World Women’s Team 2021 R5: India will face Kazakhstan in the Quarterfinals
India defeated France 3-1 in the fifth round of FIDE World Women's Team Championship 2021 to finish second in Pool A. They will face the third place finisher of Pool B, Kazakhstan in the Quarterfinals today. India has an advantage that they can bring an element of surprise with the board order which their opponent team cannot, as they have only four members and no reserve player. Harika and Mary have remained unbeaten in the Pool stage. Knockout stage is a best of two matches, named 'Duel'. Quarterfinals Duel 1 starts today at 3 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST) and Duel 2 is from 6 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST). Photo: Niki Riga/FIDE
Bhakti and Mary score victories
IM Bhakti Kulkarni and WGM Mary Ann Gomes scored victories for Team India in the fifth round of FIDE World Women's Team Championship 2021.
Round 5: India - France: 3-1
Harika and Tania drew, Bhakti and Mary won their respective games. Both Harika and Tania were in a difficult position where they had to repeat moves to save the game.
IM Bhakti Kulkarni scored a fine victory against WIM Natacha Benmesbah.
Bhakti - Benmesbah
White already has a huge advantage in this position. Find out the best continuation after 36...Re5.
WGM Mary Ann Gomes converted her advantage in the endgame after her opponent IM Silvia Alexieva made an incorrect decision to liquidate into a lost knight ending.
Silvia - Mary
If anyone can win this position, it has to be Black. What White should not do here is to trade queens at d4 and that is exactly what White did in the game and lost eventually. 35.Kg2 would have been a better continuation because if Black trades 35...Qxd2 36.Nxd2 and now White is threatening Ne4.
Replay Round 5 games of India
Schedule
Pool Stage: Monday 27th September
Round 1 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Round 2 - 6:00 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST)
Tuesday 28th September
Round 3 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Round 4 - 6:00 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST)
Wednesday 29th September
Round 5 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Quarterfinals: Thursday 30th September
Match 1 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Match 2 - 6:00 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST)
Tie-breaks - 8:30 p.m. CET (Friday 12:00 a.m. IST)
Semifinals: Friday 1st October
Match 1 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Match 2 - 6:00 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST)
Tie-breaks - 8:30 p.m. CET (Friday 12:00 a.m. IST)
Finals Saturday 2nd October
Match 1 - 3:00 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. IST)
Match 2 - 6:00 p.m. CET (9:30 p.m. IST)
Tie-breaks - 8:30 p.m. CET (Friday 12:00 a.m. IST)
Time Control
The time control is 45 minutes + 10 seconds increment for the entire game, for tie-breaks - 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment.
