Elite chess tournaments require strict arbitration and anti-cheating measures to ensure fair play, and Khiva is not an exception.
Chief arbiter Husan Turdialiev (from Uzbekistan) and Fair Play officer Bojana Bejatovic (Macedonia) have years of experience to draw from. Before the round, all players are scanned at the entrance - mobile phones, watches, pens, and any unnecessary items are prohibited in the venue. Additional scans can be performed after the game if required.
Access for spectators is only allowed during the first fifteen minutes, and after the game, professor Ken Regan provides the team with statistical testing of the games.
FIDE ensures that no stones are left unturned in its effort to provide a fair and safe environment for elite chess events.
Top young Uzbekistan grandmasters Nodirbek Yakubboev (2647) and Shamsiddin Vokhidov (2579) enjoyed the privilege of performing this afternoon’s ceremonial moves in the Lagno-Tan Zhongyi game.
Both were members of the national Uzbekistan team that took gold in the 2022 Chennai Olympiad.
Aleksandra Goryachkina (GM 2584) vs Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM 2521) 0,5 – 0,5
Winning on-demand with Black against a top player such as Aleksandra Goryachkina is a huge challenge, but once again, Alexandra Kosteniuk gave it all this afternoon, showcasing her fighting spirit.
Her daring opening choice, a side-line in the dangerous King’s Indian defence, undoubtedly left her with a slightly worse position going into the middle game, but as all KID players know, it’s the best choice to fight for a win.
On move sixteen, Kosteniuk decided to make a very interesting pawn sacrifice that got her opponent thinking for more than ten minutes.
“In general, I was sure that everything would be fine. However, later on, I started feeling slightly nervous because after her move 16…f5, sacrificing the pawn, the position became more complicated,” said Goryachkina after the game.
However, Kosteniuk could not follow it up while Goryachkina sensing the danger, went into control mode playing 26.Rd1 (better is 26.Nc3 with a big advantage for White) and started a sequence of massive exchanges, ultimately securing the draw for her.
With this result, Aleksandra Goryachkina won her quarter-finals match by 2,5 – 1,5 and qualified for the semifinals. She will enjoy two free days to prepare for her opponent: Lagno or Tan Zhongyi.
Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) vs Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514) 0,5 – 0,5
After three consecutive draws, both players came to the game very focused: a mistake in the fourth game would be costly. Tan Zhongyi surprised Lagno with the Sicilian Dragon variation, which, according to the database, she had only played once back in 2012.
Maybe fearing home preparation, Lagno went for her own fianchetto, the so-called 6.g3 line, a very solid choice. The opponents followed a 2019 blitz game between GM Wei Yi and GM Praggnanandhaa, and Lagno achieved little, just a very small space advantage.
At the key moment, Tan Zhongyi struck at the centre with the timely 18…d5, and after a few moves and some mass exchanges, the position was clearly heading towards a draw, which was agreed on move 41.
After the game, Lagno joined press officer Anna Kantane for a brief interview. Asked about today’s game, Lagno was quite frank: “Today’s game was very complicated. She surprised me in the opening, playing the Dragon, and I couldn’t figure out who was better and why. The position is probably equal when she plays 21…d4”.
With regard to her impressions on the first half of the tournament, Lagno said: “Tomorrow is the tiebreak, so I am trying to stay focussed. I have to play four games, and I don’t think that the draw of colours matters so much: I just need to prepare the games”.
The tiebreak between Tan Zhongyi and Kateryna Lagno is scheduled for Sunday, December 4th, at 3 pm. According to the rules and regulations for the event, four 15 minute + 10 second increment games will be played.
If the tie persists, another drawing of colours will take place, and two more games will be played with a 5’+ 3” time control. If the score is still even, then there will be another drawing of colours and subsequent games 3’+ 2” games until the first win.
As usual, the exciting match can be followed live with expert grandmaster commentary on FIDE YouTube channel.
Tournament format and prizes
Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or "pools" will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women's Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000.
Khiva
Established around 1500 years ago and currently housing a population of more than 90,000 people, Khiva is the former capital of Khwarezmia, and one of the three Uzbekistan historical cities on the Silk Road. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Mosques, madrassahs, and minarets are the present-day must-see highlights of the city.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/
There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution.
Text: IM Michael Rahal
Photo: Timur Sattarov
