Russia’s top female player, Tatiana Kosintseva, is eliminated after losing to IM Yelena Dembo by the score of 0.5 – 1.5. Former Georgian Chess Queen, Maia Chiburdanidze, is also eliminated after losing to GM Zhao Xue by the same score.
The event top rated player, GM Humpy Koneru, has safely advanced to the next round. American IM Anna Zatonskih also moved on after a decisive 2-0 win over GM Sebag of France.
Kosteniuk, Alexandra RUS GM 2507 ½ ½ Playoff tomorrow
Khukhashvili, Sopiko GEO IM 2430 ½ ½
Koneru, Humpy IND GM 2600 1 ½
Houska, Jovanka ENG IM 2421 0 ½
Hou, Yifan CHN GM 2591 1 ½
Romanko, Marina RUS IM 2414 0 ½
Kosintseva, Tatiana RUS GM 2581 0 ½
Dembo, Yelena GRE IM 2454 1 ½
Dzagnidze, Nana GEO GM2551 ½ ½ Playoff tomorrow
Skripchenko, Almira FRA IM 2460 ½ ½
Stefanova, Antoaneta BUL GM 2548 1 0 Playoff tomorrow
Huang, Qian CHN WGM 2402 0 1
Muzychuk, Anna SLOIM2530 1 ½
Ovod, Evgenija RUS IM 2387 0 ½
Yildiz, Betul Cemre TUR WIM 2225 0 0
Muzychuk, Mariya UKR IM 2462 1 1
Harika, Dronavalli IND IM 2525 1 1
Shadrina, Tatiana RUS WGM 2384 0 0
Ju, Wenjun CHN WGM 2524 ½ 1
Kovanova, Baira RUS WGM 2380 ½ 0
Lahno, Kateryna UKR GM 2522 ½ ½ Playoff tomorrow
Hoang Thanh Trang HUN GM 2473 ½ ½
Cmilyte, Viktorija LTU GM 2514 0 1 Playoff tomorrow
Paehtz, Elisabeth GER IM 2474 1 0
Chiburdanidze, Maia GEO GM 2502 0 ½
Zhao, Xue CHN GM 2474 1 ½
Socko, Monika POL GM 2495 ½ ½ Playoff tomorrow
Zhu, Chen QAT GM 2477 ½ ½
Sebag, Marie FRA GM 2494 0 0
Zatonskih, Anna USA IM 2478 1 1
Ruan, Lufei CHN WGM 2480 1 0 Playoff tomorrow
Zhang, Xiaowen CHN WGM 2339 0 1
Why did Maia take a draw?
The knock-out system is merciless and it is not fair to many strong players.
Wow Anna has no mercy,the only player with a perfect score so far! I hope she could upset Koneru
The all powerful Russian Team began the tournament with 10 players, and after 2 rounds, may not have a single player left. Only Kosteniuk left in a play-off to fight for a place in third round. China began with 8 players, has at least 4, possibly 5, progressed to 3rd round.
Muzychuk, Mariya UKR also has a perfect score, 4/4.
Kosintseva being eliminated makes me a very sad panda. 🙁