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4 of the top 8 seeds did not survive the knockout format over the first 3 rounds and the quarterfinals, which start tomorrow, will see the following pairings (with seed number in parentheses:.
Humpy Koneru (1) vs Mariya Muzychuk (8)
Dronavalli Harika (12 vs Meri Arabidze (45)
Zhao Xue (7) vs Natalia Pogonina (31)
Ana Muzychuk (3) vs Pia Cramling (11)
Yes. Qd2 was not easy to spot (unless you happen to treat the position as if it was in a 'find the move quiz' !)
It might be cool for Yuan to find that she lost to the eventual winner but I don't know that Mariya is quite that strong - and even that might not matter!
Yes. Qd2 was not easy to spot (unless you happen to treat the position as if it was in a 'find the move quiz' !)
It might be cool for Yuan to find that she lost to the eventual winner but I don't know that Mariya is quite that strong - and even that might not matter!
29.Qf7!! was a nice finishing touch as well. Now I'm thinking it would be rather cool to see an all Muzychuk final (:
Mariya Muzychuk, the 8th seed, was the sole top 8 seed to make it to the semi-finals which only serves to highlight the "lottery" nature of this knock-out format. Mariya will play Dronavalli Harikia, the 12th seed, in one semi-final while the Swedish veteran, Pia Cramling, the 11th seed, will play Natalia Pogonina, the 31st seed, in the other semi-final.
Mariya Muzychuk is also now the slight betting favourite but none of these 4 would be a total surprise winner at this stage, with the top 7 seeds now out of the lottery.
I wonder what the odds of the winner of this knockout event beating "The Challenger" Hou Yifan? I can't imagine any of them having more than a (generously-speaking) 10% chance in a match of say 10 or more games.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
malthrope: The final here as played by Mariya is a fine display of: "No mercy!" :P
Bonifratz: the main blunder was giving away the d file with ...f6
beerpatzer: She missed tactics 101
Khalsen: Well, humpy was better, but she blundered in an apparently correct move, and Mariya was pitiless
kingturtle: boni, it wasn't too bad, but with her queen and bishop already over there, i'd rather have played Ne7 to get some more defense going
Glossu: Lovely tactics by Mariya!
Bonifratz: I agree with you
kingturtle: i don't fault Humpy. Her aggressive play has worked so far this tourny. she just over- extended herself by one move
beerpatzer: It's actually pretty impressive how the position goes from drawn to dead lost in just 2 moves
kingturtle: so it looks like 24. g5 was the game changer, allowing mariya to get her knight to g5
winbridge: 26. Qd2 29. Qf7 very impressive
twinbridge: two Queen sacrifices
malthrope: ~ More like - Humpy you missed this! First with Qd2 and then Qf7 - game over! ;XD
jphamlore: This game might have Scotched Koneru's chances this event.
I wonder what the odds of the winner of this knockout event beating "The Challenger" Hou Yifan? I can't imagine any of them having more than a (generously-speaking) 10% chance in a match of say 10 or more games.
Given Yifan Hou is plus 7, minus 0, equal 7, her last 2 World Championships (Koneru and Ushenina), Tom, there's no doubt the odds wlll be astronomical. The only interesting matchup may well have been Ana Muzychuk vs Yifan Hou, which of course can't happen now. Ana has held her own against Yifan, plus 2, minus 2, equal 4 at classical and plus 2, minus 2, equal 2 at quicker time controls. But Ana succumbed to Pia Cramling today who is an abysmal plus 1, minus 8, equal 4 against Yifan Hou. Cramling - Hou would clearly be the worst possible matchup ):
I also question the wisdom of using the knockout format in a World Championship. The whole Women's cycle seems rather absurd - twice the load for 5-10% of the player population.
So saying, the knock-out is exciting and can play a role in either cycle. I am thrilled to see the 50+ year old Pia Cramling playing so well. Whoever emerges on top will obviously be the underdog against Hou Yifan.
I also question the wisdom of using the knockout format in a World Championship. The whole Women's cycle seems rather absurd - twice the load for 5-10% of the player population.
FIDE Women’s World Championship (WWCC) System
Canadian Life Consulting Cooperative (CLCC) RANT:
CLCC considers the women's system discriminatory, as compared with the World Chess Championship System!
WHY?
2015 Women's World Knock-out Championship
In effect FIDE vacates the current women's champion title once the Women’s World Championship Knock-out Tournament ends on April 7, 2015. Hou Yifan (China), is the current and 13th Women's World Champion, and she will be stripped of the title.
She loses any priority as Champion. Should she have played in this knock-out championship (she did not; schedule conflict), it would be as if there was then, no longer, a Women’s Champion (though she'd have the title to the end of the tournament; she would be playing as just one of the 64 top women players in the world, an ordinary player, playing for the new 2015 Women’s World Championship title. On 25 November 2014 FIDE announced the knock-out would take part in Sochi, Russia, starting on 15 March 2015.
2015 Women's World Match Championship
That new 2015 Knock-out Champion then plays a match almost immediately, before the title is even dry, to defend her title in October, 2015, against Yifan.
Here is the system according to Wikipedia (edited):
“The Women's World Chess Championship held in October is the second of two world championships held in 2015. It is played in a match format between the 2015 Women's World Chess champion, as determined in a knock-out tournament earlier that year. Her challenger is none other than.....Hou Yifan (Hou Yifan 13th Women’s Champion, and Champion during the tournament, won her place in the match by winning the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013–2014. Since Yifan did not play in the Knock-out, due to a conflicting schedule, she will play the new 2015 Women’s Champion this Fall in the second Women’s World Championship match of 2015).
The match is played over 10 games and is scheduled from 11 to 31 October 2015.”
Problem
This FIDE women's system is chaotic. But for the World Championship: there is a nicely organized system of The World Cup (the knock-out tournament), and the Grand Prix (like the women's GP) feeding 8 players into the Candidates system. The winner of the Candidates, becomes the new Challenger in a match against the reigning Champion. The Champion remains the Champion during the Challenger qualification process; total respect given to the World Champion in the process. Only disrespect to the Women's World Chess Champion in their system.
Complaints to FIDE?
Almost none.....the women are afraid to bite the hand that feeds them....Male elite players - some complaining, but no effective pressure on FIDE (no boycotting tournaments, etc.) Now, to give FIDE its due, FIDE is admittedly probably committing more funds than might be expected, given, still, the relative low popularity world-wide for women' chess. But even with modest funding (e.g. much lower prize money), there is no excuse for inequality.
Originally posted in FB Group, Association of Chess Professionals (ACP), on March 16/15. Revision # 1 Post, above, pending as replacement.
Under consideration for endorsement: Chess Coalition Cooperative (CCC) – currently.
Any of the four players remained in competition will be an exciting match up for Hou Yifan, for different reasons. Pia Cramling winning will be like an Academy Award for her whole career. Good luck to any of them.
Natalija Pogonina, for her 3rd consecutive match, forces playoffs after dropping the 1st game. Not a recipe I'd suggest following, but it's certainly been working so far for Natalija. Nice finishing tough as well with 38.Nd7+ (:
I must say that Pia Cramling is a sentimental fave but I loved seeing those Benko wins from Pogonina in the previous round. As for Muzychuk and Dronavalli I can't pick at all. Call them are co-favourites!
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