U.S. Women's Chess Championship: Krush, Zatonskih keep joint lead after 4 rounds

WIM Alisa Melekhina who had a tough game

against IM Anna Zatonskih in Round 4

Hello Everyone!

IM Irina Krush and defending champion IM Anna Zatonskih maintained their joint lead with victories in the fourth round at the U.S. Women's Chess Championship being played at St. Louis along with the U.S. Junior Chess Championship. Both the IMs have 3.5 points each.

Incidentally, there is a difference of only three Fide rating points between Zatonskih (2518) and Krush (2521) while both of them are at least 150 Fide rating points more than the next contender. Naturally, both Krush and Zatonskih are clear favorites in the tournament.

You can watch some videos and check interesting reports at the official website of the tournament.

Results of Round 4

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1. WGM Sabina Foisor-WGM Camilla Baginskaite ½-½

2. IM Irina Krush-WGM Katerina Rohonyan 1-0

3. WIM Alisa Melekhina-IM Anna Zatonskih 0-1

4. WIM Iryna Zenyuk-WFM Tatev Abrahamyan 0-1

5. WFM Abby Marshall-WIM Beatriz Marinello ½-½

Standings after Round 4

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1. IM Irina Krush 3.5

2. IM Anna Zatonskih 3.5

3. WFM Tatev Abrahamyan 3.0

4. WIM Alisa Melekhina 2.0

5. WIM Iryna Zenyuk 2.0

6. WGM Camilla Baginskaite 1.5

7. WGM Sabina Foisor 1.5

8. WIM Beatriz Marinello 1.5

9. WGM Katerina Rohonyan 1.0

10. WFM Abby Marshall 0.5

Here are the two games played by IM Irina Krush-WGM Katerina Rohonyan and

WIM Alisa Melekhina-IM Anna Zatonskhi in Round 4. You can run them in our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.

PGN:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. c5 Nbd7 6. Bf4 Nh5 7. Bd2 Nhf6 8. Qc2 g6 9. h3 Qc7 10. e4 Nxe4 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nxe4 Bg7 14. Bc4 Nf6 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Qb3 e6 17. Be3 Bd7 18. Qc2 Bg7 19. O-O O-O 20. Qd2 Kh7 21. Bf4 Qd8 22. Bd6 Re8 23. Rfe1 a5 24. Re3 b6 25. Rae1 bxc5 26. dxc5 Bc8 27. Qe2 a4 28. Qf3 Qd7 29. b4 axb3 30. Bxb3 Ba6 31. h4 h5 32. g4 Bh6 33. gxh5 Bxe3 34. hxg6+ fxg6 35. Rxe3 e5 36. Bc2 Re6 37. h5 Rxd6 38. cxd6 Kg7 39. Rxe5 Qxd6 40. Rg5 Rf8 41. Qc3+ Rf6 42. Rxg6+ Kf7 43. Qxf6+ Qxf6 44. Rxf6+ Kxf6 45. h6 c5 46. Kg2 Bc4 47. a4 Ba2 48. Kf3 c4 49. Ke3 1-0

PGN:

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5 5. Nxe5 c6 6. Bc4 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Ne4 Nd7 10. f4 N7f6 11. Ng5 e6 12. c3 Qc7 13. Qe1 c5 14. b3 h6 15. Ngf3 cxd4 16. cxd4 Re8 17. Bd2 Bd7 18. Rc1 Qd6 19. Bd3 Rec8 20. Bc4 b5 21. Bd3 Rxc1 22. Bxc1 Be8 23. g4 Ne7 24. Qa5 Nc6 25. Qa6 Rb8 26. g5 Rb6 27. Qa3 Qxa3 28. Bxa3 Nd5 29. Bc5 Rb7 30. Be4 Rb8 31. Bxd5 exd5 32. h4 Nd8 33. b4 Rb7 34. Nh2 Bd7 35. Nxd7 Rxd7 36. Ng4 hxg5 37. fxg5 Ne6 38. Nf6+ Bxf6 39. gxf6 Rc7 40. Re1 Rc6 41. Re5 Nf4 42. Re8+ Kh7 43. Re7 Rxf6 44. Bxa7 Kh6 45. Kh2 Ra6 46. Rxf7 g5 47. hxg5+ Kxg5 48. Bc5 Kg4 49. a3 Rxa3 50. Rg7+ Kf5 51. Re7 Rd3 52. Re1 Kg4 53. Rg1+ Kf3 54. Rf1+ Ke4 55. Rf2 Re3 56. Rf1 Rh3+ 57. Kg1 Rg3+ 58. Kh2 Rh3+ 59. Kg1 Rf3 60. Re1+ Re3 61. Rd1 Nd3 62. Rb1 Re1+ 63. Rxe1+ Nxe1 64. Kf2 Nc2 65. Ke2 Nxd4+ 66. Kd2 Ne6 67. Ke2 d4 68. Be7 Kd5 69. Kd3 Nf4+ 70. Kd2 Kc4 71. Bd6 Nd5 72. Bf8 Nxb4 73. Bd6 Nd5 74. Bf8 Nc3 75. Bg7 b4 76. Kc2 Na4 77. Bf6 Nc5 78. Bg7 b3+ 79. Kd1 Kc3 80. Kc1 b2+ 81. Kb1 Nb3 82. Ka2 Kc2 0-1

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

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