Recaps
by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Day two saw more riveting chess, as two players tried to make a comeback, while the other matches started the day as a close competition. After a tough start, Shankland and
by Tatev Abrahamyan Day one of the 2019 edition of the Champions Showdown kicked off with fireworks and excitement. What’s unique about this particular event is the number of fresh faces who made their debut
Almost all the rounds of this event had a lot of excitement, so it wasn’t a surprise that the last one didn’t disappoint. In the battle for first place, GM Gunina had an advantage most
Round eight had plenty of fighting chess, but only one player was able to secure a victory. French GM Marie Sebag scored her first win of the tournament against GM Irina Krush. IM Zhansaya Abdumalik
by GM Josh Friedel The 7th round saw two decisive results, but they were crucial ones. Gunina won a 4th game in a row and moved into clear first place, while Kosteniuk drew the worse
by GM Josh Friedel Today’s round was a truly insane. Krush and Kosteniuk drew an unclear game where both had chances, and the games Gunina-Paehtz, Dronavalli-Abdumalik, and Dzagnidze-Zatonskih all had many changes in evaluation throughout
by GM Josh Friedel The 5th round certainly didn’t lack excitement, and the three leaders continued to show their fine form by extending their respective leads. Valentina Gunina won a spectacular game, Irina Krush won
Similar to the opening round, round four saw four decisive results, with most of the victories coming with Black. Kosteniuk extended her lead by defeating GM Marie Sebag, but Gunina and Krush also won, so
The third round had both of the extremes: Two games ended peacefully in short order, while the other three were quite complex. Former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk showed her class with a nice victory
by GM Josh Friedel Today’s round was far less bloody than the first round, but it was certainly not short of interesting games. There were time scrambles, advantages passed back and forth, and plenty of