Anna Muzychuk - Alisa Galliamova
Anastasia: the game Muzychuk - Galliamova. Anna Muzychuk playing white won the game. The first question to Alisa Mikhailovna. How did the game develop?
Alisa: I think that in the opening my position was a bit better. I roughly blundered by moving D3 followed by knight F5. I wanted to play bishop c1 and suddenly I saw that my bishop on c2 is still hanging. It was a real rough blunder and instead of d3 I should have played bishop d3. I believe Black could have had a very good position with good chances. Apparently, it was influenced by the previous game experience where I did not manage to win in the middle game... I wanted to play without any risk since having queens in the board everything can happen in this tournament. I had been thinking over the move d5 instead of queen b6, but I could not estimate this continuation. That is why I entered the endgame that seemed more pleasant to me due to two bishops. I think that ef is a bad move and I underestimated all the consequences that follow, however, on the other hand, bishop got a good position on e4 square.
Anna: I actually think that today I committed too many mistakes in the game. Not really mistakes but blunders. It's been a long time I had such a game where I blundered so much. Probably everything started when I played a3. Such a strange move, maybe, I should have played bishop h5 right away, and after b4 played fe, then somehow Nd5, because thereafter after b4 Black get a good development. It seems to me that Black should not have entered the endgame right away, they should have played ba Ra3, Qb5, and I wanted to play Rb3 and at least repeat the position, although Black had too many weak points. The move Bc2 I did not see and there Black already have better chances. I could play for a draw by the move Ra1, but I decided to play Bd1. I agree with Alisa Mikhailovna that after Bd3 the Black position is good. Further it was more interesting - we both got into time-trouble and even after d3, Nf5 Re8, I made a rather optimistic move Kf3, but I think there was a move d2 and White could even lose in some variants! And then there was a relief, I had more time and managed to win.
Antoanetta Stefanova - Elina Danielian
Anastasia: the game Stefanova-Danielian finished in favor of the Bolgarian chess player. Etti, this is your first victory in this tournament, please share your impressions?
Antoanetta: I had very good position from the opening. Then Elina made some strange moves: Ne2, Bf4. I had an advantage, but it was not easy to realize it. Perhaps Nd3 was not the best move from my side. I did not get why my opponent gave two pieces for one rook. If she takes Bc6, I have an extra pawn. But it is still a lot to play - all her pieces are active, it is not easy to win. In the time trouble it was my turn to make strange moves, I gave two pawns f7 and h7. But still I had the winning position. I am very happy to win my first game in the tournament.
Elina: The game was developing in favor of the White. I was lack of one pawn. But there was a strong initiative. I think Black could have fought for a draw. Then I just blundered. Of course I should have made a move Nc6, I just did not see that after 33.Nв8 she can take Rb8. I don't know why it seemed to me that she can only take Rd7.
Ekaterina Kovalevskaya - Hou Yifan
Anastasia: the game Kovalevskaya - Hou has come to its end. The Women's World Champion Hou Yifan won with Black. Ekaterina, you were fighting hard and it seemed that you could have somehow saved the situation...
Ekaterina: I cannot say that there was a possibility to make a draw. I have another question to myself. It is still a miracle for me why I was not taking pawns: h7 or h5. I was dissapointed very much. Wanted to move e2, then take Nd4. Of course the position was very complicated. But there could have been some chances. Perhaps I could have stood up for some time. But objectively, the position was loosing. When we exchanged queens, it was slightly better for me compare to previous situation. But anyhow Black was winning.
Anastasia: Yifan, isn't it tiring to win every round?
Yifan: of course it is difficult. I even think at the end of today's game I made some not correct moves. And it was difficult to win today. Of course I was trying my best to win, it is better for me to win rather than to lose.
Anastasia: do you think your opponent could have played better at some point?
Yifan: I played Gf6, took the pawn. I am not sure about that centre pawn. Probably there were some weakness after this move. Maybe she could have played better at some point, but I did not see any clear plan during the game. Probably my pawn on h5 was weak and she could have taken it. Maybe the position would have been better for her in this case.
Humpy Koneru - Nadezhda Kosintseva
Anastasia: the game Koneru - Nadezhda Kosintseva was finished in a draw. Humpy, today you chose the Spanish defence. Was it your home preparation? Did everything go as you expected?
Humpy: I played almost similar game as I played against Marie Sebag in my previous tournament. The game developed according to the theory and it was very normal. White was trying some strategic plan on the Queen's side. I put my Knight on e6 and the other one on b6. So, the position was normal.
Anastasia: would you try to play C5 if White did not go on C4?
Humpy: well, I was trying to play that kind of position, but White did not give me the opportunity to do so.
Nadezhda: There was a rather colorless game of mine today. I did not get anything with White in the Breyer System. Of course, I was preparing. But the move order which my opponent chose was a surprise for me. Perhaps, I could not maneuver properly. I had to put bishop b2 in two moves, because I did not like bishop b2 due to ed, cd, d5 and rook on c8 threatens queen c2 in some variations after c5. I do not know, maybe queen c2 was not the correct one.
After this I did not get anything and I considered it would be better to simplify the position.
Anastasia: Humpy has just said that she had already played similar game with Maria Sebag...
Nadezhda: The moves order was not exactly the same in that game, it is just that all these positions are the same, I underestimated the move knight h5, I was more prepared for bishop g7.
Anastasia: Thank you
Kateryna Lahno - Tatiana Kosintseva
Kateryna: It seemed to me that my position was more pleasant. I don't know maybe at some point I give her chences. Tanya managed to hold the pawn and there was a feeling that I could have played stronger somewhere. Probably, I took ed too early and I could continue improving my position. I thought that after f5 I had an advantage, but I did not manage to implement it into more. And, to my mind, it is a draw at the end. I thought that in the knight's endgame I could have had a better position by using some tactical chances. I hoped I would move my king, but invain - my knight is risking to get captured somewhere. In fact, after d5 I had a more pleasant position but I was not playing precisely. It seemed to me that the pawn could be won somehow since white's position was "hanging", however, I did not see the way to do it very clearly.
Tatiana: I made a mistake at the end, I guess the plan with B5 was not that right, I should have played a3 and hold the queen's side and if Black play ab ab and the rook a8, then the open file "A" can be useful for White as well. After b5 I was going to continue b6, but I did not like something there and I changed my plan by playing rook e1 with an idea of d4. However the pawn e4 becomes weak and Black manage to play queen g4, that is why I simply should have played h3 in order to prevent the opponent's play. I did not develop this position precisely enough and as a result Black took the initiative. Maybe I should not let her to play ed ed and at some moment I should have played d5. After knight h2 my position was holding due to some only moves, it seemed White were defending everything. At the end the White's knight endgame was worse, but I did not see the exact way for Black to win it. At the same time king was placed rather far away from the center, white pawns were placed forward and weak, therefore, probably, black had tactical opportunities, I have to analyse it. It was difficult to find the decision in the time-trouble.
Anastasia: Was it a serioud time-trouble? What took you long time to think in the opening?
Kateryna: time-trouble started by the 20th move and we were both thinking over the position.
