The leaders stumble in the third round


	Pairings & Results Standings Cross Tables Games (PGN) Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11 ELO

Olga Girya and Lela Javakhishvili, who were the leaders after two rounds, eventually lost their games against Nino Batsiashvili and Anna Muzychuk respectively. As a result, half of the players share the first place with 2 out of 3 points after three rounds of Women's Grand Prix in Batumi.

Valentina Gunina defeated former World Champion Maria Muzychuk, who cannot find her play in the tournament so far and lost the second game in a row. In a truly dramatic encounter Danielian-Zhao Xue, Armenian player, who had decisive advantage, drew the game after numerous mistakes from both sides. The games Kosteniuk-Khotenashvili and Skripchenko-Dzagnidze finished in a draw.

Zhao Xue – Elina Danielian 1/2:1/2
Surprising play of Zhao Xue in the opening let Elina Danielian to get a very comfortable position. Zhao Xue tried to solve the opening problems with tactical tricks but

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after brilliant c4!! Black kept an extra piece.

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Black has decisive advantage and good choice between grabbing another pawn (Rf2) or keeping the queens (Qd5). Elina chose to exchange the queens which also leads to winning endgame.

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It's hard to say how could Black end up in the position on a diagram since the previous one, but, according to Elina, she “made the only moves not to win this game”. It was already her turn to fight for a draw in the end.

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Nino Batsiashvili – Olga Girya 1:0

In a quiet line of Slav Defence white didn't manage to get any edge out of the opening but both players tried to realize their plans on different sides of the boards.

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Nino has prepared to sacrifice on a6 and Olga Girya could have tried to ruin the plans of her opponent by playing prophylactic move 31...Kc8. After 31...Rf8 Nino went for the force line which transferred the game into the dynamically equal ending but with some chances for White.

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The position is drawish and Olga just shouldn't let her opponent's King to go on e4. After Ng3 it was still a draw but ,after few hours of play, Olga just simply missed that after Ra3 Ke4 50.Ng3 Ke5, the pawn on e3 is protected by the Bishop on g5.

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Anna Muzychuk – Lela Javakhishvili 1:0

Anna Muzychuk was surprised to see French defence, as in “99% of her games Lela played 1...c5”. Ukrainian player managed to remember her preparation and was happy about her position after the opening. Both players agreed that Black could have tried to defend by playing Rf8 on 18 or 19 move, otherwise White managed to get a very dangerous initiative.

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After nice 23.Re6! Fe 24. Re1 Black has hopeless position

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Bela Khotenashvili – Alexandra Kosteniuk 1/2:1/2

Alexandra Kosteniuk repeated the same line from her game against Lela Javakhishvili, played in the first round. It looks like Bela was not familiar with that game as she spent more than 20 minutes in the opening after Alexandra's 8...Rb8. After 9.Nc4 the exchanges followed and Alexandra managed to solve all opening problems with Black. The game finished with threefold repetition.

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Valentina Gunina – Maria Muzychuk 1:0

Looks like completely one-sided game, as every move of White starting from 19.h4 was improving Gunina's initiative on the King's side, until she held a strong advantage. Maria was trying to find some chances to creat some counter play but it seems White's attack was just faster.