News

The top three seeds in this tournament, the only women other than Judit Polgar ever to break 2600 FIDE are all gone. GM Humpy Koneru (2610, India) lost both classical games to GM Natalija Pogonina (2451, Ukraine). Current Women's World Champion GM Hou Yifan (2606, China) and GM Anna Muzychuk (2586, Slovenia) both lost 2-0 in the first set of rapid tie-breaks to GM Monica Socko (2445, Poland) and IM Anna Ushenina (2452, Ukraine) respectively.
 
For the two remaining Americans it was one up, and one down. IM Anna Zatonskih (2489) drew both of her games in the first set of  rapid tie-breakers with WGM Ju Wenjun (2501, China), but lost both in the second set of rapid games, and her tournament is over. IM Irina Krush, meanwhile, continued her fine play with White, and also got back on track with the Black pieces, as she won both rapid games against GM Pia Cramling (2516, Sweden). Because GM Victoria Cmilyte (2524, Lithuania) was knocked out earlier Krush will have the luxury of being paired down in round three against WGM Huang Qian (2465, China).

-Scott Parker

   After no significant upsets in round one, round two has seen a good bit of carnage among the top seeds. Of the top seven ranked players none have advanced to round three after the set of two games at classical time controls. Reigning Women's World Champion GM Hou Yifan (2606, China) beat Polish GM Monica Socko (2445) with the black pieces, but lost badly with White. That match now goes to a set of two rapid games, as do three other matches involving the top seven. Not so lucky were GM Victoria Cmilyte (2524, Lithuania), GM Kateryna Lahno (2553, Ukraine), and top rated GM Humpy Koneru (2610, India). Cmilyte and Lahno lost their matches 1.5-0.5 to WGM Huang Qian (2465, China) and IM Lela Javakhishvili (2455, Georgia (the country, not our state!)) respectively, while Koneru lost both her games to Ukranian GM Natalia Zhukova (2451). Also prominent among the losers was former Women's World Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2501), beaten 1.5-0.5 by Russian WGM Natalija Pogonia (2478).
 
    Both Americans IM's Anna Zatonskih (2489) and Irina Krush (2470) are still alive, and heading to the set of rapid games. Zatonskih drew both her games with Chinese WGM Ju Wenjun (2501), while Krush lost with Black but came back and won with White versus Swedish GM Pia Cramling (2516). Krush has had disastrous results so far with the Black pieces, but has done exceedingly well with White.

- Scott Parker

IM Anna Zatonskih (2489) defeated IM Carolina Lujan (2369, Argentina) by drawing their first game and winning their second.
 
 IM Irina Krush (2470) also won, although she had a much tougher time with her opponent, IM Li Ruofan (2394, Singapore). Both of their games at classical time controls were drawn. The match then went to rapid time controls. In their first set of two games, Krush won the opener, but Li came back to win the second. In their second set of rapid games the situation was reversed; Li won the first one, and Krush came back to win the second. The match then moved to blitz. Here their first game was drawn, but Irina took the second, and therefore the match.
 
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan drew her first game with GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, but the Russian prevailed in the second, and Abrahamyan's tournament is over.
 
In round two, Zatonskih will face Chinese GM Ju Wenjun (2501), while Krush will face the oldest player in the tournament, Swedish GM Pia Cramling (2516). The draw is doing Anna Zatonskih no favors; should she overcome Ju she will have to face the highest rated player in the tournament, Humpy Koneru (2610, India), assuming Koneru can get past Natalia Zhukova (2451, Ukraine). Should Krush win she will get the winner of the match between GM Victoria Cmilyte (2524, Lithuania) and WGM Huang Qian (2465, China).

-Scott Parker

There will be a Q&A meeting on Nov. 18th at the Class Championship tournament at 3pm.  There will be no election for 2nd member-at-large or review of By-Law changes submitted by Thad Rogers.  This will be held at the next General Membership meeting TBD.  According to the by-laws members must be notified by mail or telegram in advance (not via website notifications/emails) and there is no time to do this.  Motions to change the by-laws may be submitted to the GCA. 

Pairings are up for the first round of the Women's World Chess Championship to be held in Kanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, from  November 9-December 3. Three Americans made the field of 64 invitees. Here are their first round pairings:
 
IM Anna Zatonskih (2489, USA) vs. IM Carolina Lujan (2369, Argentina)
IM Irina Krush (2470, USA) vs. IM Ruofan Li (2394, Singapore)
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2501, Russia) vs. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2304, USA)
 
In case you're wondering, they are not pairing by splitting the field in half and then playing the top half vs the bottom half in rating order, like a USCF tournament does. If they did that, you would get #1 vs. #33, #2 vs. #34, etc. They are pairing more like the draw in a tennis tournament, so that you get #1 vs. #64, #2 vs. #63, etc.
 
Zatonskih and Krush will be favored to win round one. Abrahamyan obviously will have a tough test in the former Women's World Champion. Any of the three who win figure to be paired up in round two. Krush and Zatonskih are both in the top half of the field (Anna is seeded #18, Irina #23), but neither is in the top quarter. Should Abrahamyan somehow get by Kosteniuk she will most likely be the lowest rated player left in the field. Good luck to all three.

-Scott Parker

Almost 300 kids played at the Georgia Grade Level tournament last weekend. Congratulations to all of our new State Champions! A list is coming soon, but you can visit the USCF site to see results.

Georgia Grade Level State Champions 2012

Registration is now closed for Grade Levels.  If you missed this one, please check out Georgia Class Championship in 2 weeks! MLK Holiday Tournament (Jan) & State Qualifier (Feb) this winter...please check our Tournament calendar for other upcoming events.

Congratulations to WIM Carolina Blanco - Georgia Women's State Champion 2012

A special screening was shown in Atlanta tonight of Brooklyn Castle - a new film which tells the story of a great chess team from an inner city junior high school in Brooklyn NY. Go see it at Tara Cinema Friday Nov. 2nd and take the kids (PG). Beautifully done. If you believe chess has made an impact in your family or school please try to see it opening weekend (if it does well, it gets shown in more theaters). Make it a weekend of chess: State Grade Levels & a chess film!

To be discussed and voted on at the GCA Membership Meeting during Class Championships: