Light of the World

Pictured here is the award ceremony of the Women’s Grand Prix in 成都 (Chéngdū), China. Standing from left: 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (3rd-6th prizes ex-aequo), Harika Dronavalli (1st-2nd prizes ex-aequo, 1st prize on tiebreak), and Humpy Koneru (1st-2nd prizes ex-aequo). Photo: Goran Urošević/Harika Dronavalli (‏@HarikaDronavali).

Standing from left the all-stars’ parade: 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě), 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Harika Dronavalli, Humpy Koneru, Bela Khotenashvili, Lela Javakhishvili, Olga Alexandrovna Girya, Antoaneta Stefanova, Anna Muzychuk, Mariya Muzychuk, and Pia Cramling. Photo: Goran Urošević/Harika Dronavalli (‏@HarikaDronavali).

Half & Half

Standing from left the two co-winners of Women’s Grand Prix in 成都 (Chéngdū), China: Humpy Koneru, Humpy’s mom, and Harika Dronavalli. Both scored 7 points out of 11. Photo: Harika Dronavalli (‏@HarikaDronavali).

• Конеру? Харика? Цзюй Вэньцзюнь? Гунина или Костенюк? | Koneru? Harika? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)? Gunina or Kosteniuk?, Chess-News.ru, July 14, 2016

An Indian Affair

Harika Dronavalli – Humpy Koneru
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 9, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 0-0 6. h3 Re8 7. a4 h6 8. Re1 a6 9. c3 d6 10. Nbd2 Be6 11. Bxe6. For 11. a5 Qd7 12. Nh2 Rad8 13. Qf3 d5 14. Bb3 dxe4 15. dxe4 Bxb3 16. Nxb3 Bf8 see Shchukin – Aleksandrov, 15th Voronezh Master Open, Voronezh 2011. 11. ... Rxe6 12. b4 Ba7 13. Qc2 Re8. The alternative was 13. ... Qd7 14. Nf1 Ree8 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. Nxe3 Nd8 17. Nc4 Ne6 18. a5 Rad8 19. Rad1 Nf4 20. Kh2 Qc6 21. Qb3 Ng6 22. Kg1 d5 23. exd5 Qxd5 24. d4 exd4 25. Rxd4 Qf5 26. Nce5 Nxe5 27. Rxe5 Qc8 28. b5 Rd6 29. Qc4 axb5 30. Rxb5 Rxd4 31. cxd4 Ne4 32. Re5 ½ : ½ van Foreest – Tkachiev, 1st Hasselbacken Open, Stockholm 2016. 14. Nf1 b5 15. Ng3 Ne7 16. d4 Nd7 17. Be3 Ng6 18. Nf5 Ne7 19. Ng3 Ng6 20. Nf5 Ne7 21. dxe5. Harika refuses to repeat moves. 21. ... Bxe3 22. Nxe3 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Red1 Qc8 25. c4. As suggested by Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly in his commentary for Europe Échecs, 25. axb5 axb5 26. Rxa8 Qxa8 27. Rd7 was also good. 25. ... bxa4 26. Qxa4. White stands a little better, but not yet enough. 26. ... Qb7 27. Nd5 c6 28. Nxe7+ Qxe7 29. c5 Qb7 30. Rd6 Rec8 31. Qa5 Rab8 32. Ra4 Qb5!? Kouatly calls it “A responsible decision”. 33. Qxb5 Rxb5

34. f3! 34. Rxa6? Rxb4 35. Raxc6 Rxc6 36. Rxc6 Rxe4 would lead nowhere. 34. ... a5? Humpy was clearly under pressure, and finally commits the decisive error. 35. bxa5! Rxc5 36. a6 Kf8 37. Rd7! Ke8 38. Rb7 Rb5 39. h4 g6 40. Kh2 h5. Time control reached, Black’s situation is by now hopeless. 41. Ra2 Kf8 42. Kg3 Kg7 43. Rd7 c5 44. a7 Ra8 45. Rc7 Rb4 45. Rc7 Rb4 46. Kf2 c4 47. Ke2 Rb3 48. Rd2 Ra3 49. Rdd7 Rf8 50. Rxc4 Ra2+ 51. Ke3 Ra3+ 52. Kd2 Ra2+ 53. Rc2 Ra6 54. Kc1 g5 55. hxg5 Kg6 56. Rb7 Ra8 57. Rcc7 Kxg5 58. Rxf7 Kh4 59. Kb1 Kg3 60. Rg7+ Kf2 61. Kb2 h4 62. Kb3 h3 63. gxh3 Kxf3 64. h4 Kxe4 65. h5 Kd3 66. Rgd7+ Ke3 67. Kb4 e4 68. Kb5 Rh6 69. Rh7 Re6 70. Rb8 Rxa7 71. Rxa7 Re5+ 72. Kc4 Rxh5 73. Ra3+ Kf4 74. Rf8+ 1 : 0.

Harika Dronavalli vs. Humpy Koneru
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Divisibility rule

Mariya Muzychuk – Harika Dronavalli
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 5, 2016
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 b4 12. Nc2 0-0 13. g3 a5. For 13. ... Bg5 14. Bg2 Qa5 15. 0-0 Qc5 16. Qd3 Be6 see A. Muzychuk – Fressinet, 4th Trophée Anatoly Karpov, Cap d’Agde 2015. 14. h4 a4 15. b3. Most likely White can better fight for an advantage by playing 15. Qd2 followed by Nc2-e3. 15. ... Be6 16. Nxf6+. For 16. Rb1 axb3 17. axb3 Bxd5 18. cxd5 Na5 19. Bh3 Qb6 20. Qd2 Rfb8 21. 0-0 Ra7 22. Rfc1 Rc7 see Nakamura – Radjabov, Renova Grand Prix Series 2012/2013, third stage, Zug 2013. The text doesn’t show anything but a draw wish. 16. ... Qxf6 17. Bg2 Qd8 18. 0-0 Qb6 19. Qd3 Qc5 20. Rfd1 Rfd8 21. Rd2 axb3 22. axb3 Rxa1+ 23. Nxa1 Qd4 24. Nc2 Qxd3 25. Rxd3 Kf8 26. Rd1 Na5 27. Nxb4 Rb8 28. Nc2 Rxb3 29. Rxd6 Nxc4 30. Rd1 Rb2 31. Ne1 f6 ½-½ “Despite playing with Black, I got into an equal position at the opening itself. I saw an opportunity and started pressing but slowly it started fizzling out and I had to accept the draw”, Harika finally said.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Harika Dronavalli’s grandmother (first from left)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Upma

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Harika Dronavalli
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 4, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 a6 6. c5! Nbd7 7. b4 Qe7!? ’Tis a strange way. Deserving consideration was, with the same idea, 7. ... g6 8. Bb2 Bg7 9. Be2 0-0 10. 0-0 Qe7 11. Na4 Ne4 12. Bd3 f5 13. Ne5 with an edge for White. 8. Bb2 g6!? 8. ... e5 can transpose into Clarice Benini’s story: 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe5 11. Na4 Qe6 12. Nb6± Benini – Rubtsova, 8th Women's World Chess Championship Tournament, Moscow, January 13, 1950. 9. Bd3 Bg7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Na4 Rb8 12. Qd2 Ne8

13. e4. It seems that White may capitalize her positional edge into something more tangible, but Harika, however being a bit confined, will manage to hold off all intruders. Maybe the text advance should have been prepared by first deploying the Rooks. 13. ... dxe4 14. Bxe4 Nef6 15. Bd3 Nd5 16. a3 Qd8 17. Rfe1 Qc7 18. g3 Ra8 19. Rac1 Rd8 20. Re2 Ra7 21. h4 a5 22. b5 cxb5 23. Bxb5 Nb8 24. Nc3 Nxc3 25. Qxc3 Bd7 26. a4 Nc6 27. Qc4 Raa8 28. Rd1 Ne7 29. Bc1 Bc6 30. Bf4 Qd7 31. Ne5 Qd5 32. Qxd5 Rxd5 33. Bc4 Rdd8 34. Bg5 Bxe5 35. Rxe5 Rd7 36. Bxe7 Rxe7 37. Bb5 Rd7. The tables are turned and Black is about to win a Pawn. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), however, doesn’t lose her head and forces the transition into a drawn Rook endgame. 38. Re3 Rad8 39. Bxc6 bxc6 40. Rb3 Rxd4 41. Rxd4 Rxd4 42. Rb6 Rxa4 43. Rxc6 Rc4 44. Rc8+ Kg7 45. c6 Kf6 46. Ra8 Rxc6 47. Rxa5. Black’s extra Pawn – on the same side as all the other Pawns – is meaningless. 47. ... Rc4 48. Kg2 h5 49. Ra7 Rc8 50. Rb7 Re8 51. Ra7 Re7 52. Ra6 Rb7 53. Rc6 Kf5 54. Rc5+ e5 55. Ra5 f6 56. Rc5 Rd7 57. Ra5 Rd2 58. Rb5 Ke6 59. Rb6+ Rd6 60. Rb4 Ra6 61. Rc4 Kd5 62. Rb4 e4 63. Rb8 Rc6 64. Rg8 f5 65. Ra8 Rd6 66. Ra4 Ke5 67. Kf1 Rc6 68. Kg2 Rd6 69. Kf1 Rf6 70. Ra5+ Kd4 71. Ra4+ Kd3 72. Ra3+ Kd2 73. Ra2+ Kc3 74. Ke2 Rd6 75. Ke3 Rd3+ 76. Ke2 Rd6 77. Ke3 Rd3+ 78. Ke2 Rd6 ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Harika Dronavalli
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Guntur chilli

Harika Dronavalli – Lela Javakhishvili
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 3, 2016
Sicilian Defence B83

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 d6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 0-0 10. a4 Bd7 11. Nb3 Na5 12. e5 Ne8 13. Nxa5 Qxa5 14. Ne4 Qc7 15. a5 d5 16. Bb6 Qc6 17. Ng5 Bc5+. For 17. ... f5 18. c4 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Bxb6 20. cxd5 Qxd5 21. Qxd5 exd5 22. axb6 h6 23. Nf3 Rf7 24. Nd4 see King – Blaskowski, Duitsland 1990. 18. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 19. Kh1 f6 20. Nf3 Qb4. Maybe a bit adventurous sortie. Deservng consideration was 20. ... fxe5 followed by ... Bd7-b5. 21. Qc1 b6? Javakhishvili was still in time for 21. ... fxe5 22. Nxe5 Bb5. Now Harika easily obtains a far superior position, which is enough for her to exploit until she’s winning. 22. c3 Qc5 23. b4 Qc7 24. Qe3 b5 25. Nd4

25. ... g6 26. Rac1 Ng7 27. g4 Rf7 28. Kg1 Raf8 29. Rf3 g5 30. exf6 gxf4 31. Qxf4 Qxf4 32. Rxf4 Rxf6 33. Rxf6 Rxf6 34. Bf3 Rg6 35. Kf2 Kf7 36. Re1 Kf6 37. Nb3 Bc8 38. Nc5 h6 39. Nd3 h5? In a clear sign of impatience, Black now commits the decisive mistake, allowing her opponent to enter a whole line. 40. gxh5 Rh6 41. Rg1 Nf5. Equally after 41. ... Nxh5 42. Rg8 White’s Rook penetrates with devastating effect. 42. Rg8 Ne7 43. Rf8+ Kg7 44. Re8 Kf6 45. Nf4 Bb7 46. Rb8 Bc6 47. Rb6 Kf5 48. Ng6 Nxg6 49. hxg6 Be8 50. g7 Bf7 51. Rxa6 Rxh2+ 52. Bg2 Rh7 53. Rb6 Rxg7 54. a6 Rg8 55. Bf1 Rc8 56. Bxb5 Be8 57. a7 Ra8 58. Bxe8 Rxa7 59. Ke3 e5 60. Bg6+ Kg5 61. Bc2 Rc7 62. Kd2 d4 63. cxd4 exd4 64. Bd3 Kf4 65. Re6 1 : 0.

Harika Dronavalli vs. Lela Javakhishvili
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Tabasco Road

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Harika Dronavalli
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 2, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. e3 Nh5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. h3 g6 11. Be2 Ng7. Aiming to improve on 11. ... 0-0 12. g4 Nhf6 13. 0-0-0 b6 14. g5 Nh5 15. h4 Bb7 16. Nh2 c5 17. Ng4 Rac8 18. Kb1 Rfd8 19. Nh6+ Kh8 20. Bxh5 gxh5 21. Qf5 Kg7 22. Nxd5 Qe6 23. e4 cxd4 24. Nf6 Qxf5 25. Nxf5+ Kf8 26. Nd6 Nxf6 27. Nxb7 Nxe4 28. Nxd8 Nxf2 29. Ne6+ 1 : 0 I. Faragó – O. Foişor, 25th Liechtenstein Open, Triesen 2007. 12. Bd3 Nf6 13. g4 Be6 14. Ne5 Nd7 15. 0-0-0 0-0 16. f4 f5 17. h4? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) embarks herself in a Kingside attack without due preparation, and Harika immediately takes advantage of her opponent’s too hasty, committing decision. 17. ... Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qc5 19. h5? White consistently insists on her attack, but as you will see by the end of the dream, she missed something important. After 19. Rde1 d4 Black would have kept the upper hand, but probably nothing more. 19. ... Qxe3+ 20. Kb1 fxg4 21. hxg6. This is the position White had aimed for, with a Pawn minus but the chimera of a “compensating attack”. Harika’s reply clears matters up: 21. ... h5! No entry! Now Black is a Pawn ahead and can easily rely on the overwhelming power of her two connected passed Pawns. 22. Ne2 c5. Black has a crushing preponderance on both wings. The rest is easy. 23. Qc1 Qxc1+ 24. Rxc1 c4 25. Bc2 Rad8 26. Rcd1 d4 27. Nxd4 Rxf4 28. Ne2 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Rf2 30. Ng3 Kf8 31. Ne4 Re2 32. Kc1 Ke7 33. Rf1 Bf5 34. Kd1

34. ... Rxc2! An easy but pretty finish. 35. Ng3. Both 35. Kxc2 Bxe4+ and 35. Rxf5 Nxf5 36. Kxc2 h4 lose as well. 35. ... Bxg6 36. Rf6 Bd3 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (R.) vs. Harika Dronavalli (L.)
Photo: Harika Dronavalli (@HarikaDronavali)

It’s the Girls!

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (@GibraltarChess)

Meaning of Life

Harika Dronavalli (@HarikaDronavali)

Get Hard

Harika Dronavalli (@HarikaDronavali)

The Great Indian Butterfly

Dronavalli Harika (@HarikaDronavali)

Uniqueness

Dronavalli Harika (@HarikaDronavali)

A Room with a View

Dronavalli Harika (@HarikaDronavali)

长征

Summarized by Dennis Monokroussos:

Hóu Yìfán and Jū Wénjūn finished with identical scores of 8½/11 in the Sharjah Women’s Grand Prix, allowing the former to win the overall series ahead of Humpy Koneru. Humpy needed to finish this event tied or better with Hóu, but had a disappointing tournament and finished three full points behind. This means that Hóu Yìfán will be in a world championship match in 2015, either as the champion (if she wins the women’s knockout world championship this October, in which case Humpy Koneru will be the challenger thanks to her second place in the Grand Prix series) or as the challenger (in which case Humpy is out of luck, unless she happened to win the KO). [Read more].

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Dronavalli Harika

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Photos: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova

• 女子国象大奖赛沙迦站居文君夺冠 侯逸凡获总冠军, sports.sina.com.cn, September 7, 2014

斯劍虎 (Smilodon)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Harika Dronovalli
Women’s Grand Prix 2013–2014; fifth stage; Lopota, June 27, 2014
French Defence C00

Notes by International Master Alina l’Ami. 1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 g6 6. 0-0 Bg7 7. c3 e5 8. a4 Nge7 9. Na3 0-0 10. Nc4 h6 11. d3 Be6 12. Bd2 Re8 13. h3 b6 14. Rfe1 Qd7 15. b4 cxb4 16. cxb4 d5 17. exd5 Bxd5 18. Nfxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Qb7 20. f4 Nf5 21. Qf2 Nd4 22. Rac1 Rad8 23. Bc3 Qa8

Here Yìfán could have played 24. Bxd4 Bxg2 25. Qxg2 (25. Kh2!?) with a risk-free advantage in the endgame. Instead, 24. b5 gave Harika the chance to strike with 24. ... Bxg2 25. Qxg2 Bxe5 and either White takes on a8 or e5, a check on f3 will always win the Exchange in the end. 24. ... Nb3 25. Rc2 Nc5 26. Bb4 Bxe5 27. Bxc5 Bxg2 28. Rxe5 Rxe5 29. fxe5 Bxh3 30. Bd6 Qd5 31. Qe3 Re8 32. Re2 Bg4 33. Qe4 Qxe4 34. Rxe4 Bf5 35. Rc4 Bxd3 36. Rc7 Ra8 37. Kf2 Bf5 38. Ke3 Be6 39. Kd4 g5 40. Rb7 h5 41. Rb8+ Rxb8 42. Bxb8 h4 43. gxh4 gxh4 44. Ke3 Bb3 45. Bxa7 Bxa4 46. Bxb6 Bxb5 47. Kf4 Bd7 48. Bd8 h3 49. Kg3 Be6 50. Bf6 Bf5 51. Bd8 Be6 52. Bf6 Bf5 53. Bd8 ½ : ½..

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Alina l’Ami.