WWCC 2017: Round 2 Tie-breaks
The second round tie-breaks of Women’s World Chess Championship underway in Tehran took place on February 16, chessfed.am reports. Those chess players, who had finished their games in 1:1 score, were to play two games at a rate of 25 minutes for each player with an increment of 10 seconds per move.
If the score was still tied two accelerated rapid games were to be played with a time control of 10 min + 10 sec. If the score was still deadlocked two blitz games were then to be played at 5 min + 3 sec.
Finally, if a winner had still not been determined a sudden death Armageddon game took place with 5 minutes for White and 4 minutes for Black with a 2 sec increment after move 60. In that game Black had draw odds (i.e. he wins if the game is drawn).
After two rapid games, 5 players, including Harika Dronovalli, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Antoaneta Stefanova, Pia Cramling and Padmini Rout, went through the next round.
The first game of rapid match between Sopiko Guramishvili and Natalia Buksa was finished in draw by Sopiko’s claim according to the three times repetition. The second game of one of the most dramatic matches of this tournament also finished in a draw.
The last two matches, Batsiashvili-Khurtsidze and Ushenina-Tan Zhongi, were not decided in blitz and the players reached Armageddon games. Former world champion Anna Ushenina had all chances playing White but collapsed in a mustwin situation. Her opponent Chinese player Tan Zhongi proceeds to the next round.
Nino Batsiashvili, who had absolutely winning endgame with 2 pawns up, could not defeat her compatriot Nino Khurtsidze and was eliminated too.