Yifan and Wenjun continue at the top in Fide Grand Prix

Batchimeg crushes Romanian L’Ami to stay in second spot

Co- leaders Hou Yifan and Ju Wenjun remained tied at the top of the standings after drawing in 37 moves to stay with six and half points at the end of the eighth round in the Fide Women’s Grand Prix being played at the Sharjah Chess Club.

Women’s world champion Hou Yifan was on the defence with black pieces allowing Ju Wenjun to open up the game with a break in the centre.

But Hou Yifan challenged control of the centre files with her rooks and a series of exchanges led to repetition of position and a draw after over two hours of play. Tuvshintugs Batchimeg of Mongolia crushed the Modern Defence of cellar dweller Alina L’Ami of Romania to firmup her hold on third slot with five and a half points. L’Ami blundered and had to give up a knight on the 32nd move and resigned on the 41st move.

Three players are tied at four and a half points, namely Elina Danielan of Armenia, former women’s world champion Anna Ushenina of Ukraine and Harika Dronavalli of India.

Danielan used the English Opening against Nafisa Mumionova of Uzbekistan. The Armenian doubled rooks on the open c- file to penetrate on the seventh rank. Muminova had to give up the rook for Bishop exchange on the 29th move and was facing further loss of material when she resigned on the 37th move.

Ushenina used the Queen’s Gambit declined to draw with Koneru Humpy of India in 47 moves, while Dronavalli drew by repetition of position with former women’s world champion Zhu Chen of Qatar. Zhao Xue of China and Tatiana Kosintseva of Russia drew in 50 moves of the latter’s King’s Indian defence to tie at four points each heading into yesterday’s off day.

Best three results

In the Women’s Grand Prix, each player plays in four of the six Grand Prix tournaments, but only the best three results count. The player accumulating the highest number of points will get the right to challenge the Women’s World Champion in a match next year.

The final leg of the World Chess Federation ( Fide) Women’s Grand Prix offers € 60,000 ( Dh289,720) for the tournament and € 90,000 total cash prizes for the Grand Prix. Games are broadcast live through the www. fide. com site. Games are scheduled to resume today.