GM Kateryna Lagno overcame GM Humpy Koneru of their quarterfinal match within the FIDE Chess.com 2022 Ladies’s Velocity Chess Championship on Tuesday. Koneru led the match with convincing play by means of the 5+1 section. Coming into the three+1 portion, Lagno enormously improved her opening play and shortly took over the lead. The match culminated within the final sport when Koneru made a tremendous run at a comeback of her personal, however Lagno in the end got here by means of.
The subsequent quarterfinals match, GM Harika Dronavalli vs. IM Vaishali R, begins on Thursday, July 21, at 6:30 a.m. Pacific / 15:30 Central European.
Blitz 5|1: Lagno 3-5 Koneru
Koneru scored the primary victory, exchanging right into a successful rook endgame regardless of a major time deficit.
Koneru received the second sport as nicely to achieve a two-point lead. Lagno’s first victory occurred when Koneru sadly mouse slipped in a very drawn place, rook and king vs. rook and king.
Within the 5+1 part, the opening stage favored Koneru for a lot of the time, as commentator Krush identified: “Humpy’s openings are positively higher. She has managed to catch her opponent from each side, with White and with Black. With Black within the sense that she’s chosen one thing soild that she’s snug with. And Kateryna is struggling to not simply win video games with White however to get possibilities to win—to set your self as much as play a sport the place you may present a few of your strengths.”
Humpy’s openings are positively higher.
-GM Irina Krush
Though there have been a number of attracts between these two unimaginable gamers, many had been fascinating duels the place their robust concepts had been equal to one another. Recreation six was one such instance. Koneru sacrificed her queen to advertise her superior handed pawn. Lagno countered along with her personal pawn promotion, leading to a bishop ending with all of the pawns on one facet.
Within the final sport, Lagno missed a crucial alternative to win. Can you discover it?
The standard of chess and aggressive spirit between these two heavyweights was fairly excessive, as Krush described: “There’s an depth on this match. I really feel just like the gamers are protecting one another shut.”
Blitz 3|1: Lagno 5.5-2.5 Koneru
Lagno entered the three+1 blitz with a vengeance, particularly amping up her opening play. She received the primary sport convincingly, gaining two additional pawns and a superior place from the opening.
Lagno was successful the second sport as nicely when Koneru discovered a sneaky checkmate―whereas down a rook!
In sport seven, Lagno tied up the match for the primary time with a wonderful rook-ending victory.
Within the final sport, Lagno took over the lead with a tactical sequence to free her trapped rook and emerge forward a bit.
Bullet 1|1: Lagno 5.5-3.5 Koneru
All of it got here all the way down to the bullet portion on this very shut match. Lagno elevated her lead by cleanly changing an additional pawn in a rook and queen ending.
Koneru struggled to attain factors on this portion because the time management did not fairly appear aligned along with her key strengths, as Krush noticed: “Within the bullet, it is exhausting for Humpy to indicate her positional expertise.”
Within the crucial final sport, Koneru trailed by two factors with three minutes left on the match clock. This meant that she needed to each win and do it rapidly to go away sufficient time for yet one more sport. Koneru performed very quick, gaining a 25-second lead on Lagno, in addition to a successful place. Nevertheless, Lagno stretched the sport lengthy sufficient to expire the match clock. Within the midst of this, Koneru blundered checkmate.
It is wonderful how Lagno was in a position to flip the tides within the 3+1 section and take over the lead. Koneru’s tried comeback was commendable, however Lagno held on within the crucial moments and even found checkmate―with simply seconds left on her clock―to safe the match victory.
Within the post-match interview, Lagno shared a few of the turning factors of the match:
“Within the 5+1, I could not get something with White and I used to be combating Black, and I used to be minus two. However then she blundered the rook on this ending after I was two pawns down … I received very fortunate. By some means I might breathe slightly bit … In the course of the break, I checked some strains, simply to know a couple of strikes, to not lose instantly with Black. Then I had the sensation that she blended up the strikes in Petroff. I checked it, after which I received my first sport with none combat.”
Lagno earned $3120 in prize cash for her victory whereas Koneru took dwelling $880 for her efforts.
All Video games – Quarterfinals
Ladies’s Velocity Chess Championship Bracket
The FIDE Chess.com 2022 Ladies’s Velocity Chess Championship is an internet occasion the place titled ladies gamers will play a collection of blitz and bullet matches for a share of the $70,000 prize fund. The qualifiers for the occasion passed off on Could 24-27, with the principle occasion beginning on June 13 and ending on July 21.
Earlier Coverage
