IM Polina Shuvalova and four-time World Champion Ju Wenjun are the 2 finalists of the 2024 Julius Baer Girls’s Pace Chess Championship. Shuvalova defeated GM Vaishali Rameshbabu 11.5-9.5 in a detailed match, whereas Ju almost doubled GM Kateryna Lagno‘s rating, 14.5-7.5, in an completely one-sided duel.
The Ultimate begins on Thursday, September 5, at 8 a.m. ET / 14:00 CEST / 5:30 p.m. IST.
Julius Baer Girls’s Pace Chess Championship Bracket
Polina Shuvalova 11.5-9.5 Vaishali Rameshbabu
SmarterChess assessed this to be a nearly equal match, with 51 % for Shuvalova’s victory and 49 for Vaishali’s. It predicted that Vaishali would win the three+1 portion and Shuvalova would take the 1+1. However because it occurred, Shuvalova solidified her lead within the 3+1 phase, and the gamers had been evenly matched within the different two.
5+1: Shuvalova 3.5-3.5 Vaishali
Shuvalova was the extra constant participant within the first half, however Vaishali recovered within the second—a theme that will recur all through every of the segments.
Shuvalova received the primary two video games. Vaishali will need to have confused her preparation as she aggressively—and mistakenly—expanded her kingside within the first recreation. Then, Shuvalova flexed the ability of the bishop pair within the second.
Shuvalova held onto the two-point lead till recreation 5, when Vaishali struck again with a streak of her personal. The Indian grandmaster received two video games in a row to even the rating and almost received the third to take the lead. She first transformed a place after her opponent sacrificed a pawn earlier than slamming down a knight sacrifice within the subsequent recreation.
Had Vaishali transformed a pawn-up endgame with bishop vs. knight within the final recreation, she would have completed the phase within the lead. However the bullish protection by Shuvalova, incomes the draw, saved the match even.
3+1: Shuvalova 4.5-2.5 Vaishali
Time hassle plagued Vaishali on this phase. Though she bought playable positions, she collapsed when reaching beneath 10 seconds. Shuvalova made most of her beneficial properties within the first half earlier than Vaishali once more stopped the bleeding within the second, although this time with a two-point deficit.
Shuvalova received three video games in a row, capitalizing on the time benefit in each case. Within the screenshot under, Vaishali misplaced recreation two after blundering her queen with 4 seconds on the clock—although the place was already unhealthy.
Like within the final portion, Vaishali picked up momentum within the second half. First, she drew a recreation, although she might have received with an excellent bishop sacrifice.
Missed within the recreation, White had the bishop sacrifice 40.Bxg5!! successful. Nonetheless, with a draw, Vaishali stops the bleeding and is down by three factors.https://t.co/hj2uctxH4n#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/OCXsv0tiB7
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
Then, she received from a dropping place after Shuvalova blundered each of her remaining minor items. Lastly, she once more received from one other dropping place after Shuvalova promoted to a queen—overlooking a checkmating assault.
Nonetheless, she was two factors down within the match.
1+1: Shuvalova 3.5-3.5 Vaishali
Vaishali evened the rating proper off the bat by successful three of the primary 4 video games. The primary two wins had been determined by one-move blunders, whereas Vaishali received the third through the use of her king as an energetic piece within the endgame.
Shuvalova received the following two video games, nonetheless, and there have been six minutes left on the match clock for Vaishali to catch up. In an endgame the place each gamers blundered their rooks to forks at varied factors, Shuvalova hung her knight—however was saved by the match clock working out. Finally, she even held the draw, although she would have received the match even when she had misplaced that closing recreation.
Shuvalova blunders her knight within the closing recreation, however she manages to maintain the sport going and the match clock runs out!
She in the end saves the sport and wins the match.https://t.co/MkqsLR05ix#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/s4c1UMXcCA
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
Shuvalova takes house $10,827.38, and Vaishali wins $1,922.62 by win proportion.
“I believe it was going good for me as I did have a whole lot of benefit, like plus three and plus two, plus one, and and I did spoil some utterly successful positions… nevertheless it occurs,” mentioned Shuvalova after the match. “I noticed her match towards Alexandra yesterday, I noticed she’s enjoying excellent in bullet, so she performs good velocity chess, and I understood that +2 might be both means.”
Contemplating the truth that Vaishali by no means led the match, the higher participant did win on Wednesday. However Shuvalova’s subsequent opponent could also be her biggest problem but.
Ju Wenjun 14.5-7.5 Kateryna Lagno
SmarterChess predicted one other shut encounter, with 51 % odds for Ju, who began the match at 11 p.m. native time and ended simply after 2 a.m., and 49 % for Lagno. It forecasted that Lagno would rating one level extra within the 3+1, whereas Ju would excel within the bullet by one level—in truth, the Chinese language grandmaster received all three elements of the match.
5+1: Ju 5-2 Lagno
Although she misplaced the primary recreation, Ju went on to dominate the primary portion.
After getting outplayed in recreation one, Ju received the following three video games in a row. The primary recreation was crushingly one-sided as Ju powered via, first with the pawn break 21.b6!, then shoving the e-pawn up the board afterward.
Although Lagno stopped the bleeding by successful on time in a double-edged however equal place, Ju received the final two video games.
After Lagno’s loss with the white items towards the Berlin Protection within the closing recreation, GM Benjamin Bok assessed that she ought to attempt a brand new opening within the match—one thing that didn’t occur. Ju equalized comfortably after which performed for extra, in the end successful the sport by chasing the white king up the board to the final rank. GM Rafael Leitao explains the Sport of the Day under.
3+1: Ju 4.5-2.5 Lagno
The three+1 portion was all Ju. The primary recreation was a draw, however then the Chinese language grandmaster took over—dropping her momentum a bit in the long run.
Lagno’s distress started when she, in a successful place, misplaced on time. From there, it went downhill, and within the following recreation she already began reaching for the facepalm earlier than the desperado 31.Qxh6! was on the board, inflicting quick resignation.
Within the following recreation, Lagno lashed out with a very aggressive g4-push. The place began to show in Black’s favor, nevertheless it ended instantly as soon as the three-time ladies’s world blitz champion blundered her queen to a skewer. On the digital camera, she was clearly demoralized by the final two video games.
Within the final three video games, Ju appeared to lose steam, enjoying at 1 a.m. at this level. Up the alternate, she began to lose management and repeated strikes to attract, and after that, she dropped not solely a rook however a back-rank checkmate.
An amazing blunder by Ju Wenjun! She continues to be up by 5 factors within the match.https://t.co/PNb8ZSrGK5#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/fgWsNiFJ5f
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 4, 2024
A wild knight vs. bishop endgame led to a draw, although Lagno might have even received that one, too. Thus, the world champion entered the bullet portion with a five-point lead, one that will solely balloon additional.
1+1: Ju 5-3 Lagno
Simply because the match began, Ju dropped one recreation earlier than racing off to rack up the factors.
The primary recreation featured an unlucky blunder. After 29…Re6??, Lagno effortlessly discovered the compelled checkmate in 4 strikes with a well known sample. Are you able to?
However the world champion received the following 4 video games. Probably the most brutal one was the final certainly one of this collection, which she received in 20 strikes.
After two extra attracts, Ju collapsed and misplaced the ultimate recreation when she had a successful place, however the match end result was by no means doubtful. Ju took house $11,301.13, whereas Lagno earned $1,448.87 by win proportion.
Shuvalova could have her work minimize out for her within the Ultimate if Ju exhibits up in the identical type.
The Julius Baer Girls’s Pace Chess Championship is a Chess.com occasion the place a number of the strongest feminine chess gamers on the earth battle for a $75,000 prize fund. The principle occasion sees 16 gamers compete in a single-elimination bracket in matches performed at 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1 time controls. 4 locations go to the winners of 4 Play-ins held on August 12-16 and open to all feminine titled gamers. In every Play-in the highest 4 gamers in a Swiss qualify to compete in a knockout.
Earlier protection:
