2011-2012 Women's Grand Prix: Rostov

 R9 - Hou Yifan proved she is not invincible; Lahno had something to prove.  Sadly, Humpy Koneru seemed out of it right from the get-go.  I am left wondering "what is wrong?"  She should not have lost a game (even with black) to Ekaterine Kovalelevskaya, who is having an absolutely horrid tournament.  It won't get any easier for Humpy - she has to face T. Kosintseva in R10 and Kateryna Lahno in R11!  Oh my!  One thing is sure, if she expects to have any chance against Hou in the Women's Chess Championship match, she'd better step up her game big time - in a hurry. 

SNo.		Name	Rtg	Res.		Name	Rtg	SNo.
5	IM	Muzychuk Anna	2538	1 - 0	WGM	Ruan Lufei	2479	12
6	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	2560	1 - 0	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2497	4
7	GM	Danielian Elina	2521	1 - 0	IM	Galliamova Alisa	2492	3
8	IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	2427	1 - 0	GM	Koneru Humpy	2614	2
9	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	2557	1 - 0	GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	2524	1
10	GM	Lahno Kateryna	2536	1 - 0	GM	Hou Yifan	2575	11

Standings:

Rank	SNo.		Name	Rtg	FED	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pts	SB	Res.	Rp
1	11	GM	Hou Yifan	2575	CHN	*	½	0	1	½	1		1		1	1	1	7	28.00	0	2747
2	9	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	2557	RUS	½	*	½	½	½		1		1	½	½	1	6	25.25	0	2642
3	10	GM	Lahno Kateryna	2536	UKR	1	½	*	0	1			1	0	1	½	½	5½	24.75	0	2596
4	5	IM	Muzychuk Anna	2538	SLO	0	½	1	*		½	½	1	1		½	½	5½	22.75	0	2602
5	6	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	2560	RUS	½	½	0		*	½	½	½		½	1	1	5	20.00	0	2570
6	2	GM	Koneru Humpy	2614	IND	0			½	½	*	½	½	1	½	1	0	4½	17.50	0	2513
7	1	GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	2524	BUL		0		½	½	½	*	0	½	1	½	1	4½	16.75	0	2521
8	3	IM	Galliamova Alisa	2492	RUS	0		0	0	½	½	1	*	1	0	½		3½	14.25	0	2458
9	12	WGM	Ruan Lufei	2479	CHN		0	1	0		0	½	0	*	1	½	½	3½	14.00	0	2443
10	7	GM	Danielian Elina	2521	ARM	0	½	0		½	½	0	1	0	*		1	3½	13.75	0	2449
11	4	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2497	RUS	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½		*		3	14.25	0	2417
12	8	IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	2427	RUS	0	0	½	½	0	1	0		½	0		*	2½	11.75	0	2379

There are two more rounds to go:

Round 10 on 2011/08/13 at 15:00
SNo.		Name	Rtg	Res.		Name	Rtg	SNo.
12	WGM	Ruan Lufei	2479	-	GM	Hou Yifan	2575	11
1	GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	2524	-	GM	Lahno Kateryna	2536	10
2	GM	Koneru Humpy	2614	-	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	2557	9
3	IM	Galliamova Alisa	2492	-	IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	2427	8
4	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2497	-	GM	Danielian Elina	2521	7
5	IM	Muzychuk Anna	2538	-	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	2560	6
Round 11 on 2011/08/14 at 12:00
SNo.		Name	Rtg	Res.		Name	Rtg	SNo.
6	GM	Kosintseva Nadezhda	2560	-	WGM	Ruan Lufei	2479	12
7	GM	Danielian Elina	2521	-	IM	Muzychuk Anna	2538	5
8	IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	2427	-	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2497	4
9	GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	2557	-	IM	Galliamova Alisa	2492	3
10	GM	Lahno Kateryna	2536	-	GM	Koneru Humpy	2614	2
11	GM	Hou Yifan	2575	-	GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	2524	1

Ruan v. Hou in R10 I assume will be an easy draw - I expect that Ruan has received the "message" (if not an outright order) that she should not press Hou too much for a win, even though doing so (and winning) would prove a point of her own :)