2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

And the Bronze Medal Winner is: First Round (winner plays Monica Socko): 1 0 = 1 N. Pogonina (RUS) 0 1 = 0 E. Kovalevskaya (RUS) First Round (winner plays winner of Rajlich/Lomineishvili): 0 0 T. Shadrina (RUS) 1 1 E. Ovod (RUS) First Round (winner plays winner of Shadrina/Ovod): 0 1 0 1 0 I. Rajlich (POL) 1 0 1 0 1 M. Lomineishvili (GEO) Second Round: 1 0 0 0 M. Socko (POL) 0 1 1 1 N. Pogonina (RUS) 1 0 = 0 E. Ovod (RUS) 0 1 = 1 M. Lomineishvili (GEO) Final Round (Bronze Medal Winner): 1 0 1 1 N. Pogonina (RUS) 0 1 0 0 M. Lomineishvili (GEO) Whew! Got that? Interesting - when I looked this evening at the official website I could not find anything about the prizes awarded - other than the special prizes previously reported on here. What gives - is it a big secret???

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Update after play-offs: Gold medal: IM Kosintseva, Tatiana RUS Silver medal: IM Mkrtchian, Lilit ARM Bronze Medal: still undetermined when I checked this morning (8.53 a.m.) Qualified for the World Championship: 1 IM Kosintseva, Tatiana RUS 2 GM Socko, Monika POL 3 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana RUS 4 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina RUS 5 IM Rajlich, Iweta POL 6 IM Ovod, Evgenija RUS 7 GM Hoang Thanh Trang HUN 8 WGM Romanko, Marina RUS 9 WGM Kovanova, Baira RUS 10 IM Turova, Irina RUS 11 IM Paehtz, Elisabeth GER 12 WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta POL 13 IM Khukhashvili, Sopiko GEO 14 IM Muzychuk, Mariya UKR Mrktchian isn't on the list, but I assume she has already qualified for the next WWCC. by virtue of her stellar performance at the 2008 WWCC.

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Wow! Lots of excitment in the final round - and it's not over yet! First of all, here are the top 10 final standings, with the caveat below (and it's a big one): Rank Pno Title Name Elo Fed Score TPR 1 11 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 2460 ARM 8,5 2598 2 5 IM Kosintseva, Tatiana 2497 RUS 8,5 2551 3 15 GM Socko, Monika 2449 POL 8 2565 4 24 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana 2416 RUS 8 2552 5 17 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 2437 GEO 8 2520 6 16 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 2442 RUS 8 2550 7 9 WGM Pogonina, Natalija 2467 RUS 8 2540 8 27 IM Rajlich, Iweta 2399 POL 8 2552 9 18 IM Ovod, Evgenija 2430 RUS 8 2504 10 8 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 2483 HUN After visiting Chessdom I learned that IM Lilit Mkrtchian and IM Tatiana Kosintseva will do a play-off to determine which chess femme wins the title. (By the way, beautiful photos of the chess femmes at Chessdom). Here are the Round 11 results for the top boards: IM Kosintseva, Tatiana 7.5 RUS 2497 - IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 8.0 RUS 2442 1-0 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 7.5 GEO 2437 - WGM Pogonina, Natalija 7.5 RUS 2467 0.5-0.5 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 7.5 ARM 2460 - WGM Romanko, Marina 7.5 RUS 2451 1-0 IM Rajlich, Iweta 7.5 POL 2399 - GM Socko, Monika 7.5 POL 2449 0.5-0.5 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 7.0 HUN 2483 - IM Khukhashvili, Sopiko 7.0 GEO 2416 0.5-0.5 IM Paehtz, Elisabeth 7.0 GER 2455 - WGM Kovanova, Baira 7.0 RUS 2386 0.5-0.5 IM Ovod, Evgenija 7.0 RUS 2430 - WFM Bodnaruk, Anastasia 7.0 RUS 2384 1-0 IM Turova, Irina 7.0 RUS 2379 - IM Muzychuk, Mariya 7.0 UKR 2427 0.5-0.5 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana 7.0 RUS 2416 - IM Melia, Salome 7.0 GEO 2422 1-0WGM Demina, Julia 6.5 RUS 2361 - IM Muzychuk, Anna 6.5 SLO 2540 0-1 IM Vasilevich, Irina 6.5 RUS 2340 - GM Lahno, Kateryna 6.5 UKR 2488 1-0 IM Dworakowska, Joanna 6.5 POL 2352 - IM Gaponenko, Inna 6.5 UKR 2450 0.5-0.5 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 6.5 ROU 2412 - WIM Paulet, Iozefina 6.5 ROU 2315 0.5-0.5 WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta 6.5 POL 2385 - WGM Botsari, Anna-Maria 6.5 GRE 2289 1-0 GM Dzagnidze, Nana 6.0 GEO 2518 - WFM Severiukhina, Zoja 6.0 RUS 2327 1-0 At the moment, these are the play-offs: For Championship Title: -- L. Mkrtchian (ARM) -- T. Kosintseva (RUS) For Bronze and Silver Medals: -- (1) IM Monica Socko (POL) -- (2) E. Kovalevskaya (RUS) -- (2) N. Pogonina (RUS) (winner of this play-off will meet Socko) -- (3) T. Shadrina (RUS) -- (3) E. Ovod (RUS) (winner of 3 will play-off against winner of 4) -- (4) M. Lomineishvili (GEO) -- (4) I. Rajlich (POL) Here are the special prizes awarded to the chess femmes thus far: Rank Name Fed Score TPR Elo TPR-Elo Prize (Eur) 1 Ziaziulkina, Nastassia BLR 5 2208 1950 258 1000 2 Khokhlova, Ekaterina RUS 4,5 2068 1822 246 900 3 Petrukhina, Irina RUS 4,5 2113 1905 208 800 4 Della-Rossa, Anastasia RUS 4 2074 1868 206 700 5 Balaian, Alina RUS 5 2229 2037 192 600 6 Brunello, Marina ITA 5 2282 2106 176 550 7 Kushka, Alena RUS 5,5 2295 2124 171 500 8 Sorokina, Anastasia RUS 4,5 2250 2087 163 450 9 Lezhepekova, Veronika RUS 3,5 2079 1917 162 400 10 Styazhkina, Anna RUS 4 2072 1926 146 350 11 Lupik, Marina RUS 5,5 2307 2163 144 300 12 Abdulla, Khayala AZE 5 2205 2070 135 260 13 Zizlova, Sofia RUS 4,5 2153 2020 133 220 14 Girya, Olga RUS 7 2441 2315 126 200 15 Lomakina, Galja RUS 5 2183 2058 125 170 Where did my girl Narmin Kazimova finish? 85 114 Kazimova, Narmin 2165 AZE 5,5 2223 Respectable, but not spectacular (85 out of 168, and higher than her start place at 114). There was no magic in this year's Championship for Narmin. Narmin, you keep going. I think you've got what it takes, but you need more training and a LOT more exposure to international competitions. Unfortunately, you are not in a position to obtain this - the sad but true story for too many chessplayers around the world today.

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Standings after Round 8 - only those chess femmes within a point of the leaders. It is still any woman's Championship at this point. IM Lilit Mkrtchian has bounced back from 5th place to 2nd place today with a win. Keep your eye on her: 1 GM Socko, Monika 7.0 POL F 2449 2604 2 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 7.0 ARM F 2460 2599 3 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 7.0 HUN F 2483 2605 4 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana 7.0 RUS F 2416 2583 5 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 7.0 GEO F 2437 2539 6 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 7.0 RUS F 2442 2569 7 IM Rajlich, Iweta 7.0 POL F 2399 2580 8 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 6.5 ROU F 2412 2535 9 IM Melia, Salome 6.5 GEO F 2422 2532 10 WGM Pogonina, Natalija 6.5 RUS F 2467 2507 11 IM Kosintseva, Tatiana 6.5 RUS F 2497 2486 12 WGM Romanko, Marina 6.5 RUS F 2451 2495 13 IM Turova, Irina 6.5 RUS F 2379 2502 14 GM Dzagnidze, Nana 6.0 GEO F 2518 2498 15 GM Lahno, Kateryna 6.0 UKR F 2488 2478 16 WGM Kovanova, Baira 6.0 RUS F 2386 2476 17 WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta 6.0 POL F 2385 2469 18 IM Khukhashvili, Sopiko 6.0 GEO F 2416 2467 19 WFM Bodnaruk, Anastasia 6.0 RUS F 2384 2475 20 IM Ovod, Evgenija 6.0 RUS F 2430 2448 21 WGM Nebolsina, Vera 6.0 RUS F 2312 2418 22 IM Ushenina, Anna 6.0 UKR F 2499 2469 23 WFM Girya, Olga 6.0 RUS F 2315 2451 24 IM Muzychuk, Anna 6.0 SLO F 2540 2445 25 IM Paehtz, Elisabeth 6.0 GER F 2455 2440 26 IM Dworakowska, Joanna 6.0 POL F 2352 2413 27 IM Muzychuk, Mariya 6.0 UKR F 2427 2434 28 WIM Solovjova, Valentina 6.0 RUS F 2324 2384 29 WIM Majdan, Joanna 6.0 POL F 2351 2430 30 WFM Severiukhina, Zoja 6.0 RUS F 2327 2372

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

IM Lilit Mkrtchyan (playing for the Armenian women's team) did very well in the 2008 Women's World Chess Championship at Nalchik (where?), and despite this defeat is proving that her showing at the WWCC was no fluke: Report from Pan Armenian.net Lilit Mkrtchyan suffers defeat from Hungarian chess player 16.03.2009 10:56 GMT+04:00 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian chess player Lilit Mkrtchyan is no more leader of the European Individual Chess Tournament for women after sustaining defeat from Hungary’s Hoang Thanh Trang in the 7th round. Nelly Aghinyan lost the game vs. Germany’s Elisabeth Pähtz. Lilit Galoyan defeated Russia’s Svetlana Mednikova while Anna Hayrapetyan scored a victory over Irina Petrukhina. Siranush Andreasyan and Galya Lomakina (Russia) played in a draw. After 7 tours, Lilit Mkrtchyan has 5.5 points; Nelly Aghinyan has 4 points; Lilit Galoyan, Siranush Andreasyan and Anna Hayrapetyan have 3.5 points each. *************************************************************************** After Round 8, you can see how tight things are at the top for the ladies - 14 players within 1/2 point of each other for the lead! 1 IM Melia, Salome 6.5 GEO 2422 2 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 6.5 UN 2483 3 IM Rajlich, Iweta 6.5 POL 2399 4 GM Socko, Monika 6.0 POL 2249 5 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 6.0 ARM 2460 6 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 6.0 RUS 2442 7 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 6.0 ROU 2412 8 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana 6.0 RUS 2416 9 WGM Kovanova, Baira 6.0 RUS 2386 10 WGM Pogonina, Natalija 6.0 RUS 2467 11 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 6.0 GEO 2437 12 WFM Bodnaruk, Anastasia 6.0 RUS 2384 13 IM Dworakowska, Joanna 6.0 POL 2352 14 WFM Severiukhina, Zoja 6.0 RUS 2327

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Standings of selected players after Round 8 (168 players): 1 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 6.0 HUN F 2483 2680 2 GM Socko, Monika 5.5 POL F 2449 2609 3 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 5.5 ARM F 2460 2598 4 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 5.5 RUS F 2442 2574 5 IM Melia, Salome 5.5 GEO F 2422 2588 6 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 5.5 ROU F 2412 2572 7 IM Khurtsidze, Nino 5.5 GEO F 2421 2593 8 WGM Pogonina, Natalija 5.5 RUS F 2467 2540 9 IM Rajlich, Iweta 5.5 POL F 2399 2563 10 WGM Shadrina, Tatiana 5.5 RUS F 2416 2586 11 WGM Kovanova, Baira 5.5 RUS F 2386 2555 12 WFM Bodnaruk, Anastasia 5.5 RUS F 2384 2545 13 WGM Grabuzova, Tatiana 5.5 RUS F 2332 2508 14 IM Ovod, Evgenija 5.0 RUS F 2430 2484 15 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 5.0 GEO F 2437 2469 16 IM Ushenina, Anna 5.0 UKR F 2499 2498 17 IM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan 5.0 SCO F 2500 2495 18 IM Paehtz, Elisabeth 5.0 GER F 2455 2461 19 WGM Demina, Julia 5.0 RUS F 2361 2419 20 WGM Nebolsina, Vera 5.0 RUS F 2312 2425 21 WFM Severiukhina, Zoja 5.0 RUS F 2327 22 IM Dworakowska, Joanna 5.0 POL F 2352 2400 23 GM Lahno, Kateryna 4.5 UKR F 2488 2455 65 Kazimova, Narmin 4.0 AZE F 2165 2223 68 WGM Calzetta, Monica 4.0 ESP F 2371 2257

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Standings after Round 2: 1 GM Dzagnidze, Nana 2.0 GEO F 2518 3028 +0.43 1 1 2 GM Lahno, Kateryna 2.0 UKR F 2488 3020 +0.48 1 1 3 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 2.0 HUN F 2483 3015 +0.48 1 1 4 WGM Romanko, Marina 2.0 RUS F 2451 3006 +0.54 1 1 5 IM Gaponenko, Inna 2.0 UKR F 2450 2996 +0.51 1 1 6 GM Socko, Monika 2.0 POL F 2449 3004 +0.54 1 1 7 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 2.0 RUS F 2442 2992 +0.52 1 1 8 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 2.0 GEO F 2437 2998 +0.55 1 1 9 IM Ovod, Evgenija 2.0 RUS F 2430 2985 +0.53 1 1 10 IM Melia, Salome 2.0 GEO F 2422 2989 +0.56 1 1 11 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 2.0 ROU F 2412 2973 +0.55 1 1 12 WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta 2.0 POL F 2385 2959 +0.58 1 1 13 IM Turova, Irina 2.0 RUS F 2379 2950 +0.57 1 1 14 IM Zaiatz, Elena 2.0 RUS F 2364 2894 +0.48 1 1 15 IM Zimina, Olga 2.0 ITA F 2363 2939 +0.59 1 1 16 WGM Demina, Julia 2.0 RUS F 2361 2873 +0.43 1 1 17 WFM Gritsayeva, Oksana 2.0 UKR F 2341 2870 +0.48 1 1 18 WGM Aginian, Nelly 2.0 ARM F 2335 2862 +0.47 1 1 19 WFM Girya, Olga 2.0 RUS F 2315 2992 +0.88 1 1 20 WIM Daulyte, Deimante 2.0 LTU F 2278 2910 +0.80 1 1 21 WIM Iljushina, Olga 2.0 RUS F 2269 3093 +0.62 1 1 22 WFM Brunello, Marina 2.0 ITA F 2106 3071 +1.58 1 1 23 IM Muzychuk, Anna 1.5 SLO F 2540 2419 -0.22 ½ 1 24 IM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan 1.5 SCO F 2500 2449 -0.10 ½ 1 25 IM Ushenina, Anna 1.5 UKR F 2499 2479 -0.04 1 ½

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

Standings after Round 1 (top 25 only) (Round 2 plays on 3/9): 1 GM Dzagnidze, Nana 1.0 GEO F 2518 2996 +0.18 1 2 IM Ushenina, Anna 1.0 UKR F 2499 2991 +0.20 1 3 GM Lahno, Kateryna 1.0 UKR F 2488 2981 +0.20 1 4 GM Hoang Thanh Trang 1.0 HUN F 2483 2980 +0.20 1 5 GM Peng, Zhaoqin 1.0 NED F 2461 2975 +0.22 1 6 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit 1.0 ARM F 2460 2966 +0.21 1 7 IM Paehtz, Elisabeth 1.0 GER F 2455 2966 +0.22 1 8 WGM Romanko, Marina 1.0 RUS F 2451 2962 +0.22 1 9 IM Gaponenko, Inna 1.0 UKR F 2450 2962 +0.22 1 10 GM Socko, Monika 1.0 POL F 2449 2960 +0.22 1 11 IM Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 1.0 RUS F 2442 2959 +0.22 1 12 IM Lomineishvili, Maia 1.0 GEO F 2437 2957 +0.23 1 13 IM Ovod, Evgenija 1.0 RUS F 2430 2954 +0.23 1 14 IM Muzychuk, Mariya 1.0 UKR F 2427 2953 +0.23 1 15 IM Matveeva, Svetlana 1.0 RUS F 2422 2949 +0.23 1 16 IM Melia, Salome 1.0 GEO F 2422 2943 +0.23 1 17 IM Khukhashvili, Sopiko 1.0 GEO F 2416 2938 +0.23 1 18 IM Foisor, Cristina-Adela 1.0 ROU F 2412 2917 +0.21 1 19 IM Rajlich, Iweta 1.0 POL F 2399 2910 +0.22 1 20 WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta 1.0 POL F 2385 2903 +0.22 1 21 WFM Bodnaruk, Anastasia 1.0 RUS F 2384 2900 +0.22 1 22 IM Turova, Irina 1.0 RUS F 2379 2896 +0.22 1 23 IM Gvetadze, Sopio 1.0 GEO F 2377 2888 +0.22 1 24 WGM Cherednichenko, Svetlana 1.0 UKR F 2367 2869 +0.21 1 25 IM Zaiatz, Elena 1.0 RUS F 2364 2866 +0.21 1

Women's Grand Prix: Ataturk Tournament

Sigh. The New York Times is behind the times on the chess news. By now, everyone who cares under the sun knows that the first leg of the new FIDE Women's Grand Prix is the Ataturk Women Masters, which was such a spectacular success last year in showcasing some of the top women chessplayers in the world, is going up against the 2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship. What's new? FIDE screwed up big time - but the Mighty Kirsan does not care. Hell, he screwed over the male players in the 2008-2009 Grand Prix cycle, he certainly has no qualms screwing over the best female players in the world. After all, so the reasoning goes, nobody pays attention to them.

Armenian "Team" to play in 2009 EIWCC

Armenian chess players to participate in 2009 European Individual Women’s Chess Championship 04.03.2009 13:09 GMT+04:00 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian chess players will participate in 2009 European Individual Women’s Chess Championship. It is an 11-round Swiss beginning March 7 and completing March 21, 2009. The playing time will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. The Individual European Women’s Championship 2009 is a qualification event for the next World Championship for Women. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 14 players will qualify. The top 20 players of the EIWCC will divide a prize fund of 70 000 euro.The Armenian team includes Lilit Mkrtchyan, Nelly Aghinyan, Lilit Galoyan and Siranush Andreasyan.

2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship

LatestChess.com reports on the upcoming 2009 European Individual Women's Chess Championship. It is an 11-round Swiss beginning March 7 and completing March 21, 2009. The playing time will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. The Individual European Women's Championship 2009 is a qualification event for the next World Championship for Women. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 14 players will qualify. The top 20 players of the EIWCC will divide a prize fund of 70 000 euro. 2008's top finishers/money winners: 1 GM Lahno Kateryna 2479 UKR 8.5 (6,000 E) 2 IM Ushenina Anna 2474 UKR 8.0 (5,000 E) 3 WGM Zhukova Natalia 2450 UKR 8.0 (4,000 E) 4 IM Cmilyte Viktorija 2466 LTU 8.0 (3,000 E) 5 IM Mkrtchian Lilit 2413 ARM 8.0 (2,000 E) 6 IM Skripchenko Almira 2443 FRA 8.0 (1,900 E) 7 IM Dembo Yelena 2429 GRE 8.0 (1,800 E) 8 GM Cramling Pia 2539 SWE 7.5 (1,700 E) 9 WGM Pogonina Natalija 2470 RUS 7.5 (1,600 E) 10 IM Muzychuk Anna 2486 SLO 7.5 (1,500 E) 11 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2538 BUL 7.5 (1,400 E) 12 IM Dzagnidze Nana 2443 GEO 7.5 (1,300 E) 13 IM Danielian Elina 2479 ARM 7.5 (1,200 E) 14 IM Lomineishvili Maia 2400 GEO 7.5 (1,100 E) 15 WGM Demina Julia 2337 RUS 7.5 (1,000 E) As noted in previous posts, the first leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix is the Is Banc Ataturk Masters - which will take place at the same time as the Individual European Women's Chess Championship. Oops. Some of the Grand Prix Ataturk players would not be able to participate in the IEWCC because of their country of residence. Some players would qualify, but they've evidently opted to play in the Ataturk - perhaps a chance for more money? GM Humpy Koneru 2621 GM Yifan Hou 2571 GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2557 (11th place, 1400 E) GM Pia Cramling 2548 (8th place, 1700 E) GM Marie Sebag 2529 (Sebag played in the Men's Individual European CC last year and won her 3rd and final GM norm) GM Maia Chiburdanidze 2516 GM Zhao Xue 2508 GM Zhu Chen 2496 IM Elina Danielian 2496 (13th place, 1200 E) WGM Shen Yang 2448 WGM Zeinab Mamedjarova 2362 WIM Betül Cemre Yıldız 2214