Rostov Hosts Chess Tournament, Attracts the Most Intelligent Women on the Planet
PR Newswire
ROSTOV, Russia, Aug. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Some of the most intelligent women on the planet, the chess grandmasters, have gathered in the Russian city of Rostov for the Women’s Chess Grand Prix. The event, which opens the 2011-2012 Grand Prix cycle, takes place from August 1 to August 15, 2011 and is likely to become one of the most significant tournaments in the history of women’s chess because of the players lineup.
Top-seeded, the incumbent champion, Hou Yifan of China, the two former world champions, Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia and Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria, as well as the world championship title challenger Humpy Koneru of India are the highest ranked female players in the world.
Rostov, a city located on Don river near the Azov sea 1000 miles south of Moscow, regularly hosts world-class sporting events. The organizers, including the city’s top officials and the local chess federation, made sure the players enjoyed their stay in Rostov. “We are thrilled to host the smartest women on Earth. And we are very happy that the city hosts the Grand Prix that is so important to the chess enthusiasts around the world,” said Sergey Gorban, the vice-governor of the Rostov region.
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of the World Chess Federation, or FIDE, said at the opening ceremony that Rostov can be used as an example of the city which not only greatly supports chess, but also uses it for the benefit of its citizens. “Rostov is introducing the ‘Chess in Schools’ program which is proven to greatly improve children’s math skills. Also, by hosting an international chess event, the city raises its international awareness and competitiveness,” said Ilyumzhinov.
A week into the tournament, Hou Yifan emerges as the leader. The players had resumed the tournament after a short break and will play final rounds on August 14. The Grand Prix prize fund is 40,000 Euro. The next events in the Grand Prix cycle will take place in 2011-2012 in Turkey, Russia, Armenia and China.
To follow the tournament and check scores, visit the FIDE website at www.fide.com.
Michael Thompson
Chess Communications
The real chess queen will win.
It appears Hou Yifan is clearly superior in chess than the remaining chess champions. There is a reason she is the world champion. And looks like she’s starting to show some real curves. I’m quickly becoming a fan!
Koneru Humpy is by far my biggest crush! Her earlier pictures around the chess circles were quite captivating and she seems to have had a story for her ascent and decline in chess (see below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN5Hf1U9AAQ
However, I rarely see Koneru smiling at all. Is she too focused, failing to let her beauty shine?
Now I’m not saying chess should be sexist, but I suspect many of us tune in because many of the girls are not only very smart, but gorgeous (as you’ll see at the end of the video link above). One beautiful chess player, Tania Sachdev, has a winsome personality that makes her a hot favorite on the chess scene.
I want Koneru Humpy to win against Hou Yifan in the upcoming world championship, but I fear having lost to Hou in Rostov tourney, she may not stand a chance. Plus, Hou Yifan is winning her games convincingly and with ease, it seems.
What a way to make a statement to Koneru before their upcoming world championshipt duel!
So far, Hou Yifan is winning the exhibition, and Tatiana Kosintseva is leading the tournament. I can remember something similar was said about Bobby Fischer and Larry Evans, in the year when Fischer scored 11-0 in the U.S.Championship.
This sure is a thrilling tournament, almost all of the games being hotly contested.
Lucymarie
I failed to understand the statement:
Hou Yifan is winning the exhibition, and Tatiana Kosintseva is leading the tournament.