Dzagnidze and Goryachkina Lead in Kazan after Three Rounds

After three rounds of play, Nana Dzagnidze and Aleksandra Goryachkina share the lead in the 2019 Women’s Candidates Tournament with 2.5 points each. Former Women’s Champion Tan Zhongyi is alone in third place with 2 points. The winner of the tournament will go on to challenge Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship. The field for the 2019 Candidates is remarkably strong, with eight of the top twelve female players in the world (as of the June list) playing in Kazan. It is also intensely competitive – the difference between the top seed (Mariya Muzychuk) and bottom seed (Valentina Gunina) is just 57 rating points. After a tepid start in Round 1, the players have gotten increasingly combative, and all four games in Sunday’s third round featured decisive results. Round 1 Valentina Gunina — Kateryna Lagno | draw Alexandra Kosteniuk — Aleksandra Goryachkina | draw Nana Dzagnidze — Tan Zhongyi | draw Mariya Muzychuk — Anna Muzychuk | draw While the Muzychuk-Muzychuk and Dzagnidze-Tan games were drawn fairly early, the remaining two games were anything but boring. Kosteniuk had to summon all of her defensive skills to ward off Goryachkina’s advances, and Gunina was only able to save her position with a bit of stunning calculation.

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.05.31"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Gunina, Valentina"]
[Black "Lagno, Kateryna"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C75"]
[WhiteElo "2506"]
[BlackElo "2554"]
[Annotator "Hartmann,John"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/q5kp/3p2pb/3P1p2/4p2Q/7P/1r3PP1/3R1NK1 w - - 0 46"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "2019.05.31"]

46. Ra1 $3 Qxa1 $2 {It certainly looks like you can take the rook! Even
the computer is momentarily bamboozled.} (46... Qf7 47. Ra6 Qf8 48. Ra7+ Kg8
49. Rd7 {probably equal?}) (46... Qc7) 47. Qe7+ Kg8 48. Qe6+ Kf8 49. Qc8+ Ke7
50. Qc7+ Ke8 51. Qc8+ Ke7 52. Qc7+ Kf6 53. Qxd6+ Kg5 54. Qe7+ Kh5 (54... Kf4 {
is no better} 55. Qd6+ Kg5 56. Qe7+ {and Lagno has to play ... Kh5 or allow
the repetition.}) 55. g3 $1 {Threatening Qh4 mate!} Bg5 $1 {The only move that
saves the game.} ({If} 55... g5 {(blocking access to h4) White has} 56. Qf7#)
56. Qxh7+ Bh6 57. Qe7 Bg5 {Lagno acquiesces to the draw.} ({Again} 57... g5 {
fails to} 58. Qf7#) 58. Qh7+ Bh6 59. Qe7 Bg5 60. Qh7+ 1/2-1/2

[/pgn]

Round 2 Kateryna Lagno — Alexandra Kosteniuk | draw Alexandra Goryachkina — Valentina Gunina | 1 — 0 Tan Zhongyi — Maria Muzychuk | draw Anna Muzychuk  — Nana Dzagnidze | 0 — 1 With their wins in Saturday’s Round 2, Nana Dzagnidze and Aleksandra Goryachkina staked early claims to the lead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRwCHGIUU4s Dzagnidze’s opening surprise – 2. … Nc6 in the Sicilian instead of her normal 2. … d6, leading to a Najdorf – threw her opponent, Anna Muzychuk, off-balance, and Dzagnidze won in 41 moves.

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.06.01"]
[Round "2.4"]
[White "Muzychuk, Anna"]
[Black "Dzagnidze, Nana"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B31"]
[WhiteElo "2539"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2019.05.31"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Qe2 O-O 7. d4 d5 8. e5
Ne4 9. Rd1 cxd4 10. cxd4 f6 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 fxe5 13. Nxe5 Qc7 14. Nd3 Bf5
15. Bf4 Qa5 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Nb4 Rac8 18. Rac1 Be4 19. Bg5 c5 20. dxc5 Qxc5
21. Be3 d4 22. Bxd4 Bxd4 23. Qxe4 Bxf2+ 24. Kh1 Qe3 25. Qc2 Rc5 26. Nd3 Rg5 27.
Qb3+ Kg7 28. Nxf2 Rxg2 29. Qb7 Rxh2+ 30. Kxh2 Rxf2+ 31. Qg2 h5 32. Re1 Qd2 33.
Qxf2 Qxf2+ 34. Kh1 e5 35. c4 g5 36. c5 g4 37. Rf1 Qh4+ 38. Kg1 Qg3+ 39. Kh1
Qh3+ 40. Kg1 Qe3+ 41. Kh1 Qe4+ 42. Kg1 g3 0-1

[/pgn]

Goryachkina found a brilliant ‘only-move’ to win what looked to be a drawn ending against Valentina Gunina.

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.06.01"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"]
[Black "Gunina, Valentina"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2522"]
[BlackElo "2506"]
[Annotator "Hartmann,John"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7P/5p2/R1b2N2/6k1/8/7r/5K2 w - - 0 72"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2019.05.31"]

{Deep in time pressure, Goryachkina uncorked a brilliant move:} 72. Nh4
$3 {Now White threatens to queen with impunity, and both captures of the
knight lead to ruin.} Kg3 {As good as anything else.} (72... Kxh4 73. h8=Q+) (
72... Rxh4 73. Ra4+ Kh3 74. Rxh4+ Kxh4 75. h8=Q+) ({If} 72... Rf2+ 73. Ke1 Rf4
74. Rxc5 $1 (74. h8=Q Bb4+)) 73. h8=Q Rf2+ 74. Ke1 Bb4+ 75. Kd1 Bxa5 76. Ng6
$18 Bd2 77. Qh4+ Kf3 78. Qxf6+ Kg2 79. Qc6+ Kg1 80. Nh4 Bf4 81. Qg6+ Kh2 82.
Qg4 Bg3 83. Nf5 Rf1+ 84. Ke2 Rf2+ 85. Kd3 Rg2 86. Qh5+ Kg1 87. Ne3 Ra2 88. Qg6
Kh2 89. Qh7+ Kg1 90. Qg8 Ra3+ 91. Ke2 Kh2 92. Kf3 1-0

[/pgn]

Round 3 Aleksandra Goryachkina —  Kateryna Lagno | 1 — 0 Nana Dzagnidze — Mariya Muzychuk | 1 — 0 Tan Zhongyi — Anna Muzychuk | 1 — 0 Valentina Gunina — Alexandra Kosteniuk | 1 — 0 The third round was filled with fighting chess. Any of the games would have been suitable for highlighting in this report, but here we offer two of the better battles of the round. https://youtu.be/myugJTvbWH8 Valentina Gunina took the initiative after Alexandra Kosteniuk’s dubious 22. … Bxb5, and her skillful use of the bishop pair soon garnered her the exchange and then the game.

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.06.02"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Gunina, Valentina"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C45"]
[WhiteElo "2506"]
[BlackElo "2546"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2019.05.31"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8.
c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Qe6 10. Qe4 g6 11. Bd2 Ba6 12. b3 Bg7 13. f4 O-O 14. Be2 d5 15.
Qf3 Bb7 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. Nb5 Qe7 18. Rc1 Rfc8 19. Qf2 f6 20. O-O fxe5 21. Bg4
Ba6 22. a4 Bxb5 23. axb5 Rf8 24. Qe1 Rf7 25. Rc6 Rf6 26. Bb4 Qf7 27. Qc1 Rxc6
28. Qxc6 Qe8 29. Qxc7 exf4 30. Re1 Qd8 31. Qc6 Qf6 32. Bc5 Rd8 33. Be7 Qd4+ 34.
Kh1 Rb8 35. Bd6 Rf8 36. Bxf8 Bxf8 37. h3 Bb4 38. Rf1 Qe5 39. Qe6+ Qxe6 40.
Bxe6+ Kf8 41. Rxf4+ Ke7 42. Bg8 Bd2 43. Rf7+ Kd6 44. Bxh7 g5 45. Rxa7 Kc5 46.
Bd3 Kd4 47. Be2 Kc3 48. g3 Be3 49. Kg2 Kd2 50. Bf3 d4 51. h4 gxh4 52. gxh4 d3
53. h5 Kc2 54. Re7 Bd4 55. Rc7+ Kxb3 56. h6 d2 57. h7 Kb4 58. Rc2 1-0

[/pgn]

Goryachkina continued to show impressive technique in her win against Kateryna Lagno. Lagno defended an inferior rook and pawn ending for many moves, but as is so often the case, one slip destroyed all of her hard work.

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.06.02"]
[Round "3.2"]
[White "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"]
[Black "Lagno, Kateryna"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[WhiteElo "2522"]
[BlackElo "2554"]
[Annotator "Hartmann,John"]
[PlyCount "159"]
[EventDate "2019.05.31"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8.
Bb5+ Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. Ba3 cxd4 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. cxd4 Bg4 13. Bc5 Re8 14. Rb1
Qd7 15. Rb4 e5 16. dxe5 Qe6 17. Qb3 Bxf3 18. Qxe6 Rxe6 19. gxf3 Rxe5 20. Rc4
Rg5+ 21. Kh1 Bf8 22. Rfc1 Rxc5 23. Rxc5 Bxc5 24. Rxc5 {The computer evaluates
this as equal, but White's active rook and the target on c6 means that White
has the better side of equal. She can press for hours without much risk.} Rc8 (
24... Rb8 {offers the pawn to activate the rook, and it looks like it might
have made for an easier defense.} 25. Ra5 (25. Rxc6 Rb2 26. Ra6 (26. Kg2 Rxa2
$11) 26... Rxf2 27. Rxa7 Rxf3 $11) 25... c5 26. Rxa7 (26. Rxc5 Rb2) 26... Rc8 {
and now Black has counterplay with the running c-pawn.}) 25. Kg2 Kf8 26. f4 Ke7
27. Kf3 Kd6 28. Ra5 Rc7 29. Ke3 Rb7 30. h4 Kc7 31. Ra6 Kd6 32. Kd4 Rb4+ 33. Kd3
Rb7 34. Kc4 Rb2 35. f3 Rf2 36. Rxa7 Rxf3 37. Rxf7 Ke6 38. Rxh7 Rxf4 39. Kd4 c5+
40. Ke3 Rg4 41. a4 Ke5 42. Kd3 Rg1 43. a5 Ra1 44. Ra7 Ra4 45. a6 c4+ 46. Kc3
Kxe4 47. Ra8 Kf5 48. a7 Kg4 49. h5 gxh5 50. Rg8+ Kf3 51. a8=Q+ Rxa8 52. Rxa8 h4
53. Rh8 Kg3 54. Kd2 h3 $2 (54... c3+ {forces the White king to stay with the
c-pawn, drawing.}) 55. Ke3 h2 (55... c3 56. Rg8+ Kh2 (56... Kh4 57. Kf4 {
and the mating threats will allow White to win.}) 57. Kf4 c2 58. Rc8 Kg1 59.
Rxc2 h2 60. Kg3 h1=N+ 61. Kf3 {and White wins.}) 56. Rg8+ Kh3 57. Kf2 h1=N+ (
57... h1=Q $4 58. Rh8+ Kg4 59. Rxh1) 58. Kf3 Kh2 59. Rh8+ Kg1 60. Rc8 Nf2 61.
Rxc4 $18 Nd3 62. Ke3 Ne5 63. Re4 Nc6 64. Re6 Nb4 65. Ke2 Nd5 66. Rg6+ Kh2 67.
Kf3 Nc3 68. Rh6+ Kg1 69. Rc6 Nb5 70. Rc4 Nd6 71. Rc5 Kh2 72. Kf4 Kg2 73. Rc2+
Kh3 74. Rc6 Nb5 75. Ke5 Kg2 76. Rc2+ Kf1 77. Rc5 Na3 78. Rc3 Nb5 79. Rb3 Nc7
80. Rb7 1-0

[/pgn]

Play continues tomorrow at 3pm Kazan time, or 8am EDT. GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko and IM Elisabeth Paehtz offer live commentary via the FIDE YouTube Channel. Rounds will be played daily through June 17th, with rest days on June 7th, 11th, and June 15th. Tie-breaks, if needed, will be contested on June 18th along with a Closing Ceremony. A complete set of games is available at Chess24 (with embedded YouTube coverage) and at The Week in Chess. Popular Twitch streamer Alexandra Botez is also offering a livestream of each round’s games.