Women's Chess Grand Prix: Zhao Xue keeps leads

Fighting spirit: Former World Champion Maia Chiburdanidze

Hi Everyone,

Fluctuating fortunes and fighting chess is happening at the Women's Grand Prix in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. The sixth round saw interesting results. Overnight joint leader GM Antoaneta Stefanova lost her game with Black to joint leader GM Zhao Xue giving the latter a half point lead over the rest of the field.

GM hou Yifan and GM Koneru Humpy both moved to joint second by winning their games against WIM Yildiz Betul Cemre and GM Maia Chiburdanidze respectively. Humpy slogged it out for 108 moves to get the better of the former world champion.

Results of Round 6

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1. WGM Shen Yang-GM Kosintseva Tatiana ½ - ½

2. GM Zhao Xue-GM Stefanova Antoaneta 1-0

3. GM Xu Yuhua-IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 1-0

4. GM Koneru Humpy-GM Chiburdanidze Maia 1-0

5. GM Sebag Marie-GM Zhu Chen 0-1

6. WIM Yildiz Betul Cemre-GM Hou Yifan 0-1

Standings after Round 6

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1. GM Zhao Xue 5

2. GM Hou Yifan 4½

3. GM Koneru Humpy 4½

4. GM Stefanova Antoaneta 4

5. GM Kosintseva Tatiana 3½

6. GM Chiburdanidze Maia 3

7. GM Xu Yuhua 3

8. GM Zhu Chen 2½

9. WGM Shen Yang 2

10. IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag 1½

11. GM Sebag Marie 1½

12. WIM Yildiz Betul Cemre 1

Here are some nice games from Round 6 that you can run through the pgnplayer or watch in flash below. You can also keep track of updates at the official website.

PGN:1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. e4 d5 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd3 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. O-O cxd4 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Bxe4 Qxe5 13. Bxh7+ Kh8 14. Bf4 Qf6 15. Be4 Re8 16. Rac1 Bd7 17. Qd3 Rxe4 18. Qxe4 Re8 19. Qd5 Bg4 20. f3 Bc8 21. Rf2 Rd8 22. Qh5+ Kg8 23. Bg5 Qe5 24. Ng3 f6 25. Bd2 Bf8 26. Re2 Qxh5 27. Nxh5 a5 28. Nf4 Kf7 29. h4 Bf5 30. g4 Bh7 31. Ne6 Rd5 32. Nxf8 Kxf8 33. Kg2 Kf7 34. f4 Bd3 35. Ree1 f5 36. g5 a4 37. b4 axb3 38. axb3 Be4+ 39. Kg3 Kg6 40. b4 d3 41. Rc5 Rxc5 42. bxc5 Nd4 43. Ra1 Nf3 44. Ra2 Bd5 45. Rb2 Nd4 46. Rb6+ Bc6 47. Kf2 Kh5 48. Ke3 Ne6 49. Kxd3 Nxc5+ 50. Kd4 Nd7 51. Rb1 Kxh4 52. Ra1 Kh5 53. Ra8 Kg6 54. Bb4 Kf7 55. Bd6 Be4 56. Be5 Nf8 57. Rb8 Ne6+ 58. Kc4 Bc6 59. Bd6 Kg6 60. Rh8 Kf7 61. Kd3 Be4+ 62. Ke3 Bc6 63. Kf2 Kg6 64. Kg3 Kf7 65. Rh2 Kg6 66. Ra2 Be4 67. Ra5 Kf7 68. Re5 Bd3 69. Kf3 Be4+ 70. Ke3 Bc2 71. Bb4 Be4 72. Ba3 Bc2 73. Kf3 Be4+ 74. Kg3 Bd3 75. g6+ Kf6 76. Bb2 Ke7 77. Rd5 Be4 78. Ra5 Bd3 79. Ra8 Bb5 80. Rb8 Bc6 81. Be5 Be4 82. Kh4 Bc6 83. Rg8 Bd5 84. Rh8 Bc6 85. Rh7 Kf8 86. Rh5 Be4 87. Bd6+ Ke8 88. Kg3 Kd7 89. Ba3 Ke8 90. Rh8+ Kd7 91. Rh2 Ke8 92. Rd2 Bb1 93. Rd6 Ba2 94. Kf3 Bc4 95. Ke3 Ba2 96. Rb6 Bd5 97. Rb5 Be4 98. Re5 Kd7 99. Bb2 Bc2 100. Ba3 Be4 101. Rxe4 fxe4 102. Bb2 Nc5 103. f5 Ke7 104. Bxg7 Nd7 105. Kxe4 Nc5+ 106. Kf4 b5 107. Bc3 Nd3+ 108. Ke3 1-0

PGN: 1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e3 Bf5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Qb3 Qb6 6. c5 Qc7 7. e4 dxe4 8. Bf4 Qc8 9. Nge2 Nf6 10. Ng3 Bg6 11. Bc4 Nbd7 12. O-O Nd5 13. Bd2 Nxc3 14. bxc3 b5 15. Be2 h5 16. Rfe1 h4 17. Nf1 Be7 18. a4 a6 19. Bd1 e5 20. Bc2 exd4 21. cxd4 O-O 22. Bxe4 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 Bf6 24. Rae1 Rd8 25. Ba5 Rf8 26. h3 bxa4 27. Qxa4 Qb7 28. Nd2 Rfb8 29. Nc4 Qb5 30. Qa2 Kh7 31. Bc7 Qb3 32. Qe2 Rc8 33. Re3 Qb7 34. Ba5 Qa7 35. Nd6 Rf8 36. Qf3 Kg8 37. Re7 Bxd4 38. Bb6 Nxb6 39. Rxa7 1-0

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

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