Tie-breaker queen Harika prevails again
Tehran, Feb. 23: Grandmaster D. Harika came out strongly yet again in the rapid tiebreaker and put it across Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze to enter the semi-finals of the World Women Chess Championship for the third time in a row.
Harika was back to her best in the rapid version as she won the first game displaying strong technique and then drew the second to set up a semi-final with China’s Tan Zhongyi.
Harika’s was the only match that stretched to the tiebreaker after she squandered a full point lead against the Georgian.
But the Indian’s penchant for the faster version of the game yet again proved stronger than her fourth opponent in a row.
It may be recalled that she won the first match against Bangladesh’s Shamima Akter Liza in the tiebreak, then defeated Dinara Saduakassova of Kazakhstan before getting past Georgia’s Sopiko Guramishvili also in the tiebreak.
With Dzagnidze out of the way, Harika now has to tackle ninth seed Tan before she can become the first Indian to make it to the final of a knockout women’s World Championship. Results (quarter-finals): Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) lost to D Harika (IND) 1-1, 0.5-1.5; Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) beat Ni Shiqun (CHN) 1.5-0.5; Ju Wenjun (CHN) lost to Tan Zhongzyi (CHN) 0.5-1.5; Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) drew with Anna Muzycheuk (UKR) 0.5-1.5.