Holy Hathor! Abrahamyan Blew It!

Final standings 2016 U.S. Women's Chess Championship:

Tatev Abrahamyan had the championship in her hand and she blew it.  All she had to do was control her nerves and win a game over a lower rated player.  But she lost.

Final standings:

1.  Paikidze, Nazi  8.5/11
2.  Abrahamyan, Tatev  8.0/11
3.  Zatonskih, Anna 7.0/11
4.  Mencova, Katerina  6.5/11
5.  Foisor, Sabina-Francesca  6.5/11
6.  Krush, Irina  6.0/11
7.  Eswaran, Ashritha  5.5/11
8.  Yu, Jennifer R.  5.0/11
9.  Yip, Carissa  4.5/11
10.  Gorti, Akshita  4.0/11
11.  Bykovtsev, Agata  3.0/11

White	Evaluation	Black

1	WIM Eswaran, A. (4½) 2225	1-0	WGM Abrahamyan (8) 2342
2	GM Krush, Irina (6) 2465	0-1	IM Paikidze, N. (7½) 2346
3	IM Zatonskih, A. (6) 2470	1-0	Yip, Carissa (4½) 2164
4	WGM Foisor, S. (5½) 2258	1-0	WIM Bykovtsev, A. (3) 2219
5	FM Melekhina, A. (1½) 2205	0-1	WGM Nemcova, K. (5½) 2367
6	FM Gorti, A. (3½) 2184	½-½	WFM Yu, J. R. (4½) 2157

Coverage a Chess Champs.

This is what I wrote today at Facebook to one of my chess buddies, Ellen Wanek, who does a lot for chess in the Sheboygan area:

The U.S. Women's Chess Championship is taking place in St. Louis right now, today is the final round and it will be an exciting one. Tatev Abrahamyan is poised to win her first ever U.S. title but Nazi Paikidze is within striking distance at 7.5; she will have the black pieces against Irina Krush, who is in the uncomfortable position of third place with 6.0, and right behind her is Anna Zatonskih also with 6.0, but she will have a much easier match against a lower rated player. It's possible Paikidze could win her game and in the unlikely event Abrahamyan loses her game, could take the title! Or, if Abrahamyan draws, she and Paikidze would go to a play-off. So - lots of drama in store. I will be glued to my computer listening to the live coverage on U.S. Chess Champs.

What a blow to Krush, wow, dropping all the way to 6th place. And Zatonskih proved yet again how tough she is, a remarkable performance when she needed to pull it through. And so, we have a brand new U.S. Women's Chess Champion.

2013 U.S. Women's Chess Championship: R6

Play resumed today with R6, and the ladies wasted no time (or some of the gents, either, for that matter), mixing things up and adding some exciting possibilities for grand denouements a few rounds from now!  Too tired to cut and paste out of this shot from the live coverage, so here are all of the players' match-ups and results:

Here are the women's standings after R6:

Rank	Name	Score	M/F	Rating	TPR	W-We	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	IM Krush, Irina	5.5	F	2470	2657	+0.95	1	1	1	1	1	½
2	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	5.0	F	2280	2555	+2.02	1	1	½	1	½	1
3	IM Zatonskih, Anna	4.5	F	2466	2471	+0.12	1	1	0	1	½	1
4	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	F	2243	2255	+0.09	1	0	1	0	½	½
5	WGM Foisor, Sabina	2.5	F	2300	2199	-0.86	0	0	0	1	1	½
6	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	2.5	F	2278	2226	-0.48	½	0	1	½	½	0
7	WGM Belakovskaia, Anjelina	2.0	F	2263	2188	-0.62	0	1	1	0	0	0
8	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2.0	F	2262	2124	-1.13	½	½	0	0	1	0
9	WFM Kats, Alena	2.0	F	2144	2181	+0.24	0	½	½	½	0	½
10	WFM Chiang, Sarah	1.0	F	2098	2054	-0.33	0	0	0	0	0	1

I'll leave it to the chess pros to analyze Irina Krush drawing Sabina Foisor in 31 moves in their game today when she has Tatev Abrahamyan breathing down her neck.  Abrahamyan, meanwhile, had a long game on her hands with Anjelina Belakovskaia because Anjelina doesn't resign easily (more on this in a few moments).  In the end though, Belakovskaia resigned and Tatev took the full point.  She is now within half a point of Krush.  The round 8 match between Krush and Abrahamyan now looms large but, as Tatev pointed out in her post-game interview with GM Maurice Ashley, she could lose her game tomorrow. 

Tomorrow Tatev plays Sarah Chiang, who scored her first point today, a victory with black against Viktorija Ni.  Anna Zatonskih also had a victory today with the black pieces against Camilla Baginskaite to pull within half a point of second place and one point away from Krush.  Alena Kats' game against Iryna Zenyuk ended in a draw, despite Kats having an earlier large time advantage, but coming up with a winning strategy was not going to be easy according to some commentary I was able to listen to shortly after 4 p.m. while still at the office. 

What I've found most interesting about this championship is what appears to be the total lack of intimidation factor on the part of the newcomers to the championship.  Earlier today, GM Maurice Ashley made a point of talking about the high percentage of decisive games played by the women -- it was in the high 70's percentage wise, higher than the 60's percentage of men's decisive games which he had previously noted as being higher than normal, and particularly noting the fighting spirit and take-no-prisoners attitude of the young players like Sevian and Troff!  He also made a point in earlier commentary (it was either in this past Saturday or Sunday's live online coverage) about how he approved of the Sofia rules in place for the U.S. Championships (no draw before move 30 unless an arbiter agrees it's a drawn position) because implementation of the rule has sent a strong message to the higher-rated players that "grandmaster draws" are frowned upon and will actively be discouraged, and he indicated he had seen a sort of "sea change" in player attitudes toward draws at the top levels of chess as a result of more high-powered tournaments adopting the Sofia rule to discourage quick draws.

But then today he turned around and made what I consider a totally out of line comment during his post-game interview with Tatev Abrahamyan (who defeated Belakovskaia about whether Belakovskaia's continuing to play on after she was "down a major piece and a pawn" instead of resigning was a sign of disrespect!  Of course Tatev refused to answer such a ridiculous question.  Has Ashley forgotten that Belakovskaia is a three-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion?  A player doesn't achieve three national champion titles without having a strong fighting spirit, and he should know all about fighting spirit, after all, as he was the very first black chessplayer in the United States to earn a GM title.

So maybe Belakovskaia could have - should have? - resigned somewhat earlier?  Maybe, but when, then?  Would a majority of players agree as to WHEN she "should have" resigned?  Then, I took a look at her games thus far in this championship, and few of them are 36-move decisive games.  Speaking of which, many of the other players' games aren't either!  What about Kats v. Krush in Round 1, which went 82 moves before Krush received the point?  Also in Round 1, Abrahamyan v. Foisor went 87 moves before Abrahamyan won with white.  In Round 2 Foisor v. Belakovskaia resulted in victor to Belakovskaia in 63 moves.  In Round 4 Baginskaite v. Kats was 79 moves that ended in a draw.  And in R5 Belakovskaia v. Ni lasted 73 moves before Ni won the point.  It's not just one particular player in this Women's Championship who is playing long drawn out games!

So where does GM Ashley get off suggesting that Belakovskaia should have rolled over and played dead long before she resigned in her Round 6 game against Abrahamyan?  Badly done, sir, badly done. 

Here are the pairings for R7:

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2243	WGM Foisor, Sabina	2.5	2300
2	IM Zatonskih, Anna	4.5	2466	WFM Kats, Alena	2.0	2144
3	WGM Belakovskaia, Anjelina	2.0	2263	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	2.5	2278
4	WFM Chiang, Sarah	1.0	2098	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	5.0	2280
5	IM Krush, Irina	5.5	2470	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2.0	2262

Tatev Abrahamyan Wins Tournament

Reported at Times.am

Armenian chess players have significant success in various championships
24 July 2012

Armenian WGM Tatev Abrahamyan scored 4,5 points out of 5 and solely took the first prize at the open that was held in Woodlands Hills, USA.  41 chess players were taking part in the tournament. Armchess.am informs about this.

Also reported at Armen Press:

The Armenian woman chess player is the winner of the Woodland Hills chess tournament
21:55, 24 July, 2012
Yerevan, July 24, ARMENPRESS: The American Armenian Grandmaster Tatev Abrahamyan scoring 7.5 points out of 9 possible became the winner of the international chess tournament held in the United States Woodland Hills. As “Armenpress” reports Abrahamyan is one of the US most popular chess players. She played in the country’s women’s national chess team for many times.

Here is a file photo I have of Tatev Abrahamyan.  Tatev is on the right - I want those cheekbones.  This photo was taken by Betsy Dynako at the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.  Also shown are Alisa Melekhina, left, and Rusudan Goletiani, center.  Photo from Chessbase (where else do they feature so many photographs of beautiful female chessplayers?)  I think the report is right that she is one of the most popular chessplayers in the U.S.  She has also won the Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award three times while competing in U.S. Women's Chess Championships!

The Winner of the 2011 Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award Is...

Sabina Foisor!  A full announcement was made at the chess blog of our judge, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk.  Our sincere congratulations to WGM Foisor! 

It was a very tough decision this year because so many of the women played tough uncompromising chess and just never gave up, no matter how "doomed" their games seemed to be.  How many times did Krush, Zatonskih and Abrahamyan pull wins out of seemingly lost positions?  It was just amazing to listen to/watch the games this year.  I even took off work yesterday figuring that I would see the end of the women's competition resolved in the two game match between Zatonskih and Abrahamyan.  I should have known better!

I thought I couldn't see anymore excitement in the women's matches than yesterday.  I was wrong.  Today it was even crazier!  I'm surprised I didn't have heart failure listening to these games and trying to catch snatches of the board action while at the office today!  It came down to the final Armageddon game to decide the 2011 Women's Champion.  Congratulations to IM Anna Zatonskih, who must be exhausted and running only on adrenaline at this point, after playing 19 straight games without a break!  I sincerely hope that Tatev Abrahamyan is not too disappointed.  This is the second year in a row she has finished in second place.  She's been knocking at the door.  Perhaps next year she'll bring a war engine to the Women's Championship and blow that damn door to smithereens. 

We wish there were more than one Fighting Chess Award but, alas, there is only one.  Therefore, in honor of Irina Krush, who greatly impressed with her five-game winning streak and clear first in the preliminary round-robin part of the Championship, and in honor of the never-say-die spirit exemplified in the chess of Tatev Abrahamyan and Anna Zatonskih throughout the entire championship series, we have donated $100 in each of their names to 9Queens. 

Yesterday's play-off action between Zatonskih and Abrahamyan:

Our thanks to our judge, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, who helped us out despite her busy schedule - indeed, she was playing in tournaments in Russia during most of the U.S. Women's Chess Championship!

Chess Femme News!

Tatev Abrahamyhan is mentioned in Dylan Loeb McClain's chess blog at The New York Times: 

January 9, 2011, 9:32 pm
America Has a New Chess Grandmaster and Three New International Masters

United States chess has rarely, if ever, had a week like the one that ended Saturday. On Saturday, four Americans earned titles at the Berkeley International tournament.

The 66th Armenian Women's Chess Championship is scheduled to begin on January 11, and will run through January 20, featuring ten of Armenian's female chessplayers.  They are not the best Armenian female players, which is a shame, but one of them will carry the honor of a national title:

No. Name FED Rtg
5 WIM Andriasian Siranush ARM 2217
6 WIM Gasparyan Narine ARM 2125
1 WGM Movsisian Naira ARM 2100
10 WFM Martirosyan Lia ARM 2082
8 Gevorgyan Maria ARM 2064
4 Babayan Armine ARM 2053
2 WFM Kharatyan Anahit ARM 2047
7 Kalashyan Varduhi ARM 2017
9 Sargsyan Shushanna ARM 2000
3 Meseljyan Astghik ARM 1892

The 68th Georgian Women's Chess Championship has just started and, unlike the Armenian Women's Championship, does feature some of the country's strongest female chessplayers, including our friend, IM Salome Melia (go, Salome!)  There are 13 players, so this is a 12-round event which began - on January 11th (tomorrow, according to my time zone, LOL!)  Here are the standings after R1:

Rk.			Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1		WIM	Danelia Mariam	GEO	2248	1.0	0.00	1	0.0
		IM	Purtseladze Maka	GEO	2323	1.0	0.00	1	0.0
		IM	Melia Salome	GEO	2449	1.0	0.00	1	0.0
		WIM	Mikadze Miranda	GEO	2362	1.0	0.00	1	0.0
		IM	Khurtsidze Nino	GEO	2436	1.0	0.00	1	0.0
6		IM	Javakhishvili Lela	GEO	2438	0.5	0.25	0	0.5
		IM	Khotenashvili Bela	GEO	2440	0.5	0.25	0	0.5
8		IM	Lomineishvili Maia	GEO	2345	0.0	0.00	0	0.0
		IM	Khukhashvili Sopiko	GEO	2437	0.0	0.00	0	0.0
		WGM	Paikidze Nazi	GEO	2455	0.0	0.00	0	0.0
		WGM	Batsiashvili Nino	GEO	2396	0.0	0.00	0	0.0
		WIM	Nikoladze Sopio	GEO	2254	0.0	0.00	0	0.0
		WIM	Arabidze Meri	GEO	2315	0.0	0.00	0	0.0

Chess Femme News

GM Hou Yifan
I'm glad to see she ditched the
hair-clips and her soft, slightly
shy smile hits the perfect note!

Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times wrote an opinion piece a few days ago about the so-called rise of China and it's superpower status, using the analogy of newly-crowned women's world chess champion GM Hou Yifan, the youngest champion yet at age 16.  While Mr. Kristoff may know how to play chess, it was obvious from what he wrote that he does not know anything about the microcosm of the "world of chess" and particularly now the State Organ of China uses chess as an instrment to tout it's "superiority" on the international stage.  I found the article rather silly, but below is the link to the opinion piece and the comments that followed separately, for anyone who may be interested.  My comment regarding the chess aspect is thus:  "western chess" in China is promoted the same way the Soviets promoted chess during the days of the old USSR - as a national tool to prove the "superiority" of its repressive, monolithic political system.  The same can be said for sports that have international audiences, particularly Olympic sports, such as gymnastics, where the Chinese routinely cheat just as the Soviets did, and figure skating - ditto. Well, we know what happened to the USSR, don't we.  My comment regarding some of the ridiculous misrepresentations in the article:  (1) There is no such thing as a decent education in China without paying for it - at all levels; the pressure to "do well" in school is such that students pay to have others take their exams for them and pay others to do their papers; plagerism is rampant and accepted as a practical way to get ahead.  (2) As a consequence of its defective educational system, very little original research and practically no true innovation is coming out of China -- it is all copycat from what has been produced in other countries.  (3) Female infanticide and abortion of female fetuses is still rampant throughout China, particularly in the rural areas, despite what Mr. Kristoff wrote.  Try doing a google search under the subject - but be warned - it is not for the weak of stomach or the faint of heart.  The consequence in practical terms is that in approximately 10 years, perhaps even less, China is going to run smack into a gigantic demographic shortage of women of child-bearing age because of the practice of killing female infants and fetuses.  I wonder how a government that emphasizes "social harmony" over the rights of individuals will deal with that one?
Op-Ed Columnist
China Rises, and Checkmates
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 8, 2011

January 8, 2011, 7:43 pm
Your Comments on China and Chess
By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

10th Berkeley International
January 2- 8, 2010
Berkeley, California

WFM Tatev Abrahamyan finished in 15th place overall, tied with several players with 6.5/10, earned $250 for her efforts and a WGM norm.  She doesn't care about "female" norms, though. She was shooting for an IM norm and didn't make it.  Too bad.  Abrahamyan was one of two women playing in this event of 58 players, specially designed to provide players with norm opportunities.  The other chess femme playing was WIM Lorena Zepada, who finished in 43rd place overall with 4.0/10.  My apologies if I missed any other chess femmes playing in this event.  On a separate note, it was good to see "I'm never going to play chess again" Sam Shankland in action - and he earned his final GM norm for his efforts, too.  Perhaps young Sam has learned that it is best not to make dramatic pronouncements while in the throes of intense emotions, because one may often find that one has to eat those words later on...

Chess Queens Plot Their Plans...
From the Deccan Chronicle Online
January 6, 2011 - I found this by visiting our friends at Chessdom.com - thanks!

Chess queens Dronavalli Harika and Koneru Humpy may not have had a great year in 2010 as they failed to bag gold in the tournaments but the new year is enough motivation to start afresh. Harika had to settle for bronze in the Asian Games at Guangzhou. World No.2 Humpy too crashed out of the World Women’s chess championship in the semifinal stage. Her ELO rating too took a dip as Humpy, rated 2614 in January last, ended the year on 2607. Humpy is keen to turn her ratings around in 2011.

“Frankly speaking, the last year had not been a good one for me. I started off well finishing second in Gibraltar and fourth in the Fide Grand Prix in Doha. Thereafter, I participated in the Nalchik Women’s Grand Prix where I was fifth, followed by the Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship in Moscow in September,” said Humpy.

“I would have loved to represent my country in the Asian Games, but the on-going differences with the All-India Chess Association prevented me from doing so,” she said, adding, “Reaching the semifinals of the World Women’s Championship and then not making it to the final was quite disheartening.”
“I am just praying for a better year ahead where I can win more titles and perform better,” said the Grandmaster.

“I am planning to take it one tournament at a time. But my main focus is the Women’s Fide Grand Prix Series which has its first Championship in Doha in January,” she added. World junior champion in 2008, Harika, is content with her show last year despite the shortcomings in events such as the Women’s World Championship.

“Winning bronze in the Asian Games individual event was great but I am disappointed about having missed a medal in the team event,” said the 19-year-old, adding, “In the Women’s World Championship too, I missed the semifinal berth after losing in the tie-breaker round.” The International Master also gained two norms after a stupendous show at International open tournaments in Reykjavik (Iceland) and Greece.

“I will work towards getting my third norm which will make me a Grandmaster,” said Harika, who is rated 2520.

I will cheer for Dronavalli to earn that final GM norm and join the growing ranks of female chessplayers who hold the GM title - over 20 now.  When I started following chess in 2001, there were fewer than 10.

46th American Open

November 25 - 28, 2010
LAX Radisson Hotel

Good to see GM Josh Friedel, one of several recently-minted American GMs within the past four-five years, win this event.  Of particular interest to me was the presence of two chess femmes, Tatev Abrahamyan, who was the top-finishing female in 18th place overall (of 41 players) with 4.0/6, and former U.S. Women's Chess Champion WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia, who finished overall in 29th place with 3.0/6. 

I know Abrahamyan plays in many events on the west coast, although the publicity she receives is normally limited to her play at the U.S. Women's Chess Championship over the past several years (she has won two separate Goddesschess Fighting Chess Awards for her uncompromising play at the Championships), but Belakovskaia had long since retired from chess -- so I was shocked to see her name on the player list, and pleased as hell to see her competing in this event!  Way to go!  Are you coming back?  Will you be playing in more events?  Please say yes! 

Belakovskaia is one of several strong foreign chessplayers who came to the United States in the early 90's with the collapse of the Iron Curtain.  She won the U.S. Women's Chess Champion title three times - in 1995, 1996 and 1999, and played on several U.S. Women's Chess Olympiad Teams.  You can catch a very brief glimpse of her in the film "Searching for Bobby Fischer" as one of a crowd in one of the "chess hustler" scenes in Washington Square.  Biography at Wikipedia.

I've been an admirer of Belakovskaia since I first read about her in 2001.  During the short-lived tenure of our chess-spoof online newspaper "The International Chessoid" Belakovskaia served as a model for an intrepid female chessplaying character in a serial story that, unfortunately, was never finished when The Chessoid went offline (and no, will not be resurrected -- it was great fun but far too much work).

Today, Belakovskaia, a mother of three, runs a successful real estate brokerage out west.  Will we see her in more chess events?  I sure hope so! 

Anjelina Belakovskaia
Chessbase, November 18, 2004:  Anjelina Has a Home for You 
Anjelina at Facebook
Anjelina's Chess for Parents

1st Metropolitan Chess FIDE Invitational

Half-time report.  Er, sorry - football on the brain.  Did you HEAR the game the Badgers put on - oh, never mind.  We scored over 80 fricking points, har!  Oh - back to chess--

Check out the half-way there report at chess.com.  There are a couple of games to play through, some photographs, and of course, a cross-table, along with a description of some of the action through the mid-way point.  The tournament concludes this coming weekend.

Tatev Abrahamyan has 2.0/5 and has a real uphill battle to score a norm.  Here's the cross-table:

1st Metropolitan Chess FIDE Invitational

A norm event, being held November 12-14 and 20-21, 2010.  WFM Tatev Abrahamyan, two-time winner of the Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award for her performances at U.S. Women's Chess Championships, is vying for an IM norm.  Ankit Gupta sent me several photographs of R1 action.  Thanks!

IM Enrico Sevillano

Konstantin Kavutskiy

Roman Yanovsky



WFM Tatev Abrahamyan




















First round results:

Tatev Abrahamyan (1) - Konstantin Kavutskiy (0)
Ankit Gupta (0) - Zhanibek Amanov (1)
Enrico Sevillano (1/2) - Joel Banawa (1/2)
Timothy Taylor (0) - Roman Yankovsky (1)

Round 2 results:

Kretchetov - Amanov 1/2
Yankovsky - Sevillano 1/2
Banawa - Gupta 1/2
Kavutskiy - Taylor 1-0
Manukyan - Abrahamyan 1/2

1st Metropolitan Chess FIDE Invitational

The Metropolitan Chess Club in downtown Los Angeles will be holding a 9-RR FIDE Invitational over November 12th – 14th and 20th – 21st. The tournament is being sponsored by www.chess.com, LawyerFy, and Fashion Business, Inc.

The tournament is being directed by Michael Belcher and Hal Bogner is acting as the international FIDE arbiter. The event will be category 4 FIDE with a respectable FIDE average of 2334 between the 10 players. The norm seekers need 6.0 out of 9.0 to get an International Master norm.

The venue will be the California Market Center, located at 110 East Ninth Street, Los Angeles CA 90079. The time control for the main event will be 40/90 + G/30 with 30 second increment. All games will be relayed live on www.chess.com.

The first round is at 7:00 PM on the 12th of November. For the rest of the rounds, the round times are at 11:00 AM and 4:30 PM on the 13th, 14th, 20th, and 21st of November. Spectators are encouraged and welcome to come. Parking will be validated if you are leaving after 7:00 PM on weekend days. Upon arrival, ask for the chess tournament at the main desk in the lobby and you will be directed to the proper floor.

WFM Tatev Abrahamyan will be vying for an IM norm. She is the winner of two Goddesschess Fighting Chess Awards for her performances in U.S. Women's Chess Championship. Go Tatev!

More information about the tournament can be found at chess . com. 

Chess Femme News

Starting off the round-up of news, this from Dylan Loeb McClain at The New York Times - not dealing with chess femmes but interesting, nonetheless, talking about chessplayers who were also musicians and/or mathematicians:

September 2, 2010, 5:12 am
Mathematicians, Musicians and Chess Masters

McClain's blog article mentions mathematician and chessplayers Adolf Anderssen, who was one-half of the game David Shenk used as a framework for his masterpiece on chess history "The Immortal Game: A History of Chess."

A nice idea - bringing together Armenian players from all around the world. Several chess femmes participated in this team event and two from the USA did quite well:

First Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad brings together 40 ranked players
Published: Wednesday September 01, 2010
Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad, Yerevan, August 14 - 23, 2010
Individual winners included Grikor Sevak Mekhitarian (Brazil, 3rd place), Katerina Rohonian (USA, 3rd place), Siranoush Andreasian (Armenia, 3rd place), Tigran Petrossian (Armenia, 2nd place), Tatev Abrahamian (USA, 2nd place), Poghos Nahapetyan (Russia, 1st place), and Diana Arutyunova (Ukraine, 1st place).

64th Moscow Blitz Championship
August 29, 2010
Report from Chessbase.com
Despite incredibly bad hair (what was she thinking, ohmygoddess!), WGM Valentina Gunina scored an incredible 100% - she won all 17 of her blitz games - to take the women's title. 
 
 
 
 
 

Here's a blog entry from GM Alexandra Kosteniuk's blog on the movie "Queen to Play" with video and links.
 
6th Prospero "A" Pichay Cup Open
August 21 - 26, 2010
Nine rounds, 47 players and, as far as I can tell, one lone chess femme, who did all right:
18 WGM POURKASHIYAN Atousa IRI 2308 5,0

1st Campomanes Memorial Cup Women
August 28 - September 3, 2010
Organizer(s) NCFP
Tournament director IA Wilfredo A. Abalos
Chief-Arbiter IA Casto Abundo
Site Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Manila
Date 2010/08/28 to 2010/09/03
Rating-Ø 1945
Standings after R 8 - 1 more round to go

Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. TB1 TB2 TB3
1 WGM SHEN Yang CHN 2435 6,5 2287 2318 2344
2 WGM POURKASHIYAN Atousa IRI 2308 6,0 2313 2348 2380
3 GM ZHAO Xue CHN 2462 6,0 2282 2322 2349
4 WIM HOANG Thi Nhu Y VIE 2187 5,5 2272 2339 2387
5 WGM HOANG Thi Bao Tram VIE 2338 5,0 2218 2251 2293
6 WGM GU Xiaobing CHN 2349 4,5 2319 2366 2387
7 WFM PERENA Catherine PHI 2103 4,5 2062 2206 2273
8 WGM ZHANG Xiaowen CHN 2390 4,0 2253 2291 2329
9 PALOMO Jenny Rose PHI 1870 4,0 1922 2043 2211
10 WFM CUA Shercila PHI 2099 4,0 1770 1865 1998
11 WGM ZHANG Jilin CHN 2264 3,5 2244 2281 2331
12 DOCENA Jedara PHI 2033 3,5 2054 2196 2234
13 WIM MARIANO Cristine Rose PHI 2025 3,5 1984 2115 2297
14 NAHUDAN Eibtizam PHI 0 3,5 1906 2023 2054
15 ACEDO Rowelyn PHI 0 3,5 1848 1957 2108
16 FRAYNA Janelle Mae PHI 0 3,5 1824 1928 2073
17 JOSE Rulp Ylem PHI 2039 2,5 1753 1846 1975
18 TAMBASEN Mary Grace Phi 0 2,5 1659 1735 1842
19 MORTOS Angelina PHI 0 2,0 1919 2039 2072
20 BERNALES Christy Lamiel PHI 2004 2,0 1603 1670 1764

Annotation:
Tie Break1: rating average of the opponents (variabel with parameters)
Tie Break2: rating average of the opponents (variabel with parameters)
Tie Break3: rating average of the opponents (variabel with parameters)

From GM Susan Polgar's chess blog, about a family of chessplaying siblings - the Brunellos - two sisters and a brother:
Italian Chess News
September 1, 2010

2010 Winner of the Fighting Chess Award!

Tatev Abrahamyan!

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk selected Tatev as winner of the $1,000 Fighting Chess Award, co-sponsored this year by Goddesschess and 9 Queens, from a large field of contenders.  The award was announced Tuesday evening at the Closing Ceremony of the U.S. Women's and U.S. Junior's Chess Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.  Tatev was also the winner of a $400 scholarship sponsored separately by 9 Queens. (Photo by Suzy Gorman)

Tatev was the winner of the Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award in 2008, chosen by GM Susan Polgar.

Tatev was born in Armenia in 1988.  She moved to the United States when she was 14.  Currently she is ranked 177 in the world of active female players, and 7th in the United States.

Tatev has quite a history of appearing in U.S. Championships since she moved to the USA.  Her first appearance was in 2003 when she played in the U.S. Juniors Championship and finished with 4.5/9.  Here are the final standings from that event, where she was the only female playing:

Name Fed Title Rc Rp W N K*change
Akobian, Varuzhan USA m 2317 8.0 9 9.8
Schneider, Dmitry USA m 2329 6.0 9 3.3
Milman, Lev USA f 2336 5.5 9 9.6
Hoekstra, Matthew USA f 2343 5.0 9 15.6
Abrahamyan, Tatev USA wf 2354 4.5 9 27
Friedel, Joshua E USA 2341 3.5 9 -9.6
Lopez, Bruci USA f 2329 3.5 9 -22.6
Fernandez, Daniel USA f 2344 3.5 9 -4.2
Wang, Philip Xiao USA f 2343 3.0 9 -13.05
Rouleau, John S USA 2350 2.5 9 -8.4
Rc - average rating of rated opponents, Rp - rating performance

Her next appearance in a national championship was in the 2004 U.S. Women's Chess Championship.  Here are the final standings from that event:

 Name Fed Title Rc Rp W N K*change
Shahade, Jennifer USA wm 2340 4.5 6 22.5
Krush, Irina USA m 2319 4.0 6 -2
Zatonskih, Anna USA wg 2322 4.0 6 -0.2
Abrahamyan, Tatev USA wf 2357 2.0 6 -0.6
Battsetseg, Tsagaan USA wm 2367 2.0 5 4.5
Goletiani, Rusudan USA wg 2346 1.5 5 -15.75
Belakovskaia, Anjelina USA wg 2371 1.0 4 -9
Rc - average rating of rated opponents, Rp - rating performance

Tatev tied for first place for the Women's Champion title in the 2005 U.S. Chess Championships [a large Swiss combining both male and female players, with the top-scoring female players vying for the Women's title and separate prize money], but lost in the play-off against Rusudan Goletiani. 
 
2006 was a nutso year as far as the U.S. Chess Championships.  The men and women were once again combined into - this time - two large groups - the A Group and the B Group.  I can tell you that Tatev finished second female in the B Group to Anna Zatonskih.  The Women's Championship eventually was between defender Rusudan Goletiani and challenger Anna Zatonskih, and Zatonskih won.
 
Name Fed Title Rc Rp W N K*change
Shulman, Yury USA 2520 6.5 9 12.8
Christiansen, Larry M USA 2513 6.5 9 15.5
Kamsky, Gata USA 2522 6.5 9 0.2
Fishbein, Alexander USA 2460 6 9 7.8
 Novikov, Igor USA 2549 5.5 9 6.4
Kreiman, Boris USA 2468 5 9 4.1
Wojtkiewicz, Aleks USA 2495 5 9 -2.2
Ivanov, Alexander USA 2508 5 9 -6.7
Yermolinsky, Alex USA 2463 5 9 -5.8
Kaidanov, Gregory USA 2456 5 9 -13
Perelshteyn, Eugene USA 2502 5 9 2.3
Browne, Walter S USA 2330 5 9 -7.6
Zatonskih, Anna USA 2477 5 9 10.4
Shabalov, Alexander USA 2541 5 9 -2.2
Gulko, Boris USA 2460 4.5 9 -15.3
Lugo, Blas USA 2385 4.5 9 -3.6
Ippolito, Dean J USA 2404 4.5 9 -0.9
Milman, Lev USA 2432 4.5 9 -5.4
Becerra, Julio USA 2421 4.5 9 -16.2
Fedorowicz, John P USA 2368 4.5 9 -15.3
Muhammad, Stephen A USA 2360 4.5 9 -2.7
Kriventsov, Stanislav G USA 2484 4.5 9 4.5
Ginsburg, Mark USA 2384 4 9 -3.2
Abrahamyan, Tatev USA 2332 4 9 7.35
Vigorito, David E USA 2322 4 9 -14.25
Sarkar, Justin USA 2406 4 9 4.9
West, Vanessa A USA 2258 3.5 9 16.05
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg USA 2510 3.5 9 32.25
Liu, Elliott USA 2302 3.5 9 14.7
Airapetian, Chouchanik USA 2309 3.5 9 16.05
Itkis, Hana USA 2246 1.5 9 -19.35
Christiansen, Natasha C USA 2233 0.5 9 -34.75
Rc - average rating of rated opponents, Rp - rating performance

The 2007 Frank K. Berry U.S. Women's Chess Championship.  Tatev didn't have an impressive performance in this round robin event, finishing with 3.5/9, in 8th place:

1 Irina Krush 7
2-3 Anna Zatonskih 6½
2-3 Katerina Rohonyan 6½
4 Batchimeg Tuvshintugs 5½
5 Tsagaan Battsetseg 5
6-7 Alisa Melekhina 4
6-7 Camilla Baginskaite 4
7-8 Tatev Abrahamyan
9 Elizabeth Vicary 2½ (Liz won the Goddesschess Brilliancy Prize)
10 Chouchanik Airapetian ½

In the 2008 Frank K. Berry U.S. Women's Chess Championship, Tatev finished in third place with 6.0.  It was her record of six wins, three losses and no draws that GM Susan Polgar pointed to in declaring Tatev the winner of the 2008 Fighting Chess Award:

1 Krush, Irina IM 2515 USA 7.0
2 Zatonskih, Anna IM 2490 USA 6.5
3 Abrahamyan, Tatev WFM 2280 USA 6.0
4 Rohonyan, Katerine WGM 2318 USA 5.5
5-6 Battsetseg, Tsagaan WIM 2251 USA 4.5
5-6 Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg WIM 2289 USA 4.5
7 Zenyuk, Iryna WFM 2205 USA 3.5
8 Epstein, Esther WM 2194 USA 1.5
9 Airapetian, Chouchanik WFM 2143 USA 1.0
10 Jamison, Courtney 2064 USA 0.0

Tatev finished in 5th place at the 2009 Championship:

1 Anna Zatonskih 2492 2462 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8½
2 Camilla Baginskaite 2356 2317 ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 6½
3 Alisa Melekhina 2253 2220 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 5½
4 Irina Krush 2490 2458 0 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 5½
5 Tatev Abrahamyan 2342 2275 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 0 4
6 Sabina Foisor 2379 2320 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 3½
7 Rusudan Goletiani 2437 2391 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 0 3½
8 Iryna Zenyuk 2271 2285 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 3
9 Battsetseg Tsagaan 2265 2258 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 2½
10 Yun Fan 2134 1935 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 1 0 0 2½

Tatev's chessplaying has made a quantum leap this year.  Her performances have garnered her both norms and ratings points, but the only title she's interested in at the moment is IM.

Tatev will be playing on the U.S. Women's Chess Olympiad Team in September along with Irina Krush, Anna Zatonskih, Camilla Baginskaite and Sabina Foisor.

Heartfelt congratulations to Tatev Abrahamyan, and good luck at the Olympiad.