museum and stressed the importance of presenting chess in world-famous places such as this one. Barely a year after settling into Lausanne, the International Chess Federation stages one of its major events in the Olympic Capital. The President of the Swiss Chess Federation Peter Wyss stated that the Women Grand Prix was a worthy addition to the long list of historic chess tournaments held in the country. Lausanne is the third of the four-event Grand Prix Series. The leader of the race, Indian grandmaster Humpy Koneru, has a rest during the Swiss leg. This will certainly allow her nearest pursuers to close in and position themselves advantageously before the final event in Sardinia in May. Two qualifying places for the Candidates Tournament are stake in Women’s Grand Prix. Out of contention for qualification are of course the reigning World Champion Ju Wenjun and her challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, who appear in Lausanne as the two clear favorites. The first round starts on March 2 at 3 pm at the Mövenpick Hotel. Round 01 pairings: Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Alina Kashlinskaya (Rus)Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo)Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kaz) – Ju Wenjun (Chn)Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul) – Marie Sebag (Fra)Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Pia Cramling (Swe)Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) All the action can be followed live with commentary by grandmasters Mikhail Gurevich and Keti Tsatsalashvili on the tournament website http://wgp2019.fide.com. Pictures in high resolution are available for the press at our official Flickr account. Photo: David Llada Contact:Press officer: Yannick Pelletier+35 2691760922press@fide.com