U.S. Women's Chess Championship: Zatonskih leads with Krush, Abrahamyan just half point behind

Katerina Rohonyan who won against

Abby Marshall in round seven.

Hi Everybody!

The top seeds - IM Anna Zatonskih and IM Irina Krush - at the U.S. Women's Championship being held in St. Louis are matching each other step to step. Krush is barely half a point behind tournament leader Zatonskih after seven rounds. Both won their Round 7 game to stay ahead of the rest of the field with 6.5/7 and 6.0/7 points respectively. WFM Tatev Abrahamyan is also in joint second place with 6.0/7. She faces Zatonskih in the eighth round and it could be a crucial game for the tournament.

Hello Everyone!

Results of Rround 7

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1. WFM Tatev Abrahamyan-WGM Sabina Foisor 1-0

2. IM Anna Zatonskih-WIM Beatriz Marinello 1-0

3. WGM Katerina Rohonyan-WFM Abby Marshall 1-0

4. WGM Camilla Baginskaite-WIM Iryna Zenyuk 0-1

5. IM Irina Krush-WIM Alisa Melekhina 1-0

Standings after Round 7

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1. IM Anna Zatonskih 6.5

2. IM Irina Krush 6.0

3. WFM Tatev Abrahamyan 6.0

4. WIM Alisa Melekhina 3.5

5. WGM Katerina Rohonyan 3.5

6. WIM Iryna Zenyuk 3.0

7. WGM Sabina Foisor 2.5

8. WGM Camilla Baginskaite 2.0

9. WIM Beatriz Marinello 1.5

10. WFM Abby Marshall 0.5

You can check the official website for videos, photos and reports. Meanwhile, here are the games of the day for you to run through our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.

PGN: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. Rc1 Ng6 14. Nb5 Nf6 15. c5 g4 16. cxd6 cxd6 17. Nc7 g3 18. Nxa8 Nh5 19. Kh1 Qh4 20. Bg1 gxh2 21. Bf2 Ng3+ 22. Bxg3 fxg3 23. Nc7 Nf4 24. Ne6 Re8 25. Rc7 Bf8 26. Nxf4 exf4 27. Qc2 Bh3 28. gxh3 Qxh3 29. Ng2 Qh6 30. Rxb7 a5 31. Rc1 Re5 32. Qc8 Qf6 33. Qg4+ Rg5 34. Qe6+ 1-0

PGN: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 a6 7. Qc2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 b5 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. a4 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nb4 12. Bb1 bxa4 13. O-O a5 14. Rd1 Nfd5 15. Bg3 Ba6 16. Qd2 Bc4 17. Nxa4 Nb6 18. Rc1 Rc8 19. Nc5 Ra8 20. e4 Ra7 21. Qc3 Qa8 22. Ne5 Bb5 23. Qe3 Rd8 24. Bf4 c6 25. Qh3 Bxc5 26. dxc5 Nd7 27. Nxd7 Raxd7 28. Bd6 e5 29. Ra3 Rxd6 30. cxd6 Rxd6 31. Qc3 Qd8 32. h3 Rd1+ 33. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 34. Kh2 Qxb1 35. Rxa5 h6 36. Qxb4 Qc1 37. Ra8+ Kh7 38. Qc3 Qf4+ 39. Qg3 Qxe4 40. Re8 f6 41. Re7 Qg6 42. Qxg6+ Kxg6 43. b4 h5 44. Kg3 Kh6 45. h4 g5 46. hxg5+ Kxg5 47. Rg7+ Kh6 48. Rg8 Bc4 49. Rc8 Bd5 50. Rd8 1-0

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com