International Master Padmini Rout played out another easy draw with Zhao Xue of China while Dronavalli Harika also split point with Dinara Saduakassova of Kazakhstan in the second round of the World women's chess championship, here today.
Showing fine form, Padmini was in her elements as she went for a surprising Ivan's gambit as white that too Zhao Xue by a huge surprise. The Chinese, a former world junior champion, decided not to test the preparation of Padmini in known lines and went for something solid that gave the latter a slight advantage.
However, as the game progressed the pieces changed hands at regular intervals and after 22 moves both players decided not to try hard for a win. The draw means that the two will clash now in the tiebreak games of shorter duration.
Harika also ensured herself a back-to-back tiebreaker as she played out her fourth draw on the trot in Classical games. Having drawn the first game against Saduakassova rather quickly, Harika did well with black to find the right moves out of a Catalan opening and this game too lasted just 22 moves before a draw was agreed vide repetition.
Both Harika and Padmini will now have to battle it out in the tiebreak games wherein first two games of 25 minutes each will be played with a 10 seconds increment. If the tie remains unsolved, two games will be played with 10 minutes and a ten seconds increment after every move and should the deadlock persists two more games with five minutes to both players with a three seconds increment will be played.
If still unresolved the players will play an Armageddon game with white having five minutes against four for black in order to proceed to the next round. There is a total of 450000 USD at stake towards prizes in this knockout world championship that started with 64-players.
Meanwhile, Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia, Shen Yang and Ni Shiqun of China, Olga Girya of Russia defeated their respective opposition with 2-0 to qualify for the third round.
Top seed Ju Wenjun of China and second seed Anna Muzychuk also made sure of their third round outing by settling for draws having won the first game of the second round.
Complete results round 2 game 1: Zhu Chen (Qat) lost to Ju Wenjun (Chn) 0.5-1.5; Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) beat Alina Kashlinskaya (Rus) 1.5-0.5; Inna Gaponenko (Ukr) drew with Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) 1-1 oes totiebreak; D Harika (Ind) drew with Dinara Saduakassova (Kaz) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Olga Zimina (Rus) lost to Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) 0-2; Valentina Gunina (Rus) lost to Ni Shiqun (Chn) 0-2; Melia Salome (Geo) drew with Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Zhao Xue (Chn) drew with Padmini Rout (Ind) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Anna Ushenina (Ukr) lost to Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 1-1 goes to tiebreak;Nino Batsiashvili (Geo) drew with Nino Khurtsidze (Geo) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Huang Qian (Chn) drew with Natalija Pogonina (Rus) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Shen Yang (Chn) beat Anastasia Savina (Rus) 1.5-0.5; Sopiko Guramishvili (Geo) lost to Nataliya Buksa (Ukr) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) drew with Pia Cramling (Swe) 1.5-0.5; Pham, Le Thao Nguyen (Vie) beat Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) 1.5-0.5; Anastasia Bodnaruk (Rus) lost to Olga Girya (Rus) 0-2.
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