|
Women in chess in a mixed event |
 |
|
Thursday, 19 January 2012 15:09 |
Stuart Conquest Director of the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, scheduled to begin next week, believes the tournament in its 10th edition will see the largest concentrate of women chess players ever in a mixed event. He writes: The greatest ever gathering of female chess players in a mixed event takes place on the Rock in a week’s time. Never before have so many of the world’s top women joined leading male players to compete in the same tournament.
Led by the brilliant Judit Polgar, the youngest of the three Hungarian sisters who between them broke every chess record in the books, this year’s female contingent includes champion players from China, India, Russia, the Ukraine, and the USA.
All eyes will be on the reigning Women’s World Champion, 17 year-old Hou Yifan, coming to Gibraltar for the first time. Indian sensation Humpy Koneru will be keen to score well – if things go her way she could take home the special £5,000 Commonwealth prize. Anna Muzychuk, from Slovenia, has been in scintillating form lately, and looks a good bet for a high placing.
Other female stars to follow include former World Champions Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) and Zhu Chen (Qatar), former European Champion Pia Cramling, and American rivals Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih.
From Georgia, a nation famous for its support of women’s chess, come four top players, including last year’s joint female winners: Nana Dzagnidze and Salome Melia. Let’s also not forget British Women’s champion Jovanka Houska, who in December recorded a career-best performance at the London Chess Classic Open.
As well as the elite women players, many lesser-ranked females are coming to the Rock too, eager to show the men a thing or two. We have women entrants from Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Montenegro, and France, as well as from further afield: Chile and Pakistan are both sending players.
The men had better watch out: the chess world’s best females are coming this way, and they aren’t just coming for fun – they are here on business, and that can only mean one thing: to win.
Official website
|
