The outset is underway

Competition Day#7 of FIDE Grand Prix in Kazan finished with 4 draws and 2 resultative game.

To begin with, Nadezhda Kosintseva concluded a draw with Humpy Koneru on the 40th move. Nadezhda Kosintseva: - I chose the wrong tactics when speaking of the play to win.  

What was the longest game in your career?

Nadezhda Kosintseva: I played against my sister. Our matches are normally drawish, but this time during Russian Championship J20 we were doing not good both, and therefore decided to play our best. After 6 hours of hard play, there came a draw.

Have you already fixed the result of your family game in Kazan?

Nadezhda Kosintseva: It will definitely be a draw.

Viktorija Cmilyte defeated Betul Yildiz on the 34th move.

Have you ever played a really long match?

Betul Yildiz: Well, I’ve had a lot of them in my life! I have experienced one during World Chess Olympiad in Turkey in 2000. Just imagine: 7 hours at the table! At first I was winning, then losing, then there was a draw, and finally my opponent got tired and made a mistake to let me celebrate the most enduring win! One small remark: I was just 11 then.  

Viktorija Cmilyte: When I was a girl, I also played a lot of 7-hours-long games. We have got a better time control at the moment! We are used to it, and everything is OK.

Kamilla Baginskajte was among the first top chess players in Lithuania. Is she still playing? 

Viktorija Chmilyte: As Vladas Mikenas is recognized father for Lithuanian chess, Kamila Baginskajte opened chess elite circles for women players.  She used to win J20 World Chess Championships and then she got married to Alexey Ermolinskiy, former Soviet and now US chess player. Together they moved to America and have been in the US chess squad so far. I usually meet her at Olympiads or other team competitions.  Kamila’s got two children already. By the way, we have had a common coach. My coach was her coach, and still he has been collaborating with me.  

Tatiana Kosintseva drew to Anna Muzychuk on the 50th move.

- What was the longest game in your chess career?

Tatiana Kosintseva: - I’m not sure, maybe it was the game against Humpy Koneru. It was too much: we have done 93 moves. After suchlike games it’s pretty difficult to recover. Especially, if you haven’t done well. You’re doomed to sitting and analyzing the mistakes, and therefore will spend less time on preparations toward the next games.  

Anna Muzychuk: Once I used to play a 154-moves-match against Natalia Pogonina. I was lucky to have it in the final round of the tournament, and therefore I could not spare my strength (smiling). For Natalia it was a decisive clash, in case she won she could have clinched the podium. As a result we concluded a draw.

Alexandra Kostenyuk defeated Alisa Galliamova on the 47th move.

Katerina Lagno sealed a draw with Hou Yifan on the 56th move.

Katerina Lagno: - What about the longest game in my career? Well, I can remember it in details, although I was 7. I competed at the J10 World Championship and we had spent 7 hours at the table. I had many pieces on the board, while my opponent was apt at pressing the chess clock button. As a result, when she had just 1 second before the time control, my flag fell. The time was over, and I turned to suffer a defeat.

Antoaneta Stefanova shared points with Elina Danielian, concluding a draw on the 65th move.

While Kazan is hosting FIDE Women Grand Prix, Armenia is staging “Chess giants” tournament, this year conducted to honor the memory of late Karen Asryan. Would you compete there as well, provided you had a different calendar?

Elina Danielian: It would be too hard for me. Karen was my friend, and it would be too much for me to compete at the Memorial in his honor. (Olympic Champion Karen Asryan died at the age of 28 in 2008 due to heart attack)

After 7 rounds of play, Elina Danielian (Armenia) keeps on leading with 5 points, followed by Katerina Lagno (Ukraine), Anna Muzychuk (Slovenia) and Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania)  with 4,5 points each. Humpy Koneru (India) goes fifth with 4 points, while Alexandra Kostenyuk, Nadezhda Kosintseva (both Russia) and Hou Yifan are sharing 6th – 8th places with 3.5 points. Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia) and Antoaneta Stefanova have collected 3 points so far to rank 9th – 10th. Alisa Galliamova has preserved her 11th position, followed by Betul Yildiz with the single point.