Former Ladies’s World Champion GM Tan Zhongyi scored a fast 20-move victory over defending champion IM Anna Zatonskih to maneuver into the only lead with three factors after 4 rounds on the Cairns Cup 2024 in St. Louis. Tan is trailed by GMs Mariya Muzychuk and Harika Dronavalli on 2.5 factors.
GM Nana Dzagnidze missed a chance to achieve 2.5 factors when she couldn’t convert an enormous benefit within the ending towards GM Anna Muzychuk. Each the Muzychuk sisters appeared to be on the point of defeat however put up robust fights to salvage attracts of their respective video games.
It was an thrilling day for Younger IM Alice Lee as she defeated one other former Ladies’s World Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk to file the primary American victory of the event. The entertaining Sport Of The Day noticed Lee battle again regardless of time strain after seemingly getting caught in opening preparation in a pointy line.
Spherical 5 begins Monday, June 17, at 2 p.m. ET / 20:00 CEST / 11:30 p.m. IST.
Spherical 4 Outcomes
Standings
No Attracts And Thoughts Your Clock
Two elements appear to have contributed to the preventing video games on the Cairns Cup 2024. The event guidelines prohibit draw provides throughout video games, leading to glorious chess up to now. Although skilled chess has seen a prohibition of draw provides earlier than 20-40 strikes, banning them fully through the sport appears to be a novel technique to assist the gamers get right into a combative mindset all alongside.
The second issue is the weird time management of 120 minutes for the entire sport with an increment of 30 seconds from the primary transfer onwards. Which means a participant who usually comes below time strain within the middlegame doesn’t get a reprieve as soon as the fortieth transfer is reached. Reasonably, she has to battle on for the remainder of the sport on the mercy of the 30-second increment. In contrast to the “no draw provide” rule, the time management makes life troublesome for the gamers however offers pleasure for the spectators.
Tan 1-0 Zatonskih
Zatonskih, the winner of the 2023 Cairns Cup is having a troublesome time this 12 months, as she misplaced a fast sport to Tan, her third loss from as many video games performed with the black items. Taking part in a favourite variation of GM Evgeny Bareev‘s within the French Protection, Zatonskih spent 5 strikes along with her queen within the early middlegame, permitting her opponent to develop a harmful assault on the black king.
Tan was taking part in moderately shortly within the opening phases regardless that she had not anticipated the variation to look on the board on the day, as she confessed later. Zatonskih had consumed copious quantities of time within the opening as nicely. By the sixteenth transfer, White had developed all her items and had them able to hunt the black king, whereas Black had developed simply her queen and knight. White gained in 19 strikes with a easy kingside assault, to attain the quickest win of the event up to now.
Speaking after the sport (by way of a translator) Tan was suitably completely satisfied along with her play: “I’ve been right here for a number of days, and have already adjusted my time… so I do not really feel drained right here. I did not have as many alternatives up to now, as a result of I performed loads in China, and far much less outdoors of China.”
I did not have as many alternatives up to now, as a result of I performed loads in China, and far much less outdoors of China.
—Tan Zhongyi
Paehtz ½-½ Mariya Muzychuk
This was a topsy-turvy affair, the place Mariya Muzychuk held a slight benefit within the early middlegame. Nevertheless, GM Elisabeth Paehtz fought again steadily and elevated her benefit to attain a clearly higher heavy-piece endgame. Nevertheless, mutual time strain performed its half within the sport.
Dzagnidze ½-½ Anna Muzychuk
One other lengthy sport. Dzagnidze appeared to be having fun with a small benefit for a lot of the middlegame. With attribute strategic acumen, the Georgian grandmaster introduced her opponent below defensive strain, and Anna Muzychuk erred in judgment in getting into a troublesome queen endgame.
The ultimate part of the sport was performed below mutual time strain when Dzagnidze held a successful benefit. Nevertheless, she erred within the remaining minutes of the sport to overlook an important win.
Harika ½-½ Krush
GM Irina Krush appears to have began using the Sicilian Sveshnikov with Black as one among her weapons, taking part in it twice within the current Saint Louis Summer time Chess Traditional – B 2024. Although Harika confronted the opening line for the primary time in her profession with the white items, she nonetheless confirmed her depth of opening preparation with 13.h4!?, providing an early pawn sacrifice. It might have been an even bigger battle and theoretically important if Black had accepted the pawn. However after Krush performed the safer 13…Bh6, Harika appeared to slowly construct up a very good place, which appeared promising by the twenty third transfer.
Kosteniuk 0-1 Lee
When Lee selected to play the Petroff Protection with the black items and boldly entered a pointy line towards her skilled opponent, loads was anticipated from the teenager. Particularly contemplating that Lee had been in a coaching session on the Saint Louis Chess Membership itself with the legendary GM Garry Kasparov only a week earlier than the beginning of this event.
From June 7-9, the St. Louis Chess Membership hosted a Younger Stars coaching session with Garry Kasparov, assisted by Michael Khodarkovsky. GM Christopher Yoo, IM Alice Lee, GM Andy Woodward, IM Brewington Hardaway, GM Abhimanyu Mishra and IM Ryo Chen participated.
📷 by E. Trask pic.twitter.com/KNLOfxMn0Z
— Kasparov Chess (@Kasparov_Chess) June 16, 2024
Simply when Lee coming below strain each within the place and on the clock, the teenager confirmed her preventing qualities within the middlegame. Black’s counterplay began with 19…b5, and he or she unexpectedly obtained assist from her opponent. Although having fun with a strategically higher place, Kosteniuk’s response to her opponent’s fightback did not appear excellent. Lee slowly and steadily constructed up an assault on the white king.
Lee’s victory was praiseworthy contemplating she had lower than 5 minutes on the clock for the essential a part of the sport ranging from transfer 24. Kosteniuk too appeared visibly nervous on the board, and the thrill of the sport reached excessive proportions at this level.
IM Alice Lee gained her first sport of the event towards the Former World Champion, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk⭐️🤩#CairnsCup #STLChessClub #chess pic.twitter.com/5ITTfJXnaI
— Saint Louis Chess Membership (@STLChessClub) June 16, 2024
This thrilling encounter is our Sport of the Day, analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao beneath.
The 2024 Cairns Cup is among the strongest ladies’s tournaments on the earth. The occasion is a 10-player round-robin with a classical time management (120 minutes for the complete sport, plus a 30-second increment per transfer). The 2024 Cairns Cup runs from June 13 to June 23 and includes a $200,000 prize fund.
Earlier Protection
