FIDE Women’s Candidates 2024 (1)
Tan Zhongyi leads the Women’s Candidates alone after one round
Mark Crowther – Friday 5th April 2024
There was just one decisive game in the first round of the Women’s Candidates
tournament in Toronto, Canada. Tan Zhongyi beat fellow countrywoman Lei Tingjie
with the black pieces, she equalised comfortably in a Queen’s Gambit and started
to threaten on the kingside, 24.Qf4? was a panicky reaction that led to an inferior
position but the final move before time control 40.Kg3? was the decisive error.
The remaining games were drawn, Goryachkina-Lagno was a Sicilian where the spectacular
17.Nf5 was probably a mistake, but it was all still a bit difficult and the game
was equal a few moves later. Muzychuk-Salimova was a moderately interesting Petroff
Defence and Rameshbabu Vaishali against Humpy Koneru was an interesting battle where
Vaishali got into time pressure around move 20, looked to be struggling but after
26…Qc6 the position became equal and she easily held the draw.
Round 1 Standings:
1st Tan Zhongyi 1pt,
2nd-7thGoryachkina, Koneru, Lagno, Anna Muzychuk, Vaishali and Salimova 0.5pts,
8th Lei Tingjie 0pts
Round 2 5th April at 19:30BST:
Lagno-Koneru,
Tan-Vaishali,
Salimova-Lei,
Goryachkina-Muzychuk.
Women’s Candidates Round 1 Summary
Lei-Tan was an Exchange Queen’s Gambit. Tan was more or less equal out of the opening.
24.Qf4? in response to some threats on her kingside allowed black to exchange into
a slightly better endgame. Black increased her advantage but 40.Kg3? (40.Bxd5 had
to be tried) left white with a winning position which she converted fairly quickly.
Goryachkina-Lagno,
Was a 3.Bb5 Sicilian, Black seemed to get the better of the opening.
After 16.hxg4 d5! looks best, instead 16…g6 wasn’t so good with 17.Qh3
being a likely good move, 17.Nf5 was a dangerous looking move but after 17…Kh7
black was a little better. A few moves later the game was agreed drawn by repetition
in a more or less balanced position.
Muzychuk-Salimova was a Petroff Defence which remained roughly equal and was
drawn by repetition at move 40.
Vaishali-Koneru was a pretty solid Giuoco Piano. Vaishali got into time pressure.
With 20 moves to play in about 10 minutes. Koneru definitely looked to have
made progress in the moves after 21…Qe6 but after 26…Qc6 (26…c5 and black is a
little bit better) the position became equal and the game was drawn by repetition
around first time control.
FIDE World Championship Candidates Round 1 Video 2024
| FIDE Women’s Candidates Toronto CAN (CAN), 3-26 iv 2024 | cat. XI (2517) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Tan, Zhongyi | g | CHN | 2521 | * | * | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | |
| 2. | Goryachkina, Aleksandra | g | FID | 2553 | . | . | * | * | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | 2542 |
| 3. | Koneru, Humpy | g | IND | 2546 | . | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | 2475 |
| 4. | Lagno, Kateryna | g | RUS | 2542 | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | 2553 |
| 5. | Muzychuk, Anna | g | UKR | 2520 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | ½ | 2432 |
| 6. | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | m | IND | 2475 | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | . | . | ½ | 2546 |
| 7. | Salimova, Nurgyul | m | BUL | 2432 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ½ | . | . | . | * | * | . | . | ½ | 2520 |
| 8. | Lei, Tingjie | g | CHN | 2550 | 0 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | * | * | 0 | |
| Round 1 (April 4, 2024) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goryachkina, Aleksandra | – Lagno, Kateryna | ½-½ | 36 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Muzychuk, Anna | – Salimova, Nurgyul | ½-½ | 40 | C43 | Petroff’s Defence | |
| Vaishali, Rameshbabu | – Koneru, Humpy | ½-½ | 41 | C53 | Giuoco Piano | |
| Lei, Tingjie | – Tan, Zhongyi | 0-1 | 52 | D35 | QGD Exchange | |
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