Paehtz, Khadem, Kosteniuk, and Dzagnidze fight for survival in Day 3 of the World Chess Armageddon, Women’s Week
Two days in the World Chess Armageddon Championship Series: Women’s Week in Berlin, and GM Koneru Humpy along with IMs Gunay Mammadzada, Alina Kashlinskaya, and Bibisara Assaubayeva, were victorious to promote to the winners’ bracket! GMs Elisabeth Paehtz, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nana Dzagnidze, and IM Sara Khadem will fight tonight for two spots in the next round.
The World Chess Armageddon Championship Series: Women’s Week is taking place from May 8th to May 14th, 2023, in the purpose-designed World Chess Studio in Berlin, with an impressive line-up of female players who battle their way to the Grand Finale and a total of $250,000 in prize fund.
The aim of the tournament is to promote #womeninchess and reinforce the commitment to equality through fairer distribution of prizes across men’s and women’s matches. World Chess CEO Ilya Merenzon states “We are thrilled to have this incredible female line-up at the upcoming Armageddon Week and believe it will be as spectacular and impactful as the plot of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, while helping to inspire a new generation of female players.”
Day 1
Day 1 finished with the two-time Azerbaijani Women’s National Champion, IM Gunay mammadzada scoring her first even win against Germany’s No.1 female player, GM Elisabeth Paehtz to win the match with a 1,5-0,5 score, while the 2019 European Women’s Individual Champion, IM Alina Kashlinskaya won the match against the Iranian runner up in both Women’s World Rapid and Blitz Championships, IM Sara Khadem over an exciting Armageddon!
At the post-game interviews, all players gave their comments about their games to David Vizgan, but also answered some more interesting questions.
Day 2
Day 2 finished with India’s No.1 female player, GM Humpy Koneru achieving a 1,5-0,5 score over the 12th Women’s World Champion, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, while the 2021 & 2022 World Women Blitz Champion, IM Bibisara Assaubayeva dominated with a 2-0 score against the 2017 World Women Blitz Champion and super-GM Nana Dzagnidze!
Watch Day 3 of the Armageddon here
World Chess Club
As many of you were wondering, and many more asked about it, the World Chess Club is open to the public! It’s a unique concept in the center of Berlin, a mix of a chess club, two bars, an event space, chess shop, and what appears to be an ice cream parlor! GM Simon Williams didn’t miss the chance to make his own signature cocktail, the first first day of the Club’s opening!
The team
This week we have GM Simon Williams and IM Jovanka Houska in the commentary team with high-edge analysis and on-point comments on the games and players, as well as David Vizgan, the host of the 64 Chess Podcast, for the on-site interviews! As always, there is a real-time heartbeat display, calories burned data points, and of course breakneck moves!
Loser’s bracket
Today four players are fighting for survival at the Armageddon! GM Elisabeth Paehtz is going against IM Sara Khadem, as GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is facing GM Nana Dzagnidze, all of them under immerse time pressure.
Who is it going to prevail and who’s going home?
