|
Viktoria Cmilyte: My love for chess is life-long |
 Viktoria Cmilyte visited the press center despite being eliminated from the tournament by Meri Arabidze, and shared her impressions about the championship.
Anastasia Karlovich: Viktoria, could you tell us about your three matches here?
Viktoria Cmilyte: This is my seventh World Championship, and I just followed the usual routine. The first two matches were easy, the third one obviously did not work out well. Objectively my opponent played better, so the outcome of the match is just. In the first classical game I was simply lost at some point...
Today I lost the first rapid game as White almost without a fight, which was very unfortunate. In the second game it looked like I had good chances to tie the score, but it did not happen. It is like a lottery – somebody has to get lucky.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
The third round of the World Championship in Sochi is in the books |
 The tie-breaks of the third round of the Women's World Chess Championship were played in Sochi on March 25. Six players returned to the SCC Galactica to find out who advances to the Quarterfinals.
In the first rapid game Marie Sebag (France) and Natalia Pogonina (Russia) repeated the line that occurred in the Carlsen-Anand World Championship match (Sochi 2014). Pogonina improved Anand's play and got a comfortable position. Sebag continued playing aggressively, allowing the opponent to seize control of the d-file. Being under the time pressure, Sebag carelessly opened the center, and Pogonina's counterattack decided the game.
The return game was very erratic, but in the end luck was on Pogonina's side, and Sebag overstepped the time limit in a lost position.
|
|
Zhao Xue: We need to improve team spirit |
 The last representative of China in this championship defeated Bela Khotenashvili and advanced to the quarterfinals. Zhao Xue appeared in the press center where she impressed the journalists with her fluent English. She analyzed in detail the causes of protracted failure of the Chinese national team in the Chess Olympiads.
Anastasia Karlovich: Our next guest is Zhao Xue of China, who defeated Bela Khotenashvili and went on to the next round. Xue, it was not that easy from the very beginning. Your first game was very tough. Can you tell us about it please?
Zhao Xue: It was very strange starting from the opening. Bela doesn’t play this line, so I tried to play something different from what she plays. I think I was a little worse, but I was lucky, she made some mistakes. I think 15.Kxe4 was not a very good idea.
|
 Going for the return games of the third round the four Russian players were facing an uphill battle - to avert the elimination after devastating losses from day before.
Former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova from Bulgaria and Georgian Bela Khotenashvili were also looking to make comebacks.
All eight games were hard-fought and the play continued beyond the first time control.
Anna Muzychuk was the first to qualify for the Quarterfinals by beating Lela Javakhishvili as Black. The Georgian misplayed an exchange in the middlegame, after which her position deteriorated until the point where she had to give up a rook for a piece. Muzychuk converted the advantage and won the match by 1,5-0,5.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Anna Muzychuk: This championship is the most successful for me |
 The Muzychuk sisters advanced to the quarterfinals and will both have a day off tomorrow. The elder sister Anna came to the press center after a tiring game and a doping test, but nevertheless answered all questions about her progress at this championship.
Anastasia Karlovich: Anna, could you tell us about your performance here starting with the first match?
Anna Muzychuk: My opponent in the first round was much weaker, to be honest. I won the first game easily, but wasn't very convincing in the second game. The second match against Alexandra Goryachkina was tough. In the first game I played strongly in the opening and equalized easily, maybe even got a slight advantage. This game ended in a draw, and then I managed to win as White.
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>
|
