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Tata Steel Women Rapid R1-3: Vantika Agrawal in a three-way lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 13/11/2024

IM Vantika Agrawal made a great start at Tata Steel Chess India Women Rapid 2024. She started with a win over GM Valentina Gunina. Then she drew with GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) and GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) respectively. In both games, Vantika had great chances to win but they ended in draws. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina and GM Kateryna Lagno are at 2/3 each, along with Vantika. Four players including three Indians - Dzagnidze, GM Koneru Humpy, GM Harika Dronavalli and the defending champion - IM Divya Deshmukh are at 1.5/3 each. All three of them drew all their games on the first day. Divya had a good chance against Humpy in the third round. However, she could not capitalize on it. Round 4 starts tomorrow at 2 p.m. IST. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

A great day for Vantika

The first day of Women's event at Tata Steel India Rapid had relatively less decisive games. However, the number could have certainly been much more. Compared the men, the women had much closer start as ten women are at only three different scores of groups.

IM Vantika Agrawal could have scored a hat-trick of wins | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz 2024 logo | Photo: Official site

Round 1: Vantika - Gunina: 1-0

IM Vantika Agrawal (2392) faced GM Valentina Gunina (2425) for the first time in a rated game. After a series of mistakes in the rook endgame, Gunina finally reached a point of no return.

Position after 43...Rd4??

Try to find out why 43...Rd4?? is a game losing blunder. Vantika did not let go of this opportunity and won the game.

Round 2: Kosteniuk - Vantika: 0.5-0.5

IM Vantika Agrawal faced GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI, 2508) only twice at Grand Swiss in 2021 and 2023. She lost the first one and drew the second. This time she had a great opportunity to beat the twelfth Women's World Champion.

Position after 27.Rg2

Vantika made a nice exchange sacrifice to get two pawns for it, which is mathematically just an exchange of rook for a minor piece and two pans. 27...Rxd2 28.Rxd2 Qxf4+ 29.Qxf4 Rxf4 30.Re1?? Ba5 Black not recovered material but arrived at a winning rook and knight endgame. 31.Ree2 Bxd2 32.Rxd2 Re4 33.e6 g5 34.Kg2 Kg7 35.Rf2 Rxd4? Black should have kept the knight on the board to keep things in her control, exchanging allowed White to get back in the game and she escaped with a draw.

Humpy - Divya, Round 3

Position after 20.f3?

20...a3 21.Nc4/d1 Bb5 is what Black needed to play. Instead, 20...Ra7 21.Bc4 Rda8 22.Nd3 meandered into a draw.

Last year, IM Divya Deshmukh defeated GM Koneru Humpy at the very same event. This time also Divya had a good chance but the game ended in a draw | Photo: Kartik Krishnan

Vantika - Dzagnidze

Position after 30...Ra5

IM Vantika Agrawal (2314) had one solitary opportunity against GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO, 2427) when she played 30...Ra5. Find out what she missed.

Press Conference with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Vantika Agrawal | Video: ChessBase India

Format

There will be two tournaments: a men's and a women's event. The tournaments will be played in two formats - Rapid and Blitz. For the first time, both Men's and Women's event will take place simultaneously. Three rounds of Rapid games will be played on the first three days, followed by nine rounds of Blitz per day on the remaining two days of each event. The time control is 25 minutes for the entire game with an increment of 10 seconds from move no.1. For Blitz, the time control is 3 minutes with an increment of 2 seconds from move no.1.

Venue

Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, West Bengal. The tournament is open to spectators. Tickets will not be sold; passes will be available at the venue on first-come-first-serve basis on the days of the tournament.

Replay Round 1-3 games

Round 1-3 results

Round 1 on 2024/11/13 at 1400 h
Bo.No.Rtg WhiteResultBlack RtgNo.
112427
GMDzagnidze, Nana½ - ½GMDronavalli, Harika
241610
222472
GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra1 - 0GMKosteniuk, Alexandra
25089
332314
IMVantika, Agrawal1 - 0GMGunina, Valentina
23848
442359
GMVaishali, Rameshbabu½ - ½IMDivya, Deshmukh
24017
552436
GMLagno, Kateryna½ - ½GMKoneru, Humpy
24516
Round 2 on 2024/11/13 at 1530 h
Bo.No.Rtg WhiteResultBlack RtgNo.
1102416
GMDronavalli, Harika½ - ½GMKoneru, Humpy
24516
272401
IMDivya, Deshmukh½ - ½GMLagno, Kateryna
24365
382384
GMGunina, Valentina1 - 0GMVaishali, Rameshbabu
23594
492508
GMKosteniuk, Alexandra½ - ½IMVantika, Agrawal
23143
512427
GMDzagnidze, Nana½ - ½GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra
24722
Round 3 on 2024/11/13 at 1700 h
Bo.No.Rtg WhiteResultBlack RtgNo.
122472
GMGoryachkina, Aleksandra½ - ½GMDronavalli, Harika
241610
232314
IMVantika, Agrawal½ - ½GMDzagnidze, Nana
24271
342359
GMVaishali, Rameshbabu½ - ½GMKosteniuk, Alexandra
25089
452436
GMLagno, Kateryna1 - 0GMGunina, Valentina
23848
562451
GMKoneru, Humpy½ - ½IMDivya, Deshmukh
24017

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4 
12
GMGoryachkina, AleksandraFID2472202,5010
5
GMLagno, KaterynaRUS2436202,5010
33
IMVantika, AgrawalIND2314202,2510
41
GMDzagnidze, NanaGEO24271,502,7500
56
GMKoneru, HumpyIND24511,502,5000
10
GMDronavalli, HarikaIND24161,502,5000
77
IMDivya, DeshmukhIND24011,502,2500
89
GMKosteniuk, AlexandraSUI2508101,5000
94
GMVaishali, RameshbabuIND2359101,2500
108
GMGunina, ValentinaFID2384101,0010

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.No.Rtg WhiteResultBlack RtgNo.
1102416
GMDronavalli, HarikaIMDivya, Deshmukh
24017
282384
GMGunina, ValentinaGMKoneru, Humpy
24516
392508
GMKosteniuk, AlexandraGMLagno, Kateryna
24365
412427
GMDzagnidze, NanaGMVaishali, Rameshbabu
23594
522472
GMGoryachkina, AleksandraIMVantika, Agrawal
23143

Details

Schedule

Everyday round starts at 2 p.m. IST. The Rapid event will take place from 13th to 15th November, followed by the Blitz event on 16th and 17th November.

Tata Steel Chess India 2024 Men and Women Rapid schedule | Source: Official site

Tata Steel Chess India 2024 Men and Women Blitz schedule | Source: Official site

Prize

The total prize fund remains the same as the previous two editions - US$ 41500. The top three prizes in the Rapid are - $10000, $6000 and $3000. For Blitz they are - $7500, $4000 and $2500. Most importantly, the prizes remain equal in both Open and Womens events.

Links

Official site

Information

Gameplan



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