World Juniors Chess Championship (Girls)

Round 11 has finished. Hold on to your hats! Results (top chess femmes): 1 WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 7 0 - 1 8 IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 2 WFM SEVERIUKHINA Zoja 2300 RUS 6½ ½ - ½ 8 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 3 WIM MIKADZE Miranda 2258 GEO 7½ ½ - ½ 6½ WGM NEMCOVA Katerina 2372 CZE 4 KAZIMOVA Narmin 2148 AZE 6½ 1 - 0 7½ WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2170 KAZ 5 WIM SOUMYA Swaminathan 2293 IND 6½ 1 - 0 6½ WGM MAMEDJAROVA Turkan 2284 AZE 6 WFM BODNARUK Anastasia 2394 RUS 6 1 - 0 6 WGM CORKE Anya 2255 HKG 7 WGM FOISOR Sabina-Francesca 2337 ROU 6 ½ - ½ 6 WFM NIKOLOVA Adriana 2242 BUL 8 WIM GOMES Mary Ann 2316 IND 6 1 - 0 6 WFM BOROSOVA Zuzana 2254 SVK 9 WFM ABRAHAMYAN Tatev 2277 USA 6 ½ - ½ 6 GUO Qi 2048 CHN 10 WIM DAULETOVA Gulmira 2267 KAZ 6 0 - 1 6 WFM PAIKIDZE Nazi 2277 GEO 11 ALAVI Hour Homa 1723 IRI 6 1 - 0 5½ WFM HOOLT Sarah 2298 GER Dronavalli is back on top at 9.0 after having dispatched Ozturk, who was having an excellent tournament :) Tatev Abrahamyan moved to 6.5 after a draw with Guo Qi. And Narmin Kazimova is having another one of those streaks where she can do no wrong! She won today, to go to 7.5 points and - well - you'll see: Here are the top standings after Round 11: Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED Pts Fide Rtg+/- Ra Rp 1 1 IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 9 56 6 2252 2514 2 2 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 8½ 54 9 2262 2473 3 18 WIM MIKADZE Miranda 2258 GEO 8 50 34 2241 2416 4 33 WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2170 KAZ 7½ 48½ 41 2266 2320 5 10 WIM SOUMYA Swaminathan 2293 IND 7½ 44½ 15 2221 2354 6 38 KAZIMOVA Narmin 2148 AZE 7½ 40 42 2194 2327 7 31 WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 7 46 37 2301 2321 8 7 WIM GOMES Mary Ann 2316 IND 7 43 5 2238 2340 9 8 WFM SEVERIUKHINA Zoja 2300 RUS 7 42 6 2223 2325 10 4 WGM NEMCOVA Katerina 2372 CZE 7 40½ -12 2209 2311 11 3 WFM BODNARUK Anastasia 2394 RUS 7 37 -18 2191 2213 60 ALAVI Hour Homa 1723 IRI 7 37 87 2073 2327 13 14 WFM PAIKIDZE Nazi 2277 GEO 7 36½ 0 2166 2249 14 13 WFM ABRAHAMYAN Tatev 2277 USA 6½ 47½ 7 2240 2305 1-2-3 stay the same as they've been for the past three rounds. Tatev Abrahamyan's draw today did not prevent her from dropping lower in the standings - from 11th yesterday to 14th today. Tatev is at the top of a large group of players with 6.5 points. And Narmin - she's jumped from 10th yesterday to 6th today, with 2 games to go! Go Narmin! She will probably have her hands full tomorrow, as I expect she'll be matched with one of the players above her - not a pleasant prospect. There were 9 draws today, up from yesterday's 4. That left 24 decisive matches.

Goddess: Chudel Mata

From The Times of India Witch temple is 'high court' 13 Aug 2008, 0256 hrs IST, Ashish Vashi,TNN KUNGHER (PATAN): Looks like people of this small village want justice from none other than the almighty. In Kungher village in Patan, high court is temple of Chudel Mata (witch goddess). Thousands flock to the temple on Sunday with their grievances. "People find that their problems get sorted out quickly when they come here. That's why the temple has been dubbed 'high court of Kungher'. Now, that's how it's commonly referred to," says Umedbhai Patel, temple trustee. Rush of devotees has risen in the last two to three years because of favourable word-of-mouth publicity. "The village has had a small shrine for the goddess for more than two decades. But, it was considered evil and people were frightened to come near it. Now, people are showing tremendous faith in Chudel Mata and her popularity is soaring by the day," says Jayantibhai Naik, another trustee. Interestingly, the temple has no idol of the goddess and people worship a flame representing her. The faithful stand in queues for hours to catch a glimpse of the flame. Kungher has also changed in character. It's now dominated by small shops selling photographs of the goddess, audio-cassettes, coconuts, chunadis, toys and sweets. Khakhi-clad villagers keep order among the crowd. Immense popularity of this temple has also been a boon to the entertainment industry. More than 50 audio-cassettes and music videos are in the market with bhajans and songs about Chudel Mata. Moreover, there are a couple of telefilms also available titled 'Chudel Mata, High Court of Kungher'. Two Gujarati films are also on the floor with legend of the goddess as central theme.

Russian Hackers Attacking Kasparov Website

The Putin Russians - what a bunch of juvenile assholes. They need to be spanked and set to bed without their supper. From Associated Press/Google Russian hackers continue attacks on Georgian sites By PETER SVENSSON – 8 hours ago NEW YORK (AP) — Attacks by Russian hackers against Georgian Web sites, including one hosted in the United States, continued Tuesday even as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered a halt to hostilities against Georgia. Tom Burling, acting chief executive of Atlanta-based Web-hosting firm Tulip Systems Inc., said the Web site of the president of Georgia was the target of a flood of traffic from Russia aiming to overwhelm the site. Burling said bogus traffic outnumbered legitimate traffic 5000 to 1 at president.gov.ge. "Literally, our people aren't getting any sleep," Burling said. Tulip's firewall was blocking most of the malicious traffic. The site has been periodically inaccessible, though it was working midday Tuesday. Burling said the attacks have been reported to the FBI. The site was transferred from servers in Georgia, the small nation south of Russia, on Saturday. Georgian-born Nino Doijashvili, Tulip's chief executive and founder, happened to be in the country on vacation when fighting broke out Thursday. Doijashvili offered help to the government when it became apparent that Russian hackers were getting the upper hand, shutting down several government and news sites. The U.S.-based Shadowserver Foundation, which tracks Internet attacks, said they had noticed commands to attack Georgian sites being issued over the weekend to "botnets," or networks of computers that have been surreptitiously subverted by hackers. The computers are used to send bogus traffic to targeted sites, slowing them or in some cases bringing them down. The same botnets are also targeting Russian news sites and the Web site of Gary Kasparov, the Russian chess player and political activist, according to Steven Adair at Shadowserver. On Monday, hackers took over the Web site of Georgia's parliament and replaced it with an image that drew parallels between Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili and Adolf Hitler, Adair said.

World Juniors Chess Championship (Girls)

You know it's getting serious when only 4 games were drawn out of 33 today, in Round 10. Three more rounds to go. Here are the top results: 1 WIM MIKADZE Miranda 2258 GEO 7 ½ - ½ 7½ IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 2 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 7 1 - 0 6½ WIM SOUMYA Swaminathan 2293 IND 3 WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2170 KAZ 6½ 1 - 0 6 WFM ABRAHAMYAN Tatev 2277 USA 4 WFM NIKOLOVA Adriana 2242 BUL 6 0 - 1 6 WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 5 WGM NEMCOVA Katerina 2372 CZE 5½ 1 - 0 6 GUO Qi 2048 CHN 6 WFM BOROSOVA Zuzana 2254 SVK 5½ ½ - ½ 5½ WGM FOISOR Sabina-Francesca 2337 ROU 7 PREETHI Rajkumar 2183 IND 5½ 0 - 1 5½ WFM SEVERIUKHINA Zoja 2300 RUS 8 WFM HOOLT Sarah 2298 GER 5½ 0 - 1 5½ KAZIMOVA Narmin 2148 AZE 9 WGM MAMEDJAROVA Turkan 2284 AZE 5½ 1 - 0 5½ WIM NADIG Kruttika 2241 IND 10 WGM CORKE Anya 2255 HKG 5 1 - 0 5½ WFM PERTLOVA Sona 2217 CZE As you can see, Dronavalli drew her game with Mikadze (a player who snuck up into the top 3 without seeming to draw any attention at all!), so she stands at 8 points of 10. Meanwhile, Maria Muzychuk (younger sister of Anna) defeated Swaminathan of India, and with the full point she is now in a tie-score with Dronavalli! The sole American, Tatev Abrahamyan, can't seem to get unstuck from 6 points, losing her game, while young Narmin Kazimova won her game behind the black pieces against a player rated 150 points higher! Way to go, Narmin! Here are the top standings after Round 10: Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED Pts Fide Rtg+/- Ra Rp 1 1 IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 8 47 5 2259 2499 2 2 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 8 45½ 10 2259 2499 3 18 WIM MIKADZE Miranda 2258 GEO 7½ 42 32 2228 2421 4 33 WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2170 KAZ 7½ 41 49 2279 2384 5 31 WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 7 39 40 2283 2344 6 10 WIM SOUMYA Swaminathan 2293 IND 6½ 37 7 2214 2324 7 12 WGM MAMEDJAROVA Turkan 2284 AZE 6½ 35½ -1 2161 2250 8 8 WFM SEVERIUKHINA Zoja 2300 RUS 6½ 35 3 2204 2314 9 4 WGM NEMCOVA Katerina 2372 CZE 6½ 33½ -9 2205 2315 10 38 KAZIMOVA Narmin 2148 AZE 6½ 32½ 34 2197 2306 11 13 WFM ABRAHAMYAN Tatev 2277 USA 6 41 11 2259 2331 Playing in the Juniors, Hou Yifan has slipped to 13th after drawing her Round 10 game today. She was defeated yesterday by IM Arik Braun and currently has 6.5 points. The sole juniors leader is GM Maxim Rodshtein with 8.0. Barring a complete collapse at the top, Hou won't be able to medal, but I'm sure she wants to pull herself into at least the top 10 and will be going no holds barred for the last 3 games.

2008 Women's World Chess Championship

From Susan Polgar's blog today: The following Open Letter was published by ChessBase.com: Open letter by the participants of the Women World Championship of FIDE We, the participants of the Women World Championship 2008, express our worry about the current dangerous situation near Cabardino-Balkaria. We think when there is such a tense situation, it is not expedient to hold such a high level tournament in that area. That’s why we kindly ask you to move this tournament to the safer place, which would be convenient for all the participants. If you agree with the above, please join us with signing this letter, and please send it to FIDE and to us (Maia Chiburdanidze, Lela Javakhishvili, Sopio Gvetadze, Nino Khurtsidze, Maia Lomineishvili, Sopiko Khukhashvili) by e-mail: wchampionship@yahoo.com We do not have the email addresses of all participants and kindly ask you to send this message to other participants you know. I was informed this past weekend that at least one of the U.S. players has withdrawn due to safety reason. I do really hope that this can be changed ASAP. ****************************************************************************************** For those of you not so familiar with chess, the women who "signed" the letter are all Georgian chessplayers. Maia Chiburdanidze, a highly respected and well-liked player, is a former Women's World Chess Championship, holding the title from 1978 to 1991. The other players are all highly ranked Georgian women. The Women's Championship is scheduled to start later this month - August 28th I think, in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russian Republic. Obviously the Georgian players would feel somewhat "concerned" about playing in Russia after it has invaded Georgia and bombed and shelled innocent civilians, engaging in ethnic cleansing of all Georgian peoples from the invaded territories preparatory, no doubt, to annexation into the Russian Republic. And people call America a barbaric country - ha! Putin is the undisputed leader, surpassing even Al Qaeda for terrorism. Mig at his Daily Dirt blog pointed out a few months ago that Nalchik has a past history of violence itself. The Georgian players would be walking targets and the people who are running Russia now wouldn't care if there was "collateral" damage - so what if a few stupid women chessplayers from other countries get killed in the process of taking out the Georgian enemies of the state! Here is the story at Chessbase. The handy map there shows that Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria borders Georgia to the north, including (it appears) at least part of South Ossetia (where the Russians have invaded). See WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia's commentary on the situation. Belakovskaia, who immigrated to the US in 1991, is a three-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion (1995, 1996, 1999). Here is her personal website.

Little Girl Singer at Olympics Part of a Switcheroo!

From the Guardian.co.uk Olympics: Child singer revealed as fake Tania Brannigan, in Beijing guardian.co.uk, Tuesday August 12 2008 12:34 BST When nine-year-old Lin Miaoke launched into Ode to the Motherland at the Olympic opening ceremony, she became an instant star. "Tiny singer wins heart of nation," China Daily sighed; "Little girl sings, impresses the world," gushed another headline, perhaps in reference to Lin's appearance on the front of the New York Times. Countless articles lauded the girl in the red dress who "lent her voice" to the occasion. But now it emerges that Lin lent someone else's voice, following high-level discussions - which included a member of the Politburo - on the relative photogenicity of small children. The recording to which Lin mouthed along on Friday was by the even younger Yang Peiyi. It seems that Yang's uneven teeth, while unremarkable in a seven-year-old, were considered potentially damaging to China's international image. "This is in the national interest. It is the image of our national music, national culture. Especially the entrance of our national flag; this is an extremely important, extremely serious matter," Chen Qigang, the event's general music designer, explained to a Beijing radio station. Chen said that director Zhang Yimou - who created the ceremony - had demanded a "very cute" child; a standard certainly met by Lin and, many would suggest, by Yang. "We made the decision that the voice we would use was Yang Peiyi's. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression. "Lin Miaoke is excellent in those aspects. But in the aspect of voice, Yang Peiyi is flawless," he explained. But at the last minute, officials decided a switch was needed, according to the translation by the China Digital Times website. "We had been through several inspections - they were all very strict. When we rehearsed at the spot, there were spectators from various divisions, especially a leader from the Politburo, who gave us his opinion: It must change," said Chen. "I think it is fair to both Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi. That is to say, we have a perfect voice, and a perfect image and representation - in our team's view - combined together." It appears that Lin, already a veteran of TV adverts, may not have been aware that Yang's voice was used. Chen said they had recordings of both girls and their voices were fairly similar. Yang appears to have taken the snub in her stride. Asked by a CCTV journalist whether she was sad to have missed the opening ceremony, she replied: "No, my voice was there." Not everyone has reacted so calmly. "Adults may lie, but leave the kids out of it," one angry internet user wrote. Her tutor, Wang Liping, wrote in her blog that Yang is cute and well-behaved, with a love for Peking opera. "She doesn't like to show off. She's easygoing," she added. Yang's school could not be reached today. The switch may reflect underlying cultural preferences as well as the incredible attention paid to Olympic preparations. Research by Daniel Hamermesh, an economist at the University of Texas, has suggested that the "beauty premium" in parts of China is far more pronounced than in the west for women. Dr Hamermesh's work shows that ugly people earn below the average income while beautiful people earn more. In Britain, attractive women enjoy a +1% premium. But in Shanghai, the figure was +10%. ********************************************************************************* Lots of coverage on this story - here's direct quotes and a u-tube video of the ringer's performance. When you cut out the crap, they changed up singers because they considered the original little girl too ugly to represent their "national image" even though her voice was "flawless." Now I'm wondering - was that little boy prancing around with the big basketball player actually nine - and was he actually a hero? Come to think of it, wasn't his presence something of a slap in the face to all of the parents who lost children in schools that collapsed in the June earthquake while all around other buildings withstood the quake with minimal damage? Thousands of children were killed and rather than investigating official corruption and malfeasance in office, the central government is trying to buy off bereaved parents with a couple hundred bucks each.

432 - An Interesting Number

August 11, 2008 There Are More Things In Heaven and Under The Earth, Horatio. An archaeological dig has uncovered what could well be the remnants of the theatre where Shakespeare's plays debuted to adoring crowds. The theatre was discovered during excavations carried out by Museum of London staff at a site in Shoreditch, East London. Prior to excavation the site was an old garage and was scheduled to be demolished to make way for a brand-new theatre. Builders clearing the site unearthed the structure and quickly called in archaeologists to prevent further damage. The discovery of the 432 year-old foundations did not come as a complete surprise to archaeologists at the Museum of London. They have suspected that the site had some exciting secrets to yield for some time. Despite suspicions that the theatre was around the Shoreditch area, the exact location of the building was difficult to pin down. A lack of maps, drawings or even reliable descriptions of the bard's debut playhouse made tracking down the forgotten remnants of the building near-impossible. When it opened in 1576 the newly-rediscovered Elizabethan playhouse was simply named "The Theatre" and was among the first dedicated playhouses in England. Shakespeare and his company performed at The Theatre in the 1590s and it has been suggested that many of the bard's best known works such as, Romeo and Juliet and Richard II premiered at the site. Of course, the theatre is in no fit state to be used, spending over four centuries underground has done it no favours. The ravages of time were not the only factor in the decay of The Theatre. A dispute with a landlord in 1597 forced Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain's men to move. As they owned the theatre but not the land the building was simply disassembled, moved across the Thames and renamed "The Globe". Only the foundations were left behind and it is these that archaeologists have discovered. Academics are very excited about the find, suggesting that the foundations will reveal a great deal about the playhouses of Elizabethan London. The Tower Theatre Company are equally excited about the discovery as the site is going to be home to their new theatre. Talks are underway between English Heritage, the Tower Theatre Company and their architect to attempt to find a way to leave the thrilling find in-situ. The Tower Theatre Company is a tiny, two-man company who stage up to an incredible 18 shows a year in London with no external funding. The discovery of Shakespeare's first theatre in what will become their basement is undoubtedly a lovely surprise for the company who need all the publicity they can get for their upcoming fund-raising campaign. Money raised by this campaign will be used to purchase the freehold for the site and to begin construction of the new theatre. One can only imagine what an inspiration the find will be to future performers at The Tower Theatre Company's new venue. The opportunity to tred the boards mere feet from where the bard himself once performed is enviable indeed. Published by: Jonathan Dudley ********************************************************************************** Check out the fascinating significance of the number 432.

Oh oh...

It seems I just posted some stuff about climate change a few days ago - darlings, I can't keep track, it's all a blur... But this isn't funny. Instead of taking 60 years (I'd more than likely be buried - oh yeah, and dead - by then, being about 110 years old if I survived - on the other hand, who the heck knows, hmmm...) - it is now being estimated that the North Pole could be free of ice in just five years. Yep, that's not a mistake. Five years. Scary stuff. I hope the Russians get drowned first, the dirty buggers. They started a new cold war and then heated things up, well, they're going to get zapped for their pains from an unexpected source! From the Guardian.co.uk Meltdown in the Arctic is speeding up Scientists warn that the North Pole could be free of ice in just five years' time instead of 60 Robin McKie, science editor The Observer, Sunday August 10 2008 Article history Ice at the North Pole melted at an unprecedented rate last week, with leading scientists warning that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2013. Satellite images show that ice caps started to disintegrate dramatically several days ago as storms over Alaska's Beaufort Sea began sucking streams of warm air into the Arctic. As a result, scientists say that the disappearance of sea ice at the North Pole could exceed last year's record loss. More than a million square kilometres melted over the summer of 2007 as global warming tightened its grip on the Arctic. But such destruction could now be matched, or even topped, this year. 'It is a neck-and-neck race between 2007 and this year over the issue of ice loss,' said Mark Serreze, of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado. 'We thought Arctic ice cover might recover after last year's unprecedented melting - and indeed the picture didn't look too bad last month. Cover was significantly below normal, but at least it was up on last year. 'But the Beaufort Sea storms triggered steep ice losses and it now looks as if it will be a very close call indeed whether 2007 or 2008 is the worst year on record for ice cover over the Arctic. We will only find out when the cover reaches its minimum in mid-September.' This startling loss of Arctic sea ice has major meteorological, environmental and ecological implications. The region acts like a giant refrigerator that has a strong effect on the northern hemisphere's meteorology. Without its cooling influence, weather patterns will be badly disrupted, including storms set to sweep over Britain. At the same time, creatures such as polar bears and seals - which use sea ice for hunting and resting - face major threats. Similarly, coastlines will no longer be insulated by ice from wave damage and will suffer erosion, as is already happening in Alaska. Other environmental changes are likely to follow. Without sea ice to bolster them, land ice - including glaciers - could topple into the ocean and raise global sea levels, threatening many low-lying areas, including Bangladesh and scores of Pacific islands. In addition, the disappearance of reflective ice over the Arctic means that solar radiation would no longer be bounced back into space, thus heating the planet even further. On top of these issues, there are fears that water released by the melting caps will disrupt the Gulf Stream, while an ice-free Arctic in summer offers new opportunities for oil and gas drilling there - and for political disputes over territorial rights. What really unsettles scientists, however, is their inability to forecast precisely what is happening in the Arctic, the part of the world most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. 'When we did the first climate change computer models, we thought the Arctic's summer ice cover would last until around 2070,' said Professor Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University. 'It is now clear we did not understand how thin the ice cap had already become - for Arctic ice cover has since been disappearing at ever increasing rates. Every few years we have to revise our estimates downwards. Now the most detailed computer models suggest the Arctic's summer ice is going to last for only a few more years - and given what we have seen happen last week, I think they are probably correct.' The most important of these computer studies of ice cover was carried out a few months ago by Professor Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Using US navy supercomputers, his team produced a forecast which indicated that by 2013 there will be no ice in the Arctic - other than a few outcrops on islands near Greenland and Canada - between mid-July and mid-September. 'It does not really matter whether 2007 or 2008 is the worst year on record for Arctic ice,' Maslowski said. 'The crucial point is that ice is clearly not building up enough over winter to restore cover and that when you combine current estimates of ice thickness with the extent of the ice cap, you get a very clear indication that the Arctic is going to be ice-free in summer in five years. And when that happens, there will be consequences.' This point was backed by Serreze. 'The trouble is that sea ice is now disappearing from the Arctic faster than our ability to develop new computer models and to understand what is happening there. We always knew it would be the first region on Earth to feel the impact of climate change, but not at anything like this speed. What is happening now indicates that global warming is occurring far earlier than any of us expected.'

World Juniors Chess Championship (Girls)

Girls' results after Round 9: Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED Pts Fide Rtg+/- Ra Rp 1 1 IM HARIKA Dronavalli 2461 IND 7½ 39 7 2259 2532 2 2 WGM MUZYCHUK Mariya 2413 UKR 7 37½ 7 2255 2475 3 18 WIM MIKADZE Miranda 2258 GEO 7 34½ 28 2202 2422 4 33 WFM NAKHBAYEVA Guliskhan 2170 KAZ 6½ 33½ 40 2280 2348 5 10 WIM SOUMYA Swaminathan 2293 IND 6½ 30½ 12 2192 2358 6 13 WFM ABRAHAMYAN Tatev 2277 USA 6 35 21 2269 2394 7 23 WFM NIKOLOVA Adriana 2242 BUL 6 32 18 2211 2336 31 WFM OZTURK Kubra 2188 TUR 6 32 31 2289 2315 9 48 GUO Qi 2048 CHN 6 27½ 46 2258 2353 10 32 PREETHI Rajkumar 2183 IND 5½ 30 16 2234 2221 11 25 WIM NADIG Kruttika 2241 IND 5½ 29½ 16 2239 2308 12 9 WFM HOOLT Sarah 2298 GER 5½ 29 -2 2203 2283 12 WGM MAMEDJAROVA Turkan 2284 AZE 5½ 29 -7 2152 2208 27 WFM PERTLOVA Sona 2217 CZE 5½ 29 24 2264 2323 15 8 WFM SEVERIUKHINA Zoja 2300 RUS 5½ 28½ -2 2206 2286 16 21 WFM BOROSOVA Zuzana 2254 SVK 5½ 27½ 0 2167 2247 17 4 WGM NEMCOVA Katerina 2372 CZE 5½ 27 -11 2222 2302 18 38 KAZIMOVA Narmin 2148 AZE 5½ 26 23 2185 2265 19 5 WGM FOISOR Sabina-Francesca 2337 ROU 5½ 25 -18 2150 2230 I just can't see that Dronavalli is going to give up her lead - consider her the gold medal winner. So - the fight is for silver and bronze. Dronavalli drew with countrywoman WIM Soumya Swaminathan (IND 2293) (I don't know if her name should be reversed - I should check that, but I'm just too tired tonight). The early leader, USA's Tatev Abrahamyan, fell down to 9th after Round 8 (eek!), but has bounced back to 6th place after her defeat today of WIM Inna Ivakhinova (RUS 2248), and is still in the medal hunt. Go, Tatev, go! Narmin Kazimova (AZE 2148) has moved up in the standings to 18th place, after drawing with fellow countrywoman WGM Turkan Mamedjarova (AZE 2284). Only four more rounds to go!

Supporting Local Chess: Announcements

From the Emporia Gazette (Emporia, Kansas, USA): The Emporia Chess Society meets from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Saturday at at the Granada Coffee Company. All ages and skill levels are welcome, including children. There is no charge.

Arianne Caoili

Now that I've got your attention :) The press loves beautiful women, and when a beautiful woman also happens to be a Woman International Master of chess, she naturally warrants a column indicating where she will be playing next (but naturally!) This beauty isn't adverse to such publicity, but take note - she's got brains too. From Goldcoast.com.au Dance star to play chess on Coast Steve Spinks August 12th, 2008 SHE has danced with the stars and is one of Australia's top chess players, but Arianne Caoili has put the pursuits that shot her to fame behind her as she grapples with university study. The 21-year-old will make a rare appearance on the Gold Coast later this month when she plays in the Surfers Paradise Chess Open. Caoili is using the event as practice before heading to Beijing later in the year to represent Australia at the Chess Olympics. She is also hoping to improve her rating from international master to grandmaster. "I haven't played for a while so that's why I'm going up," said Caoili. "I've been studying in Canberra and in Germany for various reasons. I'm doing my honours in international relations so I've stopped doing some things because I want to be able to give everything to my study. "I'm happy at the moment and I'm enjoying what I'm doing." Caoili last shot to national prominence when she made it to the final of the Channel 7 program Dancing With The Stars. The Australian chess champion eventually lost out to AFL footballer Anthony Koutoufides after being partnered by Carmello Pizzino. Caoili made headlines around the country after accusations she had professional dance training before the show and had lied about it when questioned by controversial judge Todd McKenney. But that was two years ago and the former Gold Coast girl is looking forward. "I just want to finish university with flying colours," she said. "I like to succeed in what I'm doing so I'm really doing a lot of work and it's enjoyable because it's different ... a completely different focus from what I was doing." The chess pin-up caused a storm in 2006 when she was dubbed the 'Anna Kournikova of chess' after a love rivalry ended in a nightclub punch-up in Italy. The former Somerset College student was branded a temptress by the international media, but she said the incident was blown out of proportion. [Check out Goddesschess' take on the subject, "Tussle in Turin"] Caoili was dating GM Levon Aronian for several months and was depicted in several photos with the GM at various chess events; I don't know if they're still a couple.

Iranian Islamic Regime Destroys More Persian Culture

10,000 sq.m. of Partho-Sasanian Site in Susa Destroyed to Built a Hotel From CAIS August 11, 2008 LONDON, (CAIS) -- The ancient city of Susa is renowned for its thousands of years of history and its resident-archaeologists are angry and tearful as the Islamic republic has rubbed them out of their heritage. Last week a hotel construction company belonging to the prominent members of the Islamic Republic bulldozed out 10,000 sq.m. of the pre-Islamic ancient Iranian site of Susa in order to prepare a foundation for construction of a hotel. Experts have dated the destroyed strata to the late Parthian (248BCE -224 CE) and Sasanian (224-651 CE) dynasties. The dug out area is 100x100 metres wide and 6 meters deep. During the excavation a human skeleton most probably being either Parthian or Sasanian, large Partho-Sasanian earthenware vessels, a large number of Partho-Sasanian potsherds and other relics were taken away and destroyed. The illegal permit for construction of Laleh Hotel was issued by Khuzestan’s Province Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (KCHHTO). Speaking with journalists in Tehran, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO) on Sunday, asserted the wrongdoers will be prosecuted. Although it was Rahim-Mashaei himself who attended the commencing-ceremony along with the director of KCHHTO, and ordered the construction to begin. To add insult to injury, when Rahim-Mashaei was questioned by journalists about his participant in the destruction of the site, the director of ICHHTO, claimed that he was not aware of the historical importance of the site. Susa was registered on Iran’s national heritage site in 1930s and every elementary school child in Iran knows the historical importance of Susa and its special place in Iranian history and civilisation. According to the archaeologists with the Susa Research Centre, the dug out earth from the site was taken away to a secret location unknown to them, perhaps to destroy any traces of pre-Islamic Iranian heritage.

Philippines Chess: Mary Israel Flores Palero

From the Sun Star Davao Sunday, August 10, 2008 Mary Israel Palero: Exuding beauty and brains By Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan "CHESS is the battle of the brains," replied the five-foot-three Mary Israel Flores Palero when asked why she chose chess as a sport. When you see this 15-year-old daughter of Joseph and Eden Gener Palero, you wouldn't think of her to be involved in a serious sport as chess. With her height and good looks, she could even give beauty pageant contestants a run for their money. But Mary confines herself to the challenge of pushing pieces and outwitting her rivals, whether male or female. In the recently-concluded Gaisano South Citimall and Primovit Rapid Age-Group Chess Championships, she won against a male opponent bringing home the P2,000 runner-up cash prize in the under-16 category. "I started playing chess at age nine. My father encouraged me to play the sport," she told Sun.Star Davao. Mary, a graduating High School student at the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC), made her competition debut during the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) Meet in 2003 where she also finished second. She at last won the DCAA title in 2004 but she landed at the fifth spot during the Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet, thus, denying her a slot in the Palarong Pambansa. In the 2005 Davraa Meet in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, she captured the crown. She then kept the title for the next two years. She finished fifth place in Palaro at the Iloilo City (2005) and in Naga City (2006). She occupied the sixth slot in the 2007 Koronadal Palaro and in the 2008 Puerto Princesa Palaro. Mary, however, has her own share of triumphs like bagging the kiddies' title of the 2006 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Davao-Mindanao leg held at SM City Davao. "I feel proud of myself when I became champion because I did not expect it," she said. She also swept the championship trophies in the 2005 Araw ng Dabaw chess tournament, 2005 Kadayawan Sportsfest and 2005 Pahalipay ni Mayor sa Pasko chess tournament. She placed fourth in the 2008 National Age-Group Chess Championships in Metro Manila, earning her a slot the to country's team set to see action in the World Youth Chess Championships in Vietnam in October. Mary completed her elementary education at the Banganga Elementary School in Cabantian. She got into the HCDC High School varsity chess team through the recommendation of HCDC coach National Master (NM) Prospero "Bebot" Cruz to sports coordinator Billy Cruzada. Mary however said she continues to give studying importance. "I'm enjoying a full scholarship now being a varsity scholar. I also avail of allowances. I also put weight on my academics while I train for chess," she said. "I usually wake up at 5 a.m. for my regular exercise then I'm off to school. When I return home, I go through my home works and study then I give myself two to three hours to play chess before I sleep," she added. She said being in sports has helped her to be more outgoing because she is a shy person. "I've met different people from different places with different values and skills in playing chess. I've been learning a lot through these experiences," she said. She hopes that she could get sponsors for her stint in Vietnam this October so she could also be exposed in an international competition. "It's really my greatest dream to be the most popular woman chess player in the world," she shared. Mary also dreams of becoming a successful flight attendant 10 years from now with two bachelor degrees to her credit. [Okay, if she earns two bachelors' degrees, why would she want to become a flight attendant? Is that what educated women in the Philippines do?]

Susan Polgar On Chess

Here is her latest column from Lubbock Online: Polgar: Many winners, great success for chess tourney held on Tech campus Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Sunday, August 10, 2008 Story last updated at 8/10/2008 - 3:31 am A record 52 players from across the country participated in the fifth annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls held at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion, which ended Aug. 1. This is the first year this prestigious event was held at Texas Tech University. In past years, it was held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2004), Phoenix (2005), Oak Brook, Ill. (2006), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (2007). The winner of the 2008 SPNI is Courtney Jamison of Texas. Even though she had come close before, she was not able to capture this elusive title. However, this was her year. After starting out on fire with five straight wins, she took a quick draw in the final round against a dangerous Linda Diaz of New York to clinch the title. 2008 SPNI Final Top 10 Standings The winners are listed below by name, rating, state and final score: 1. Courtney Jamison, 2,046, Texas, 5.5 2-3. Linda Diaz, 1,726, N.Y., 5.0 2-3. Ashley Carter, 1,877, Michigan, 5.0 4-6. Rebekah Liu, 1,699, California, 4.5 4-6. Angel Bohannon, 1,700, Texas, 4.5 4-6. Nisha Deolalikar, 1,726, California, 4.5 7-13. Brianna Conley, 1,573, Ohio, 4.0 7-13. Michelle Xue Chen, 1,762, Massachusetts, 4.0 7-13. Amelia Wheeless, 1,711, North Carolina, 4.0 7-13. Rita Mirchandani, 1,813, Florida, 4.0 7-13. Sylvia S Yang, 1,911, Texas, 4.0 7-13. Michelle Farell, 1,506, Oklahoma, 4.0 7-13. Fiona Lam, 1,727, Maryland, 4.0 • Nisha Deolalikar (California) was the winner of the Texas Tech four-year academic scholarship as the highest-finishing player who has not graduated from high school by August. The scholarship must begin the following year at Texas Tech in Lubbock. • Linda Diaz (N.Y.) was the winner of the $500 Ursula Foster award as the highest-finishing player younger than 14. • Crystal Qian (Arkansas) won the 2008 SPNI Miss Congeniality award. She received the highest total of votes from her fellow players. • Faith Munoz (Texas) was the winner of the SPNI Sportsmanship Award. • Morgan Mahowald (Minnesota) won the biggest upset award. She is rated 994 and defeated a player with a rating of 1,683 in the first round. For her effort, she received a $100 cash scholarship, sponsored by Dewain Barber and American Chess Equipment. Melanie Newell (Mississippi) scored the biggest cumulative upset. • Randy Wheeless, father of Amelia Wheeless, president of the N.C. Chess Association, was the co-winner of the SPNI Parents & Friends Open. He tied for first with my elder son Tommy Polgar. Chess Dad Greg Gossell won the Parents & Friends Unrated Section. Congratulations to all. Special thanks to Jerry Perez, Dr. Hal Karlsson, Dr. Rich Rice, Chase Watters, Peggy Flores, Paul Truong, Mr. and Mrs. Grimaud, Randy Wheeless, and all other volunteers for transporting the players and their families from and to the airport. Also special thanks to Chief TD Frank K. Berry of Stillwater, Okla., for running the tournament and chess dad Matt Mahowald for running the Parents & Friends and Bughouse events. This was truly a team effort to make the tournament a big success. More than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded in this event and an additional $25,000 was budgeted for housing, meals and organizational costs, etc. This level of support for chess from a university is unprecedented. Once again, special thanks to Texas Tech, the Susan Polgar Foundation, American Chess Equipment, Internet Chess Club, Lubbock Convention and Visitor's Bureau, U.S. Chess Trust, and others for sponsoring this fantastic event. I am looking forward to an even bigger and better 2009 SPNI. Prior to this tournament, only one of the 52 players had visited the magnificent Texas Tech campus. At the end of the tournament, I asked the players to fill out a tournament survey. After spending a week on campus, approximately 40 of the 52 players expressed interest in attending TTU in the future. In fact, some have started the process to apply. Thank you for sending in many wonderful comments. Please keep questions and comments coming by e-mailing me at susan.polgar@ttu.edu. You can also find a lot of information at http://www.SPICE.ttu.edu or through my daily chess blog, http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com.

Venus of Willendorf Celebrated

A feminine icon of fertility and goddessness receives her due. Mature women with post-menopausal "bulge" around the middle and bountiful breasts, revel in your beauty! Austrians fete voluptuous, prehistoric Venus By VERONIKA OLEKSYN, Associated Press Writer Thu Aug 7, 5:26 PM ET VIENNA, Austria - It's Venusmania in Vienna, where Austrians are celebrating the discovery 100 years ago Thursday of a tiny but voluptuous figurine that dates back 25,000 years to a time when mammoths roamed the region. Venus wine, Venus chocolates, and pancakes with Venus jam — Austria is going all out Friday to fete the limestone beauty known as the Venus of Willendorf for the hamlet along the Danube where archaeologists stumbled upon her a century ago. The Venus of Willendorf is just 4 inches tall but is celebrated for her undeniably curvy, feminine figure. Experts say the statuette dating back to the Paleolithic era is among the world's oldest depictions of a woman. But exactly what she represents — or who carved her all those thousands of years ago — remains a mystery. Was she a fertility symbol, a lucky charm, a goddess — maybe even a prehistoric piece of pornography? "That's of course an interpretation question," said Walpurga Antl-Weiser, an expert at Vienna's Natural History Museum who has written a book about her, adding that it's hard to know what the humans of that era were thinking. The figurine wasn't made from local materials, and over the years, similar statuettes have been found elsewhere, including France and Russia, Antl-Weiser told The Associated Press. Back then, mammoths, bison and woolly rhinos roamed Willendorf, with humans living in camp communities, according to the Natural History Museum. Modern-day archaeologists found the statuette during an excavation in 1908 and brought her for safekeeping at the Natural History Museum. She made her public debut in 1998. Before Friday's big bash, she'll make a brief homecoming trip back to Willendorf. Starting Saturday, the Venus of Willendorf — along with several "sisters" from Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic — will be on display at the Natural History Museum until February. Fact is, the figurine continues to fascinate. Reproductions of the Venus are widely available — as chocolate, marzipan, even as soap. On Friday, Austria's post office will officially unveil a special stamp in her honor. To Antl-Weiser, the interest is easy to explain. "She's very corpulent but still very beautiful," she said. "One gets the feeling she has become an icon."

Treasurer Trove!

Roman ring is unearthed in field Published Date: 31 July 2008 (Pocklington Post) By Staff Copy A RING found by treasure hunters in Dunnington could date back nearly 2,000 years, an inquest has heard. The silver Roman ring had been unearthed by a man using a metal detector in a local field.It was subsequently sent to the British Museum for examination.Weighing 4.3 grams, it is made of silver and bears a palm branch motif – a symbol of victory during the Roman era.Experts estimate it could date back to between 100 and 300AD. York coroner Donald Coverdale classified the ring as treasure and said he hoped the Yorkshire Museum would take it. ************************************************************************************ Amateur treasure hunter finds £25,000 bejewelled cross in field with metal detector By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 11:16 PM on 06th August 2008 Amateur treasure hunter finds £25,000 bejewelled cross in field with metal detector A pure gold cross dating from the 7th century has been discovered by a man with a metal detector. The inch-long piece of Anglo Saxon jewellery is made out of 18-carat gold and was probably worn as a pendant. Experts believe the English-made piece could be worth at least £25,000. It is thought the cross, which is decorated with fine detail and adorned with red gemstones, might have originally held a religious relic. Two of the four gemstones and any relic are missing. It is made with gold probably melted down from Merovingian French coins. Two of the red cabochon gemstones are missing as is the relic that would have been kept in its centre. The red stones are among the world's most ancient gems and were used by ancient Greeks who called them granatum, the same word they used for pomegranate seeds. The anonymous finder discovered the 1,400-year-old cross just 12 inches beneath the sod on a farm in Nottinghamshire. He had already unearthed a Saxon penny and beaten copper plate before probing deeper. 'Instinctively I put down the digger and scraped gently at the soil with my gloved hand,' he said. 'Then I made contact with a piece of metal that made me want to remove my glove. It seemed warm, almost alive, to my touch. 'My fingers closed on it and when I opened them I was gazing down, literally with my jaw dropped in astonishment, at the most wonderful find I've ever recovered. 'The actual moment of the discovery remains as sharp as ever in my memory, but the remainder of the day, even the next few days, have since become a blur thanks to my excitement.' The finder rushed to show his find to the farm's owner. 'Farmers being farmers, he didn't show quite the same excitement as he might have displayed if I'd shown him a prize-winning cow, but he seemed quite pleased,' he said. He handed the find to a coroner who declared it as treasure trove at an inquest. This means the finder will get half the proceeds of a sale. He is likely to split his earnings with the farmer. The specific location of the find is being kept secret for fear that so-called 'nighthawks' will descend on it in case there is anything else to be found. Another story on this find (with more details).

Free E-Book on How the Olympics Began

BAR (one of my favorite websites) is offering a free e-book on the how the ancient Olympics began if you sign up to get the email newsletter of the Biblical Archaeological Society. Got to love Herschel Shenks! Get your FREE e-book, “The Olympic Games: How They All Began,” on the ancient origins of the modern Olympics when you sign up for our FREE weekly newsletters with breaking news, features, contests and more.

Cleopatra Buried in Paris?

The translation from French to English if a bit suspect in parts, but this is a fascinating story. Could there possibly be truth to it??? Is the mummy of Cleopatra buried in Paris? The following is a translation of La momia de Cleopatra se esconde en París by Ramón Llanas for lavanguardia.es (Posted August 3, 2008) Cleopatra VII, the great Cleopatra, the big nose of geopolitical power, is in Paris. It is a matter of justice, because what would be better for a woman like her? Specifically, she is buried in the gardens of the National Library of France, at its old headquarters of the Rue Vivienne, near the Louvre and the Palais Royal. That is what Juan Angel Torti, former Chilean journalist and possibly the most elegant retiree in Paris, has been sustaining for years. This former reporter for Agence France-Presse, whose headquarters is a stone’s throw from where the Egyptian queen supposedly lies, looks forward to the moment when archaeologists reach access to the end of the 120 meters long tunnel at the temple of Tabusiris Magna, 50 kilometers from Alexandria, where the sarcophagi of Cleopatra and Marco Antonio are allegedly located. That is expected to happen later this year, as announced by the Egyptian authorities. But Torti is certain they are in for a big disappointment: “The tomb of Cleopatra is empty.” Author of a book on this subject (Cleopatra in Paris, published in Chile and recently translated into French), Torti stumbled upon a publication in which former Théodore Mortreuil, conservative and secretary-treasurer of the National Library, who died in the 50’s, argued that the female pharaoh was buried in the gardens of the institution. From there, Torti began an investigation which brought many surprises, some not related to Cleopatra, such as the existence of an artificial lake with fish in the basement of the Palais Garnier, the Opera Theatre of Paris, or the presence of other mummies buried at the foot of the monument of the Bastille. Torti argues that the mummy of Cleopatra is part of a batch of three (two men and one woman) given to General Bonaparte in his failed expedition to Egypt. “They were among the few things that the future Napoleon I was able to draw from Egypt after the French defeat by the English. Those three mummies were exhibited at the National Library upon his return, to a wide audience. The whole world would see Cleopatra and all newspapers spoke of the event. ” In 1870, Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, declared war on Prussia. The Prussians defeated the French, arriving in Paris. “It was the first time that Prussian troops paraded under the Arc de Triomphe, and the last one, because after the First World War, the Unknown Soldier was placed at the foot of the monument and the German soldiers had no choice but to march around it in 1940. ” The Prussians eventually got tired of parading through Paris. “What happened to the National Library during their stay? Its officials had built a wall to seal a room in which they concealed the priceless possessions of the institution to save them from looting, including the three mummies.” When the danger subsided, the wall was destroyed, but the humidity had begun to decompose the mummies. Nevertheless, they were shown again. “Shortly thereafter, in 1871, the city saw the arrival of the Paris Commune, the popular uprising that became especially strong in the north part of the capital, creating chaos.” One high ranking official of the military in charge of protecting the National Library found the smell that emerged from the mummies irritable and gave the order to bury them in the garden, under the cloak of night. Monsieur Mortreuil was shocked, but had no choice but to accede to the wishes of the military and, shovel in hand, headed the entourage that carried on with the burial. “Torti hopes that when the Egyptologists fall flat upon the empty tomb of Cleopatra, the French authorities will assume their responsibilities and, again, someone will go to the beautiful gardens of the National Library, shovel in hand. This time, however, it will be to rescue Cleopatra, the most Parisian of the queens of the world.

Chess Legend to Play Rising Chess Star

What a great idea - kudos to the promoter who came up with this idea. It's a perfect way to promote chess in the Philippines and, indeed, garner international interest, since folks are interested in GM Wesley So's progress in the chess world. Story from Sports. Inquirer.Net Chess Legend vs Chess Wonder Boy P1 million showdown slated By Marlon Bernardino Cebu Daily News First Posted 09:43:00 08/09/2008 IT'S all system's go for the richest sports event in the country when the undisputed Chess Legend takes on the Chess Boy Wonder in a P1 Million showdown to be held in Quezon City, Davao, Iloilo and Cebu. Eugene Torre, Asia's first grandmaster, and Wesley So, presently the world's youngest grandmaster at 14, will face each other in a one-on-one duel consisting of ten games. Two games each will be played in Quezon City, Davao, Iloilo and Cebu and if the match remains unresolved, another two games will be played in Quezon City. A knockout game will ensue if the duel is tied at 5-5. This was announced yesterday by the event's project director lawyer Samuel Estimo after Quezon City representative Matias Defensor agreed to bankroll the match in a meeting last Monday. “Magandang proyekto ito kaya nagpapasalamat tayo kay Cong. (Mat) Defensor na sumuporta sa event na ito,” said Estimo, a former secretary-general of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP). NCFP region 11 coordinator James Infiesto is pleased when he learned that Davao City is one of the four venues of the event dubbed as “Dream Match.” “We are privileged and honored that our city is one of the four venues in the Torre and So one-on-one duel,” said Infiesto. “Maganda ito, legend versus future of Philippine chess.” “Tiyak aabangan ito hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kundi pati sa buong mundo,” said Reginald Tee, consultant and spokesman of Wesley So who is currently playing in Turkey for the World Junior Chess Championship. The match will be held at a date to be agreed upon by the two GMs preferably after So and Torre have fulfilled all their international tournaments. “Baka February 2009 after sa event ni Wesley (So) sa Corus,” said Tee. Torre will leave on August 8 for the United States where he will also visit his daughter, Nicolle, who is now based in Alaska. According to Estimo, the two chess luminaries had drawn their three previous games with Torre nearly winning their last encounter. The first to score 5 1/2 (5.5) points will win the match and the P600,000 winner's prize while the loser will earn P400,000. Another P100,000.00 will go to the winner of each leg while the loser will take home P50,000. It shall be recalled that Torre and arch rival GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., settled for a 3-3 draw in their recent “Quezon City Chess Road Show” one-on-one. Copyright 2008 Cebu Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. According to my calculations, 1 million P equals $22,540.30 USD (1.00 PHP = 0.0225403 USD)

Harika Dronavalli Leads World Juniors Girls

Article from Press Trust of India: Harika beats Nakhbayeva, takes sole lead in World Jr Chess From Our Chess Correspondent Gaziantep (Turkey), Aug 9 (PTI) Top seeded International Master India's Dronavalli Harika today scored a clinical victory over Guliskhan Nakhbayeva of Kazakhstan to emerge as the sole leader after the 7th round of ongoing World Junior Girls' Chess Championship here. Playing the white side of a Nimzo Indian defense, Harika attained a slight advantage out of the opening and nurtured her position well enough to knock down one black pawn before tightening the noose. Guliskhan did not have answers of the precise technical display and called it a day when she was about to lose the second pawn too. The victory helped Harika take her tally to 6 points out of a possible 7 and she now enjoys a half point lead over nearest rivals Adriana Nikolova of Bulgaria and Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine. Amongst the other Indian girls in the fray, only Soumya Swaminathan scored a victory and inched herself up to 5 points at the expense of compatriot Kruttika Nadig. Soumya won with black pieces. Also reaching 5 points with her cool display was R Preethi, who held erstwhile sole leader Tatev Abrahamyan to a draw in a rook and pawns endgame. Top chess femme standings after 7 rounds. USA's Tatev Abrahamyan is in 4th place with 5.0, leading a pack of several chess femmes also with 5.0.