Four players; GMs Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Mariya Muzychuk, and Tan Zhongyi sit atop the standings on 1.5/2 at the Cairns Cup 2024 after Dzagnidze and Dronavalli won their respective games against IM Anna Zatonskih and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk.
GM Irina Krush came close to winning against Tan but fell short in time trouble while GM Elisabeth Paehtz and IM Alice Lee both missed opportunities in a rollercoaster encounter.
Round three starts Saturday, June 15, at 2 p.m. ET / 20:00 CEST / 11:30 p.m. IST.
Round 2 Results
Standings
Tan 0.5-0.5 Krush
One thing that has become clear about Tan in recent years is her proclivity for playing for a win at all costs, a trait that backfired in round two against a similarly zealous eight-time U.S. Women’s Champion.
Repeating a rare line in the Wing Attack Variation of the Kan Sicilian Defense, Tan began to lose control on move 14 after diverting from theory and it became obvious that Krush had done her homework as she cashed in her advantage for a free pawn.
As the game headed into its fifth hour though Krush fell into time pressure and Tan capitalized, stabilizing the position and steering the game towards a draw despite the one pawn deficit.
While Krush has drawn her first two games, the fact that she has had winning against two of the tournament’s top seeds bodes well for her event.
Dzagnidze 1-0 Zatonskih
Dzagnidze’s round two game was a far-cry from the theoretical marathon that played out in the curtain-raiser and when Zatonskih blunderded her e5-pawn with the erroneous 22…Bf8?? Dzagnidze could breath a sigh of relief knowing that she wouldn’t have to play another 126 moves.
Now in =1st, Dzagnidze is understandably “happy” with her games and is looking forward to a showdown with a longtime rival in Kosteniuk on Saturday.
Dronavalli 1-0 Kosteniuk
The Game of the Day was undoubtedly the clash between Dronavalli and Kosteniuk and the former’s ambitious intent manifested itself in the decision to surrender castling rights on move eight in an English Opening: Symmetrical Variation that is not known for its flamboyance.
The game, which featured outstanding preparation, a bishop and knight imbalance, as well as a clinical rook endgame conversion by Dronavalli, has been analyzed by New Zealand Olympiad team captain GM Dejan Bojkov below.
Paehtz 0.5-0.5 Lee
Paehtz-Lee was the only game of the day where all three results looked likely at different points. Though the German Paehtz procured an advantage arising from her King’s Indian Attack, when the clocks dwindled it was Lee who found herself up by a rook but unable to block a threefold repetition.
As the players realized the draw was afoot, commentator and IM Jovanka Houska summed up their feelings: “I’m not really sure who is more disappointed because Elisabeth was in full control and yet, at the end, it was Alice who was winning.”
Both players carried a visible sense of disappointment in their faces after the games however can take solace in knowing that they’ve now got points on the board.
Muzychuk 0.5-0.5 Muzychuk
The quickest game of the day by several hours was the match between the Muzychuk’s, Anna and Mariya. The pair are known for their unwillingness to ruin the others tournament and after entering a sharp line of the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance, Botvinnik-Carls Defense that teased fireworks, the game came to an abrupt halt on move 19 when the sisters repeated moves for the third time.
Had they played on, the encounter could have spun out of control due their awkwardly placed kings.
A clear frontrunner is yet to announce themselves after two rounds however several tantalizing matchups on Saturday could help to change this. All eyes will be on (Mariya) Muzychuk-Tan as the co-leaders via for pole position where another chapter will be added to the history between the Muzychuk’s and Tan (Tan defeated Mariya’s sister Anna in the final of the Women’s World Championship way back in 2017), while Dronavalli will be looking to put the pressure on the 100-points lower rated Lee with the black pieces.
How to review?
You can review the round’s broadcast on the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube or Twitch channels. The games can also be reviewed from our dedicated 2024 Cairns Cup events page.
The live broadcast was hosted by Seirawan, Houska, and Nazi Paikidze.
The 2024 Cairns Cup is one of the strongest women’s tournaments in the world. The event is a 10-player round-robin with classical time control (120 minutes for the entire game, plus a 30-second increment per move). The 2024 Cairns Cup runs from June 13 to June 23 and features a $200,000 prize fund.
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