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Round 4: Russia wins, India keeps leading |
 The fourth round didn't change anything in the group of leaders: Humpy Koneru and Harika Dronavalli drew with Kateryna Lagno and Ju Wenjun accordingly, another Chinese Zhao Xue was lucky to save the game against Guliskhan Nakhbayeva, and Elina Danielian couldn't get anything from the position with well defending Antoaneta Stefanova and also signed a piece. Russian players Alexandra Kosteniuk and Olga Girya managed to score the first full point each by winning their games against Bela Khotenashvili and Nafisa Muminova.
Before the first free day Humpy Koneru is the sole leader with 3.5 points out of 4, Harika Dronavalli has 3, Zhao Xue and Kateryna Lagno - 2.5.
The full standings table is avaliable here.
Pictures of the 4th round and press-conferences.
Koneru - Lagno 1/2 - 1/2
The structure similar to Caro-Kann was on the board, and White didn't try to play active, so it was not difficult for Kateryna to equalise, and opponents proceeded to a logical result by repetition.
Kateryna: "Position was equal at the end, I think White should have played 6.e5 immediately: 6.Bb3 is wasting an important tempo. It was important to play 8.h3, otherwise if 8.0-0, I reply 8…Bg4 and she doesn't have enough time to hold the pawn on e5. It was important to keep the knight on f3. I didn't see any improvement for me, neither for my opponent"
Ju Wenjun - Dronavalli 1/2 - 1/2
 In the Queen's Gambit Declined the Chinese was trying to put some pressure on Black's position, but couldn't find any decent improvement after 20…Be7, and after exchanges on c5 square the game soon converted to an equal bishops ending.
Harika: "I thought I was suffering a bit in the middle-game and felt relieved when she started to exchange pieces. She was a bit surprised with my second move, so when she started to think here, I felt confident. However it seemed for me that I didn't put my pieces on the right squares. I was trying to find the opportunity like 16...Bg4 17.Nd2 c5 with 18.dxc5 d4 19.exd4 Qxd4 20.Nde4 Rxe4 21.Bxe4 Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Bxc3, but when I calculated this position I realised that I have to play slower. I expected here 21.Bf5, or even first check on h7. Maybe it's still fine, but I was not happy with the knight on c5. But after we changed pieces on c5, Black have some kind of fortress, which is not so easy to break."
Girya - Muminova 1 - 0
 Both opponents were first time playing the variation of Queen's Gambit Declined, prepared by the Russian. Nafisa overestimated her position after 11.Qc2, and couldn't figure out all the positional intricacies. She still had chances to equalise position after inaccurate 29.Qb4, but made a decisive mistake instead.
Olga: "I didn't understand 16…Bd7. I think she had to play 16...Na4 17.Bxa5 Nxb2 with 18...Nf6.
Nafisa: "Yes, after 18.Be5 White are very good. Maybe I should play 18…Ne8 with f5.
Olga: "I saw that my 28.Qb4 was a mistake at the last moment: after 28...dxe4 29.Qxb7 Qxb7 30.Rxb7 Nd5 black are fine"
Kosteniuk - Khotenashvili 1 - 0
In the Ruy Lopez the Georgian surprised Russian by the unusual placement of the pieces, and playing passive Alexandra allowed her opponent to open the centre by 22…d5. But under the time pressure Bela started to make mistakes, and Alexandra very soon organised a crucial attack on the king's side.
Alexandra: "For some reason I spent a lot of time trying to understand what is the position after 16.Bb3 cxb4 17.cxb4 Nxb4 18.d4, and I can't play 18.Rc1 because of 18…Nc5; I couldn't find anything for me here, so I played 16.a3. And I was rather surprised to see the kinght going to b6, I was expecting it going to e6, but this is also possible. The idea is all about the centre: White are trying to prepare d4, and Black - d5.
Evgeny Miroshnichenko: "After 28…h5 you could have played 29.c4 immediately, and if 29…Bg2 then 30.f3"
Alexandra: "Maybe, but I was so happy to be able to protect my pawn on g2, that I even didn't calculate that! And 30…Qf6 was the best move, after that I wouldn't have anything, - maybe even worse. Probably 30…Be6 is a main mistake. And later on 32…Nd6 was stronger: of course I still must be winning, but it would be more difficult."
Nakhbayeva - Zhao Xue 1/2 - 1/2
In Fisher variation of Nimzo-Indian Guliskhan got a very comfortable position from the opening, and the Chinese couldn't find the right plan. In the critical moment rating-favourite was lucky that her opponent didn't find the forced victory, therefore the battle went to the equal rooks ending and finished with a stalemate.
Guliskhan: "From the opening I had a better position, and I knew that I had a big but I didn't see the immediate winning. After yesterday's game I was just trying to play solid and make accurate moves, because the most difficult is to win the winning position… "
Xue: "I chose the wrong plan: I had to play 14…Nd7 instead of Rc8. And 27…Rg6 was a mistake, 28.Rxd4 is winning by force. My opponent was playing good, but I was lucky. I am happy that tomorrow is a rest day, because I really need it."
Danielian - Stefanova 1/2 - 1/2
Due to Antoaneta's accurate defence in 4.e3 Slav, Elina couldn't get anything from a slightly better position. In the equal endgame under time pressure the Georgian missed a slightly dangerous manoeuvre of black rook (37…Ra1), but the Bulgarian preceded with rooks changing instead and the game soon finished with an equal bishops' endgame.
Elina: I had a slightly better endgame because of a pair of bishops and space advantage, but my opponent was defending perfectly, otherwise it could be very difficult ending for black. And in time trouble I pushed 32.e4, and I am not sure whether it is too optimistic or not, but I thought it is interesting. And it was just equal at the end.
Maria Emelianova: : "Did the opening bring any surprises to any of you?"
Elina: "Well, as for me we had played already so many times!"
Antoaneta: "Yes, actually over twenty. And every time we are trying to play something new, so you never know what will be in the next game. Till some point we were following the game of Alexey Dreev, and then Elina very quickly played 11.Ra4 and 13.c5, and I had to be precise to not to lose any material.
Elina: "I think 18…b6 was just the best plan, otherwise I play Ra1 and b4 and it should be a trouble for Black."
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