2012 U.S. Women's Chess Championship

Results R6:

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2.5	2329	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	3.0	2364	1-0
2	FM Melekhina, Alisa	2.5	2242	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.5	2358	1-0
3	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2.0	2228	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137	1-0
4	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2224	IM Zatonskih, Anna	3.5	2510	0-1
5	IM Krush, Irina	4.0	2457	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	3.0	2333	½-½

Standings after R6 (cross-table):

Rank	Name	Score	M/F	Rating	TPR	W-We	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	IM Zatonskih, Anna	4.5	F	2510	2456	-0.30	1	1	½	½	½	1
2	IM Krush, Irina	4.5	F	2457	2480	+0.18	1	½	1	½	1	½
3	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	3.5	F	2333	2369	+0.33	1	0	1	0	1	½
4	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	3.5	F	2329	2352	+0.23	½	1	0	1	0	1
5	FM Melekhina, Alisa	3.5	F	2242	2394	+1.21	½	½	0	½	1	1
6	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	3.0	F	2364	2354	-0.06	0	1	½	1	½	0
7	WIM Ni, Viktorija	3.0	F	2228	2332	+0.78	½	0	0	1	½	1
8	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	F	2224	2350	+0.96	½	1	1	½	0	0
9	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	F	2137	2062	-0.53	0	0	1	0	0	0
10	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.5	F	2358	1918	-2.80	0	0	0	0	½	0

Pairings for R7:

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	3.5	2333	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	3.5	2329
2	IM Zatonskih, Anna	4.5	2510	IM Krush, Irina	4.5	2457
3	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2224
4	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.5	2358	WIM Ni, Viktorija	3.0	2228
5	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	3.0	2364	FM Melekhina, Alisa	3.5	2242

Tomorrow a much-anticipated game between Zatonskih with white against Krush with black at Table 2.  I also expect the Table 1 match-up to be intense.  Abrahamyan wants to move into the first or second position after being a bridesmaid for several years running.  I don't know if she's strong enough to do it, but she sure as hell is STUBBORN, a trait I admire (gee, I wonder why) :) 
Abrahamyan won't give up. 

Really, except for Baginskaite's performance, I am pleasantly surprised by how tight the scores actually are after 6 games, with only 3 more to go, with Alena Kats being somewhat of an outlyer.

Jen Shahade commenting during R4 of the U.S. Chess
Championship.  Leopard Print?  Soooo Judit Polgar!

Zatonskih scored a "must win" game today against  the "other" Iryna, Iryna Zenyk, in order to stay in first place after Krush's draw.  Iryna is a good friend of the Irina with whom Zatonskih keeps trading the U.S. Women's title back and forth.  I don't know if Krush took it "easy" today in agreeing to a draw, I haven't looked at the games and, frankly, I probably wouldn't be able to tell anything from it anyway without hearing live commentary from the pros! 

In any event, we all know she'll have her hands full tomorrow with black against Zatonskih, who will be looking to make another definitive move by taking the full point.  The final 3 games should be where the leaders pull away from the pretenders -- and that doesn't mean someone pretending to play chess, that means someone who hasn't been there before trying to move as high up the ranks as possible and possible take over one of the top spot -- as in "pretender to the throne."  That sort of pretender. 

How To Teach Chess to Anyone!

Parents and their kids can learn together - easy peasy! 

I will never forget the kindness Laura and Dan Sherman showed to me when I was needing some coaching in preparation for my charitable chess match with Shira Evans a few years ago.  Shira still won all of our games, but I was able to put up a fight thanks to Dan's coaching (he spent over an hour with me on the telephone and also reviewed some of my games and gave me practical, helpful pointers a/k/a tactics).  In my book, they are good people.

Laura Sherman and her co-writer, Bill Kirkpatrick, have a new book out:

Chess is Child's Play: Teaching Techniques That Work
ISBN: 978-1936277315
Publisher: Mongoose Press
Date of publish: April 16, 2012
Pages: 304
S.R.P.: $19.95

You can read more about it at Amazon.  There is also a very short animated video:

Thracian Horseman Statute Donated by ...

...a local "businessman" who just happened to discover it in "pieces" in a "house he inherited."  Hmmmm, what is that scent I smell?  Could that possibily be bullshit?

Article is at Novinite - don't try to copy it!  I took a "snip" of the main body of the text but there are a few more paragraphs that are not included in the snip since I cannot scroll down when doing a "snip" to capture material.

Here is an image of the "Heros" -- is it just me -- or does this look like a really poorly faked antiquity???  See, for comparison, this specimen at Wikipedia.  More information on the Thracian "heros."

Bulgarian Archaeology Museum Gets Unique Thracian Statue
May 7, 2012

New Update on Theft of Chinese Artifacts from The Fitzwilliam

All from BBC News.  Very smart - news, even insignificant seeming, was being released nearly daily and reported by BBC to keep the theft present in the minds of the public.

Some of the beautiful jade objects stolen from the Fitzwilliam,
used several times to illustrate headlines in the BBC News reports/udates.



The white Cadillac van that, despite intensive searches,
has not been found since the date of the Fitzwilliam theft.

April 28, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum £18m theft: Appeal posters and hotline set up

April 30, 2012
Fitzwilliam theft: Museum appeals for return of art

May 1, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum theft: New CCTV images released

May 2, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum Chinese art theft: Two held in London

Detectives investigating the theft of Chinese art from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge have arrested two people.

A 28-year-old man and 15-year-old boy were arrested earlier at addresses in east London by officers from Cambridgeshire and the Metropolitan Police.

A number of other addresses in London are being searched.

May 4, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum steps up security for Chinese art show
(I thought this was rather funny!)

May 8, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum Chinese art theft: Third arrest

A 31-year-old man from London is the third person to be arrested in connection with a burglary at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Police investigating the raid at the museum said the man had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

May 9, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum Chinese art theft: Third man bailed
Of note was the increase of the estimated value of the stolen objects: now from between 18-40 million pounds. 

May 11, 2012
Fitzwilliam Museum theft: New CCTV images of white van

That is up to the most recent.  Not much.  The reports are brief, certainly not like U.S. press reports would be on such a sensational crime!  We only know the ages of the arrested suspects, not their names.  Since I did not see an article reporting that the two people (one a minor) arrested on May 2, 2012 have not "been bailed," I assume they are still in custody.  The third person arrested was "bailed" - and what, exactly, does money laundering have to do with these thefts?

2012 U.S. Women's Chess Championship

Results from R5:

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	IM Krush, Irina	3.0	2457	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2.5	2329	1-0
2	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	2.0	2333	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2224	1-0
3	IM Zatonskih, Anna	3.0	2510	WIM Ni, Viktorija	1.5	2228	½-½
4	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137	FM Melekhina, Alisa	1.5	2242	0-1
5	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.0	2358	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	2.5	2364	½-½

Standings after R5 (cross-table):

Rank	Name	Score	M/F	Rating	TPR	W-We	1	2	3	4	5
1	IM Krush, Irina	4.0	F	2457	2517	+0.35	1	½	1	½	1
2	IM Zatonskih, Anna	3.5	F	2510	2419	-0.46	1	1	½	½	½
3	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	3.0	F	2364	2431	+0.49	0	1	½	1	½
4	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	3.0	F	2333	2355	+0.16	1	0	1	0	1
5	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	F	2224	2390	+1.12	½	1	1	½	0
6	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2.5	F	2329	2281	-0.32	½	1	0	1	0
7	FM Melekhina, Alisa	2.5	F	2242	2332	+0.55	½	½	0	½	1
8	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2.0	F	2228	2299	+0.40	½	0	0	1	½
9	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	F	2137	2116	-0.15	0	0	1	0	0
10	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.5	F	2358	1969	-2.14	0	0	0	0	½

Pairings for R6 - getting up their now, ladies, now's the time to make your mooooovvvveeessss....

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2.5	2329	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	3.0	2364
2	FM Melekhina, Alisa	2.5	2242	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.5	2358
3	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2.0	2228	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137
4	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2224	IM Zatonskih, Anna	3.5	2510
5	IM Krush, Irina	4.0	2457	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	3.0	2333

Happy Mother's Day!

Mr. Don sent this to me some days ago -- don't know where he got it from.  It is called "Decorama" but I think it is just sooooo appropriate of the kind of chess that moms play everyday while taking care of the kids, hubby and running the household!  So, I'm calling it Housewife Chess.  Or, if you prefer the politically correct term, "Stay-at-Home-Mom" Chess :)

To all the Moms everywhere in the world, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!  You have the toughest job in the universe.

Dido, Queen of Carthage

Oh, those male patriarchs.  Always messing with herstory to try and make women into beings who do their bidding.  Tsk tsk.

Dido, founder of Carthage.  Coin of unknown origin/date.

From tunisia-live.net

Dido of Carthage – Tunisia’s Warrior Queen

Megan Radford | 09 May 2012

Her story ends in suicide, caught up in the flames of a funeral pyre. Scholars of ancient literature know it well, Virgil’s tragic tale of a lustful Queen of Tyre, in the epic poem the Aeneid. But less well-known is the legend, passed down in oral form, of a heroine who through courage and determination founded a city to rival Rome, and who refused to let herself be subject to men, even at the cost of her life.

Dido, or Elissa, as she is known in the legend, was said to be a Phoenician princess who fled Tyre when her brother, the king, murdered her husband. Rather than bemoaning her lot, she took her companions and set sail for North Africa. When she reached Tunisia, she used her wit to gain control of the area of Carthage by getting locals to promise her whatever she could fit within the hide of an ox. She cut the ox’s throat and had her traveling companions cut the hide into thin strips, placing them around the perimeter of the city.

Dido founded Carthage, populating it by organizing the marriage of her male companions and a group of virgins from Cyprus. But when a Berber ruler demanded that she marry him or he would wage war on her city, she killed herself in the heat of battle rather than be subjected to his authority.

In contrast, the Roman tale promoted the image of imperial Rome and cast Dido as a slighted woman who couldn’t live without her man. Aeneas, after escaping Troy, falls in love with Dido. But the god Jupiter tells him he must leave to fulfill his destiny. Dido, crazed with love, curses the Trojans just before she stabs herself in the heart. According to the Aeneid, Aeneas would go on to found Rome. [What!  No Romulus and Remus?]

Many scholars agree that Rome used Dido and Aeneas’ ill-fated love story to justify their actions during the Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome. Some have even suggested that Dido’s desire for Aeneas symbolized a twisted view that the colony desired the colonizer, desired domination.

In modern-day Carthage, Tunisia, Dido’s name is attached to everything from restaurants to beauty parlors to wine. A search for “Didon Tunisie” (French for Dido Tunisia) reveals a dental surgery company and a hotel as the first hits. Dido has become a cultural icon in Tunisia, comparable to Joan of Arc in France.

But there is a difference. Dido, also known as Elissa, is part of the heritage of a country where patriarchy is the cultural norm. The fact that as a woman, she founded one of Tunisia’s most important cities, is significant.

Nejet M’Chala, a Tunisian professor of literature says that today Elissa represents “feminine wisdom and inventiveness, care for the other…a creative empowered woman.” Children read her story at school, she says, and learn what it means to be “a courageous, smart woman.”

“Today women identify with Dido as an icon of self-determination and freedom…She is the icon of basic human rights.”

In his 1980’s novel “Elissa La Reine Vagabonde” (Elissa the Vagabond Queen), Franco-Tunisian writer Fawzi Mellah gives the tale of Dido a breath of new life by using the story to comment on modern Tunisia. On page 71, he speaks of Dido’s desire for the new city she would build, “A fragile, maternal land. Not a fatherland (who was it who invented that absurd term?). It was a motherland that I desired; If need be, I would invent it.” Some have interpreted Mellah’s words as his way of voicing his own disapproval at the patrimony and marginalization of women in the public sphere in his home country.

In 2010, Jeune Afrique wrote an article about women in Tunisia. It compared Dido to all the women in Tunisia that have come after her, “who have shone in the sky of this country,” to make Tunisian women “the freest, the most educated and most active of the Maghreb region – of the Middle East.”

But after the Revolution, women’s rights groups have kept a close watch on how the female population is treated in the new Tunisia. Activists and politicians like Ahlem Belhadj, the President of the Tunisian Association for Democratic Women, say that Tunisia’s struggle for equality is not over.

In this confusing modern era, Dido, and her story of bravery and creativity, becomes even more relevant. As M’Chala explained, Elissa represents equality in both society and politics. It’s this story, and its message, that has lasted through the ages, inspiring generations in the country she chose to call home.

With contributions from Ahmed Jaouadi.

Read more bout Dido/Elissa at Wikipedia.

On Auction at Sotheby's: El Nigromante, The Conjurer

Very interesting oil on auction May 23, 2012, Sotheby's, filled (loaded!) with ancient symbolism:

I saw this and I went WHOA!  I cannot seem to take my eyes away from it, but I'm going to try because I want to take a nice long hot bubble bath.  Hmmm, what is that I spy -- the same hand action going on with the "conjurer" as in the "pointing Queen" paintings and sculptures (including chess pieces) of old???  Well, pretty obvious, as is the use of shades of black, white and red.  At least one eight-pointed star, the old Egyptian-style "checkerboard", diamonds (always a girl's best friend and just a cockeyed checkerboard -- one of the first symbols ever put on colored pottery about 8,000 years or so ago, in the highlands of the Iranian plateau), a modified swastiska and a crux, birds galore including doves, the ancient symbol for Sophia (Wisdom) and later on, the Virgin Mother Mary...or are those "tongues of fire?"  A four-armed monkey - Mr. Don is the expert on Hanuman.  A pyramid, an altar, and what is that furry creature underneath (or inside of) the altar?  Could that possibly be the Trickster himself, a Raccoon?  Speaking of which, I chased one up a tree earlier this evening...

I'm sure the longer I look at this painting, the more I'll see!  Here are the particulars:

Offered at auction, Latin American Art
New York, 23 May 2012 07:00 PM

LOT 16
 
LEONORA  CARRINGTON
(1917-2011)

EL  NIGROMANTE  (THE  CONJURER)
oil  on  canvas
29  by  21  1/2    in.
73.7  by  54.6  cm
Painted  circa  1950
Estimate:  $200,000 - $300,000 USD

Well, a little bit out of my price range :)

2012 Georgian Women's Chess Championship

Chessbase has a report:
Top seed Khotenashvili wins Georgian Women Championship
12.05.2012– After eight rounds WIM Meri Arabidze, rated 2337, was in the lead, a full point ahead of top seed Bela Khotenashvili, 2490. In round nine the two clashed and Bela beat Meri, who went on to draw and then lose a game. Bela on the other hand won and drew, so that on the final scoreboard she was the sole winner and 2012 Georgian Women's Champion. Player portraits by WIM Sopho Nikoladze.

IM Salome Melia, 2012 Georgian Women's Chess Championship

Our favorite Georgian player, IM Salome Melia (2400), finished in 5th place overall with 5.5/11, where the lowest rated player scored five draws and two wins for a score of 4.5!  A tough field.  Here is the final cross-table:

No.	Title	Player	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pts
1	IM	Khotenashvili Bela	2490	*	1	1	0	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	1	8.0
2	WIM	Arabidze Meri	2337	0	*	0	1	1	1	½	1	½	½	½	1	7.0
3	WGM	Batsiashvili Nino	2438	0	1	*	½	½	0	½	0	1	1	1	1	6.5
4	IM	Paikidze Nazi	2406	1	0	½	*	0	1	½	½	0	½	1	1	6.0
5	IM	Melia Salome	2400	½	0	½	1	*	½	½	½	0	½	½	1	5.5
6	WGM	Guramishvili Sopiko	2395	0	0	1	0	½	*	½	1	½	½	1	½	5.5
7	IM	Lomineishvili Maia	2366	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	0	½	5.0
8	IM	Gvetadze Sofio	2334	0	0	1	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	½	1	5.0
9	WFM	Bokuchava Madona	2058	½	½	0	1	1	½	½	½	*	0	0	0	4.5
10	WGM	Charkhalashvili Inga	2334	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	*	0	0	4.5
11	WIM	Khurtsilava Inga	2286	0	½	0	0	½	0	1	½	1	1	*	0	4.5
12	IM	Khukhashvili Sopiko	2408	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	1	1	*	4.0

2012 Asian Continental Chess Championships

Indian national women's champion, Mary Ann Gomez, leads the women in the Asian Chess Championships. 

Asian chess: Negi, Mary Ann in sole lead
May 12, 2012 17:56 IST

From Chess-Results.com, Standings after R8 (Women):

Rk.			Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	n	w	we	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1		WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	IND	2378	6.5	0.0	2276	27.0	8	6.5	4.88	1.62	15	24.3
2		WGM	Sukandar Irine Kharisma	INA	2288	6.0	0.0	2390	30.5	8	6	3.24	2.76	15	41.4
3		GM	Zhao Xue	CHN	2549	5.5	0.0	2328	29.0	8	5.5	6.26	-0.76	10	-7.6
4		WGM	Tan Zhongyi	CHN	2430	5.5	0.0	2324	28.5	8	5.5	5.22	0.28	10	2.8
5		WGM	Le Thanh Tu	VIE	2313	5.5	0.0	2314	26.0	8	5.5	4.12	1.38	15	20.7
6		IM	Karavade Eesha	IND	2353	5.5	0.0	2303	26.0	8	5.5	4.53	0.97	10	9.7
7			Wang Jue	CHN	2364	5.5	0.0	2289	28.0	8	5.5	4.88	0.62	15	9.3
8		WGM	Ding Yixin	CHN	2353	5.5	0.0	2273	28.0	8	5.5	4.65	0.85	15	12.8
9		WGM	Padmini Rout	IND	2345	5.5	0.0	2211	24.0	8	5.5	5.35	0.15	15	2.3
10		WGM	Nguyen Thi Thanh An	VIE	2301	4.5	0.0	2377	29.5	8	4.5	3.54	0.96	15	14.4
11		WIM	Nakhbayeva Guliskhan	KAZ	2309	4.5	0.0	2340	24.0	8	4.5	3.80	0.70	15	10.5
12		IM	Mohota Nisha	IND	2321	4.5	0.0	2338	27.5	8	4.5	3.83	0.67	10	6.7
13		IM	Munguntuul Batkhuyag	MGL	2451	4.5	0.0	2302	27.5	8	4.5	5.62	-1.12	10	-11.2
14		WIM	Yanjindulam Dulamsuren	MGL	2214	4.5	0.0	2296	24.5	8	4.5	3.44	1.06	15	15.9
15		WGM	Pham Le Thao Nguyen	VIE	2390	4.5	0.0	2295	26.0	8	4.5	5.08	-0.58	15	-8.7
16		WGM	Swathi Ghate	IND	2286	4.5	0.0	2277	28.0	8	4.5	4.33	0.17	15	2.5
17		WFM	Zhai Mo	CHN	2248	4.5	0.0	2266	24.0	8	4.5	3.93	0.57	15	8.6
18		IM	Tania Sachdev	IND	2417	4.5	0.0	2258	24.5	8	4.5	5.70	-1.20	10	-12.0
19			Ni Shiqun	CHN	2157	4.5	0.0	2254	21.0	8	4.5	3.10	1.40	30	42.0
20		WGM	Guo Qi	CHN	2360	4.5	0.0	2160	21.0	8	4.5	5.99	-1.49	15	-22.4
21		WGM	Hoang Thi Bao Tram	VIE	2356	4.0	0.0	2312	27.5	8	4	4.51	-0.51	15	-7.7
22		WIM	Nguyen Quynh Anh	VIE	2129	4.0	0.0	2282	25.0	8	4	2.91	1.09	15	16.4
23		WGM	Batchimeg Tuvshintugs	MGL	2363	4.0	0.0	2256	26.0	8	4	5.29	-1.29	15	-19.4
24		WFM	Medina Warda Aulia	INA	2172	4.0	0.0	2177	18.5	8	4	4.13	-0.13	15	-2.0
25		WIM	Muminova Nafisa	UZB	2338	3.5	0.0	2295	26.0	8	3.5	4.37	-0.87	15	-13.1
26		WIM	Pham Bich Ngoc	VIE	2176	3.5	0.0	2278	23.5	8	3.5	3.04	0.46	15	6.9
27		WIM	Nguyen Thi Mai Hung	VIE	2237	3.5	0.0	2253	24.0	8	3.5	4.05	-0.55	15	-8.3
28		WIM	Hoang Thi Nhu Y	VIE	2238	3.5	0.0	2247	23.5	8	3.5	4.02	-0.52	15	-7.8
29		WIM	Vo Thi Kim Phung	VIE	2155	3.5	0.0	2231	21.0	8	3.5	3.30	0.20	15	3.0
30			Pratyusha Bodda	IND	2123	3.5	0.0	2222	22.5	7	2.5	2.42	0.08	15	1.2
31		WIM	Le Kieu Thien Kim	VIE	2239	3.0	0.0	2220	24.5	8	3	4.17	-1.17	15	-17.5
32			Pham Thi Thu Hoai	VIE	1956	3.0	0.0	2152	21.5	7	2	1.73	0.27	15	4.1
33		WIM	Sihite Chelsie Monica	INA	2181	3.0	0.0	2136	21.5	8	3	4.43	-1.43	15	-21.5
34		WFM	Enkhtuul Altanulzii	MGL	2108	3.0	0.0	2134	19.5	8	3	3.91	-0.91	15	-13.6
35			Ngo Thi Kim Tuyen	VIE	2070	3.0	0.0	2125	19.5	7	2	2.77	-0.77	15	-11.6
36		WFM	Dewi Aa Citra	INA	2112	3.0	0.0	2097	18.0	7	2	3.25	-1.25	15	-18.8
37			Virda Rizka Aulia	INA	1769	2.5	0.0	2223	23.5	8	2.5	0.68	1.82	30	54.6
38		WGM	Kiran Manisha Mohanty	IND	2208	2.5	0.0	2199	23.0	8	2.5	3.98	-1.48	15	-22.2
39			Jelsen Yemi	INA	2007	2.5	0.0	2141	18.0	7	1.5	2.09	-0.59	15	-8.9
40		WFM	Ton Nu Hong An	VIE	1997	2.0	1.0	2049	17.5	7	1	2.71	-1.71	15	-25.6
41			Otorbaeva Nuriza	KGZ	1740	2.0	0.0	2074	19.5	6	1	0.75	0.25	0	0.0

Prizes for the women:
WOMEN:
1st – 3000
2nd – 2000
3rd – 1500
4th – 1000
5th – 900
6th – 800
7th – 700
8th – 600
9th – 11th – 500
12th – 14th – 400

The 2012 Asian Women’s champions shall qualify for the 2014 Women’s World Championship.

Yesterday was a rest day.  Back to work today!

Pairings round 4

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	1.5	2329	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.0	2358	1-0
2	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	1.5	2364	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137	1-0
3	FM Melekhina, Alisa	1.0	2242	IM Zatonskih, Anna	2.5	2510	½-½
4	WIM Ni, Viktorija	0.5	2228	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	2.0	2333	1-0
5	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	2.5	2224	IM Krush, Irina	2.5	2457	½-½

Standings after R4:

Rank	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Score
1	IM Zatonskih, Anna	2510	x			½			½		1	1	3.0
2	IM Krush, Irina	2457		x	½	1			½	1			3.0
3	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	2224		½	x		1		½	1			3.0
4	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	2364	½	0		x		1			1		2.5
5	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2329			0		x			½	1	1	2.5
6	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	2333				0		x	1	0		1	2.0
7	FM Melekhina, Alisa	2242	½	½	½			0	x				1.5
8	WIM Ni, Viktorija	2228		0	0		½	1		x			1.5
9	WFM Kats, Alena	2137	0			0	0				x	1	1.0
10	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	2358	0				0	0			0	x	0.0

Generated by Swiss Master for Windows on 12-05-2012 at 17:02

Baginskaite still scoreless after 4 rounds.  She lost to the lowest rated player in the event.  This is not the Baginskaite we've seen in prior championships.  Don't know what's going on, but something is definitely out of kilter. 

Here are the pairings for tomorrow, good luck to the Chess Femmes!

Pairings round 5

Table	White	Score	Rating	Black	Score	Rating	Result
1	IM Krush, Irina	3.0	2457	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2.5	2329
2	IM Goletiani, Rusudan	2.0	2333	WIM Zenyuk, Iryna	3.0	2224
3	IM Zatonskih, Anna	3.0	2510	WIM Ni, Viktorija	1.5	2228
4	WFM Kats, Alena	1.0	2137	FM Melekhina, Alisa	1.5	2242
5	WGM Baginskaite, Camilla	0.0	2358	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	2.5	2364