2012 U.S. Women's Chess Championship

Watching the action live, it's nearly finished for the ladies.  It appears that Zatonskih and Krush are once again headed toward a play-off for the Women's title tomorrow at noon.

Updated 4:38: Krush defeated Baginskaite.

Updated 4:39:  After move 40 Tatev Abrahamyan resigned and Zatonskih also wins her game!

Play-off for those fighting chess femmes tomorrow.  Loving it!

Added May 20, 2012:

Here are the R9 results:

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	IM Zatonskih, Anna	6.0	2510	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	4.5	2329	1-0
2	WFM Kats, Alena	1.5	2137	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	4.5	2333	0-1
3	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	2.0	2358	IM Krush, Irina	6.0	2457	0-1
4	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	4.5	2364	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.5	2224	0-1
5	FM Melekhina, Alisa	3.5	2242	WIM Ni, Viktorija	4.0	2228	0-1

Here is the cross-table:

Rank	Name	Score	M/F	Rating	TPR	W-We	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	IM Zatonskih, Anna	7.0	F	2510	2519	+0.16	1	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	1
2	IM Krush, Irina	7.0	F	2457	2523	+0.74	1	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	1
3	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	5.5	F	2333	2397	+0.80	1	0	1	0	1	½	1	0	1
4	WIM Ni, Viktorija	5.0	F	2228	2371	+1.66	½	0	0	1	½	1	½	½	1
5	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	4.5	F	2364	2313	-0.60	0	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	0
6	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	4.5	F	2329	2317	-0.14	½	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0
7	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	4.5	F	2224	2329	+1.21	½	1	1	½	0	0	½	0	1
8	FM Melekhina, Alisa	3.5	F	2242	2247	-0.02	½	½	0	½	1	1	0	0	0
9	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	2.0	F	2358	2094	-3.02	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	0
10	WFM Kats, Alena	1.5	F	2137	2063	-0.79	0	0	1	0	0	0	½	0	0

Victorija Ni had a wonderful tournament, finishing in clear 4th place. Not bad for a first-timer!   Goletiani was in good form, and Camilla -- what the hell happened to you?  I thought you must be fighting flu or some other nasty illness but, evidently not.  It was just a bad event for you this time around.  I think this was also Alena Kats' first trip to the U.S. championship.  She kind of got beat-up on, but that wasn't unexpected seeing as she is the lowest rated player on the list. 

I wish we had better opportunities (besides the championship) for these chess femmes to develop their playing skills here in the U.S.  I don't see us standing a snowball's chance in hell of winning a medal in the chess Olympiad later this year; there's just too much of a drop-off in talent after Zatonskih and Krush compared to the teams we know will be fielded by chess powerhouses China, Russia, and Georgia, among other countries.  It's the same old story; you're not going to get players, particularly promising female players, to go into chess as a full-time profession when they can't make a decent living at it.  There are no Rex Sinquefields stepping forward to subsidize any of them.  Instead, we've got Nakamura.  Oh geez.

Soooooo, today is the play-off for the actual title of U.S. Women's Champion between Zatonskih and Krush.  Hmmmm, haven't we seen this action before...  It's warm here, over 80 F already and just about 10 a.m., must be even worse down in St. Louis - I'm going to look at the weather forecast, for thunderstorms (big ones with lots of lightning and building-shaking booms) must be anticipated in St. Louis...  Euuuuwwww!  84 F right now in St. Louis with a sticky 62 dewpoint. Even worse than here, and I am definitely contemplating shutting down the house and turning on the AC.  Lots of warm moist air is hovering over St. Louis and, indeed, being pumped upward throughout the middle section of the country, and that always means there is a chance for severe storms to bloom.  Those of you in St. Louis may see your skies echoing the stormy battle OTB starting at noon today between Zatonskih and Krush.

I'm sticking with my prediction that Zatonskih will retain her title.  We'll see what kind of prognosticator I am.  Ha!