HUMPY WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012 FIDE Women's Grand Prix - Ankara

YAHOOOO!  I am so excited and very happy for GM Koneru Humpy. She gets another chance at the Women's World Champion title.  Here is what the official website said about today's events (the final round):

Humpy Koneru became a winner of 6th stage of the FWGP in Ankara and placed second in the overall Grand Prix series after Hou Yifan. The Chinese has already clinched the first place in the overall Grand Prix cycle and is a current World Champion among women.

Round eleven was as thrilling as it was expected. All the attention turned to the games which would identify the winner of Grand Prix in Ankara. Humpy Koneru confidently won against Monika Socko and had to wait for the final outcome of the game between Ruan Lufei and Anna Muzychuk. The victory could have given Slovenian player the second place in the Series but she missed a good chance for advantage and game was drawn. Another important game for the final standings was played between Zhao Xue and Tatiana Kosintseva. A draw guaranteed Zhao Xue the bronze medal in GP in Ankara. Both Turkish players Kubra Ozturk and Betul Yildiz lost in the 11th round to the higher rated Viktorija Cmilyte and Antoaneta Stefanova respectively. Munguntuul Batkhuyag won against Ju Wenjun and finished the tournament with +1.
Results (R11):

SNo.		Name	Rtg	Res.		Name	Rtg	SNo.
6	GM	ZHAO XUE	2549	½ - ½	GM	KOSINTSEVA TATIANA	2524	12
7	GM	STEFANOVA ANTOANETA	2502	1 - 0	WGM	YILDIZ BETUL CEMRE	2341	5
8	GM	KONERU HUMPY	2593	1 - 0	GM	SOCKO MONIKA	2463	4
9	GM	CMILYTE VIKTORIJA	2520	1 - 0	WGM	OZTURK KUBRA	2294	3
10	WGM	RUAN LUFEI	2492	½ - ½	GM	MUZYCHUK ANNA	2606	2
11	WGM	JU WENJUN	2528	0 - 1	IM	MUNGUNTUUL BATKHUYAG	2434	1

And the final standings:

Rank	SNo.		Name	Rtg	FED	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pts	Res.	SB
1	8	GM	KONERU HUMPY	2593	IND	*	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	8½	0	39,50
2	2	GM	MUZYCHUK ANNA	2606	SLO	1	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	8	0	40,00
3	6	GM	ZHAO XUE	2549	CHN	½	½	*	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	7½	0	36,75
4	9	GM	CMILYTE VIKTORIJA	2520	LTU	½	½	1	*	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	1	6½	½	33,50
5	10	WGM	RUAN LUFEI	2492	CHN	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	6½	½	29,50
6	1	IM	MUNGUNTUUL BATKHUYAG	2434	MGL	½	½	0	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	1	½	6	0	30,00
7	12	GM	KOSINTSEVA TATIANA	2524	RUS	0	0	½	1	½	½	*	1	½	0	1	½	5½	0	27,25
8	11	WGM	JU WENJUN	2528	CHN	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	*	1	1	½	1	5	0	21,75
9	7	GM	STEFANOVA ANTOANETA	2502	BUL	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	0	*	1	½	1	4½	0	19,75
10	5	WGM	YILDIZ BETUL CEMRE	2341	TUR	0	0	0	1	0	½	1	0	0	*	½	½	3½	0	17,25
11	4	GM	SOCKO MONIKA	2463	POL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	2½	0	8,50
12	3	WGM	OZTURK KUBRA	2294	TUR	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	0	*	2	0	11,25

First, second and third places were crystal clear.  Ruan Lufei did what - I think - she was brought in to do - take out Anna Muzychuk.  What I do not think the Chinese were expecting was Humpy Koneru's performance.

Or, I could do a total Orwellian (or a Last Resort scenario -- see t.v. show premiere last night - like, WOW!  I know I'm gonna love that show) switcheroo and say that the Chinese intended to have Humpy finish in first place because of her prior weak record in competition against Hou Yifan, confident that in another match Koneru will fall victim once again.  Soooooo....

...personally, I think Karma's a real BEYATCH! 

Now - we've got a Women's World Chess Champion Knock-Out Tournament coming up in December in - wait for it - SIBERIA.  Siberia in December.  Oooookkkkkaaaaayyyyy.....guess the aliens that Kirzov talks to absolutely HATE FEMALE CHESSPLAYERS.  Or Kirzov does. Or both.


Great website, Ankara!  And thanks many times over to IsBank Turkey (Turkiye Is Bankasi) for their sponsorship for this event and many other women's chess events hosted by the Turkish Chess Federation.  The TCF stepped up and put a great package together for several strong women's tournaments when no other countries came through.  I wish wish wish there were more federations and sponsors like YOU!