Women's Chess Championship Knock Out Round 2 Pairings

The all girls party at World Women's Chess Championship 2012, Khanty Mansiysk, Russia is in process. This is knock out rendezvous determined to choose the challenger for World Champion. The 2nd round pairing is up after the Armageddon drama on Mariya Muzychuk vs Cristina Foisor. Here the pairing with bits of big talk about it.

01 Hou Yifan vs 32 Monika Socko
Hou Yifan, of course the number one favorite on this tournament. She is the World Champion and winner of FIDE’s Women Grand Prix, in fact she didn’t even need to play this knock out since the winner will play her for the world title. Her name 侯逸凡, given name Yifan mean extra ordinary, exactly she is, raised from quite Chinese region Jiangsu and then proceed naturally to become world champion, the best from China chess story. However Hou Yifan’s notable weakness, her inexperience is also her opponent strongest point in this round. Monika Socko is well around player, spouse to GM Bartosz Socko, already proved capable to win prestigious. Sixteen year experiences more to Hou Yifan. Monika is hundred point below Hou, yet she will make interesting round to challenge the World Champion.

16 Antoneatta Stefanova vs 17 Zhu Chen
Battle of two former Women World Champion. Zhu Chen is slightly “senior” (can’t say ‘old’ to the ladies) to Stefanova. While Zhu Chen now on declined year after her household duty in Dubai, Stefanova is more having time to practice tournament chess. Both went to round 2 with 2-0 against lower rated opponent.  They had played many times, with Zhu Chen got the better standing. Well balance pairing that may went to tie break.

08 Marie Sebag vs 25 Olga Girya
GM Marie Sebag is eight seed fighting new comer Olga Girya. Hailed from Moscow. A senior vs junior pairing, both are active in European club as well. Olga is runner Girl Championship in 2011.

09 Valentina Gunina vs 24 Alisa Galliamova
Alisa Galliamova born 1972, making her the most senior in the round. Ex candidate challenger, she will playing rising star Valentina Gunina. Valentine is Gold Medal in European Individual and Russian’s 2012 gold medal olympiad team. This will be extreme example of experience try to overcome junior, something hard to do in women’s chess.

04 Zhao Xue vs 36 Nino Khurtsidze
Another very strong woman player from China. Nino is on other hand belong to generation that experience the Georgian’s domination on women in ’90. But seeing how Zhao Xue well balance play, Nino will got difficult time maintained the Georgian legacy.

52 Maritza Arribas Robaina vs 20 Mariya Muzychuk
A slight luck for rather unknown Cuban Maritza, her opponent Mariya Muzichuk is the most exhausted girl from last night. Mariya will need to get energy to fight natural born talent from Caribbean in less than 24 hours after her Armageddon night. We hope Mariya can go through to completed the sister bonding in this Knock Out session with her sister, Anna Muzichuk.

05 Kateryna Lahno vs 28 Lela Javakhishvili
Another former European Individual champ, she will take Georgian Olympiad member Lela Javakhishvili. Based on Kateryna performance in last Olympiad, seems she is able to balance between working on chess and manage her newborn twin. Seed no.5 is likely a favorite.

12 Drovalli Harika vs 21Elina Danielian
Second top women player from Indian is Drovalli Harika. Drovalli come with enough rest day after defeat fellow Indian player in round 1. The challenger is Armenian experience player Elina Danielian, who must go tie break last night to get to round 2. Bit of balance pairing and can go to tie break.

3 Anna Muzychuk vs 30 Anna Ushenina
The battle of Anna, which one you prefer? Anna Muzychuk is strongest participant from European continental in the field. She will face Ukrainian Anna Ushenina which is five more years senior than Muzychuk.

19 Natalie Pogonina vs 14 Alexandra Kosteniuk
Quite unfortunate pairing for two of women player that most popular to audients. Alexandra is still the charming Queen of Chess, slow making her way back to elite chess nowday. Part of Olympiad team that grab the gold medal. Natalie on other hand is also close to chess fans. Actively in commentaries and vote chess against the world. The most interesting pairing of this round. Their record in chessgames.com is equal.

06 Nadezhda Kosintseva vs 27 Lilith Mkrtchian
22 Hoang Thanh Trang vs 11 Tatiana Kosintseva
If the elo rating well function, we will get the first decisive result of the Kosintseva sister playing each other. Of course there are Lilith and Hoang in the way. For sake of entertainment please make way for the Kosintseva derby match.

07 Victoria Cmilyte vs 26 Huang Qian
Can Huang Qian combined her luck and score a big tournament result here? She has been a while in the China team yet haven’t get her big moment. Her opponent is a strong Lithuanian GM Victoria. On the elo rating this maybe Huang Qian another end of vacation in Siberia.

23 Irina Krush vs 10 Pia Cramling
Unfortunately Irina crushed the only South East Asian girl in the field, Li Ruofan in a tense tie break last night. (Li Ruofan is Singapore representative.) Irina will then face Sweden very experience Pia Cramling. Pia is still looking for her fortune in her forty, while Irina is trying to become USA first woman Grand Master.

15 Ju Wenjun vs 18 Anna Zatonskih
Ju Wenjun is bright star on the generation of Hou Yifan, her rating graphic is also keep rising. She will be challenge by the other American Anna Zatonskih, Irina’s Krush Armageddon partner. Well balance pairing, an interesting China vs America chess of school battle.

31 Natalia Zhukova vs 2 Humpy Koneru
And the second strongest lady in town, Koneru Humpy is thirsty looking for her breakthrough after a while. Nemesis to Hou Yifan, is on her not very well fortune situation for years now. On her way to challenge Hou is Natalia Zhukova. A big gap to overcome by the Ukrainian lady, but of course the secret weapon here is Natalia’s access to GM Alexander Grischuk advise. Can Natalia upset the challenger of Women’s World Championship? The record show Koneru in better score.

Let's the round begin!