Women's Candidates: Gunina survives a scare in round 1
01/06/2019 - Valentina on top board survives a massive scare against Kateryna Lagno. The former Women's World Blitz Champion Valentina faced a deferred Steinitz Defence with white pieces but she was unable to get much out of the opening. The reigning World Blitz champion Lagno managed to equalize early in the middle game and then gain substantial advantage but she fell into perpetual check and the game ended up in a draw. Goryachkina kept pushing for an advantage out of the opening with an unusual variation in the Ruy Lopez but the Chess Queen Kosteniuk kept resisting, eventually Goryachkina missed an opportunity and it ended in a draw. Dzagnidze-Zhongyi and the battle of Muzychuk sisters ended up in uneventful draws. Photo: Anastasya Karlovich