29 November 2022
Round One of FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament Completed in Khiva
Both games ended in a draw.
The FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament kick-off games finished in the city of Khiva. The Governor of the Xorazm Region Farkhod Ermanov and the President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation Alisher Sadullaev made the symbolic first moves in the Tan Zhongyi vs. Lagno game.
Tan Zhongyi and Kateryna Lagno battled in the Queen's Gambit Declined, in which Black managed to simplify via active play on the queenside. The game saw a roughly equal struggle and ended in a logical draw. The Russian player said after the game that following her opponent's decision to give up her light-squared bishop she had evaluated her position as slightly advantageous. However, she would not come up with the right continuation afterwards.
"I probably should not have taken the d3-knight, upon which I think the position equalised," added Lagno.
The Kosteniuk – Goryachkina game opened into Ruy Lopez. White failed to build on her kingside initiative, and the pawn moves only weakened her position. By move thirty Black's advantage crystallised: Goryachkina opened up the a-file and created several weaknesses, but Black's ill-considered kingside break towards the time control allowed White to untangle. Following the exchange of queens there arose an endgame with rooks and knights, where a draw was agreed on move 41.
Photos by Eteri Kublashvili
