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Tata Steel India 2023 Women Rapid R1-3: Divya and Vantika dazzle!

by Shahid Ahmed - 31/08/2023

IM Divya Deshmukh and IM Vantika Agrawal are the early coleaders 2.5/3 after the first day of Tata Steel Chess India 2023 Women Rapid. The reigning Asian Continental Women 2023 champion, Divya made her presence felt from the very first game. She started her campaign with a win against the India no.2 and World no.13 woman, GM Harika Dronavalli. Then she drew against the reigning and four-time Women's World Champion, GM Wenjun Ju (CHN). The teenager finished the day with a victory over 44th Chess Olympiad individual Gold medalist, GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO). After a draw against WGM Savitha Shri B, IM Vantika Agrawal defeated GM Anna Ushenina (UKR), India no.1 and World no.8 woman, GM Koneru Humpy. Round 4 starts tomorrow at 3 p.m. IST. Photos: IA Vivek Sohani/Tata Steel Chess India

A tough start for the GMs and favorites

The field of the second edition of Tata Steel Chess India 2023 Women is a very strong one. The average rating last year was 2396. This year it is 2379. So the difference in numbers are not so much. However, the tenth and eighth seeded, IM Divya Deshmukh and IM Vantika Agrawal rattled many top women player of the world.

IM Divya Deshmukh is certainly aiming sky high in her debut

Round 1: Harika - Divya: 0-1

India no.2 woman, GM Harika Dronavalli (2459) and IM Divya Deshmukh (2216) have had all three results in their first three encounters. However, this was the first time they were playing a rated Rapid game. Harika arrived at a queen, rook and minor piece endgame, down by a pawn.

Position after 31...Qd8

White made a questionable decision of exchanging her bishop with the knight. It improved Black's passed pawn. 32.Bxb5? axb5 33.Qb4? Kh7 even Qd4 was playable too. White's position started deteriorating and soon she blundered.

Position after 51.g4??

51.g4?? just increased white king's vulnerability. 51...Qd1 52.Kg3 Qg1+ 53.Kf3 Qd1+ and Black won the game soon.

GM Harika Dronavalli did not have the best start

Round 2: Vantika - Ushenina: 1-0

IM Vantika Agrawal (2307) lost her first-ever Rapid encounter against the 14th Women's World Champion - GM Anna Ushenina (UKR, 2384) last year at the same time. Vantika was then a WGM and now she is an IM. She has evidently upped her game.

Position after 34...Bc6

34...Bc6?? loses on the spot for Black. Find out the winning continuation.

IM Vantika Agrawal avenged her last year's defeat against GM Anna Ushenina (UKR)

Round 3: Nino - Divya: 0-1

IM Divya Deshmukh beat her second GM of the day, 44th Chess Olympiad individual Gold medalist, GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2364).

Position after 47...Ra1

Surprisingly, White can still save the game 48.Rc7 e3 49.Rc2+ Kd3 50.Ra2 and now both side gets to promote a queen each and the game ends in a draw. However, White blundered 48.Kb4?? Divya seized her opportunity e3 and went on to win the game using her two queens against opponent's one.

IM Divya Deshmukh ended the first day the same way she started
"The most important thing to fight back is to forget that you were in a horrible position" - IM Divya Deshmukh | Video: ChessBase India
"...Mentally I'm training myself to do well" - IM Vantika Agrawal | Video: ChessBase India

Sarvesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Communications at Tata Steel, made the inaugural first move on GM Koneru Humpy and GM Wenjun Ju's (CHN) board

Round 3 in progress

Tournament Director - Jeron van den Berg
Tata Steel Chess India 2023 Women Rapid | Round 1-3 Live commentary by GM Robert Hess (USA) and IM Soumya Swaminathan | Video: chess.com

Replay Round 1-3 games

Round 1-3 results

Round 1 on 2023/08/31 at 1500 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
112459
GMDronavalli, Harika0 - 1WGMDivya, Deshmukh
221610PGN
222364
GMBatsiashvili, Nino1 - 0IMShuvalova, Polina
23589PGN
332236
WIMSavitha, Shri B½ - ½IMVantika, Agrawal
23078PGN
442384
GMUshenina, Anna½ - ½GMKrush, Irina
24057PGN
552473
GMKoneru, Humpy½ - ½GMJu, Wenjun
25926PGN
Round 2 on 2023/08/31 at 1630 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
1102216
WGMDivya, Deshmukh½ - ½GMJu, Wenjun
25926PGN
272405
GMKrush, Irina1 - 0GMKoneru, Humpy
24735PGN
382307
IMVantika, Agrawal1 - 0GMUshenina, Anna
23844PGN
492358
IMShuvalova, Polina1 - 0WIMSavitha, Shri B
22363PGN
512459
GMDronavalli, Harika½ - ½GMBatsiashvili, Nino
23642PGN
Round 3 on 2023/08/31 at 1800 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
122364
GMBatsiashvili, Nino0 - 1WGMDivya, Deshmukh
221610PGN
232236
WIMSavitha, Shri B½ - ½GMDronavalli, Harika
24591PGN
342384
GMUshenina, Anna½ - ½IMShuvalova, Polina
23589PGN
452473
GMKoneru, Humpy0 - 1IMVantika, Agrawal
23078PGN
562592
GMJu, Wenjun1 - 0GMKrush, Irina
24057PGN

Details

Round 4-6 pairings

Round 4 on 2023/09/01 at 1500 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
1102216
WGMDivya, DeshmukhGMKrush, Irina
24057
282307
IMVantika, AgrawalGMJu, Wenjun
25926
392358
IMShuvalova, PolinaGMKoneru, Humpy
24735
412459
GMDronavalli, HarikaGMUshenina, Anna
23844
522364
GMBatsiashvili, NinoWIMSavitha, Shri B
22363
Round 5 on 2023/09/01 at 1630 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
132236
WIMSavitha, Shri BWGMDivya, Deshmukh
221610
242384
GMUshenina, AnnaGMBatsiashvili, Nino
23642
352473
GMKoneru, HumpyGMDronavalli, Harika
24591
462592
GMJu, WenjunIMShuvalova, Polina
23589
572405
GMKrush, IrinaIMVantika, Agrawal
23078
Round 6 on 2023/09/01 at 1800 h
Bo.No.Rtg NameResultName RtgNo.PGN
1102216
WGMDivya, DeshmukhIMVantika, Agrawal
23078
292358
IMShuvalova, PolinaGMKrush, Irina
24057
312459
GMDronavalli, HarikaGMJu, Wenjun
25926
422364
GMBatsiashvili, NinoGMKoneru, Humpy
24735
532236
WIMSavitha, Shri BGMUshenina, Anna
23844

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.SNo NameFEDRtgPts. TB1  TB2  TB3  TB4  TB5 
110
WGMDivya, DeshmukhIND22162,5003,5022
28
IMVantika, AgrawalIND23072,5002,0021
36
GMJu, WenjunCHN25922003,0010
42
GMBatsiashvili, NinoGEO23641,5002,0010
59
IMShuvalova, PolinaFID23581,5001,5010
67
GMKrush, IrinaUSA24051,5001,0010
73
WIMSavitha, Shri BIND22361001,7500
84
GMUshenina, AnnaUKR23841001,5000
91
GMDronavalli, HarikaIND24591001,2500
105
GMKoneru, HumpyIND24730,5001,0000

Details

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