Cue music (can't you just hear it in the background...):  The Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner. You may not have known it, but Valkyries is the music you heard in the Oscar-winning movie Apocalypse Now.  In an eschatological sense, Apocalypse is just another term for Armageddon, both of which essentially point to the final battle at the end of the world as we know it.  Armageddon in chess is covered in our special section on the 2008 FKB U.S. Women's Chess Championship.  (The painting is "The Ride of the Valkyries" by Arthur Rackham.  Ride, Knightess, ride...)

Recent Events

Fifth Annual All-Girls Nationals
April 25 - 27, 2008
(Organized by the Kasparov Chess Foundation)
All standings can be found here.  
Here are the winners of each section:
Under 18: Medina Parrilla (NY 1971), 5.0/6
Under 16: Angelica Barrios (NY 1777), 6.0/6
Under 14: Rochelle Ballantyne (NY 1733), 5.0/6
Under 12: Caroline Zhu (TX 1805), 5.5/6
Under 10: Simone Liao (CA 1652), 5.5/6
Under 8:   Brianna A. Guillen (TX 1091), 5.5/6

(Photo: Angelica Berrios and Jasmine Fermin, by Elizabeth Vicary, Fifth All-Girls Nationals).  Congratulations to all of the chess femmes who participated in this great event.  Kudos to the Kasparov Chess Foundation for founding and funding it.  IM Irina Krush wrote a report for Chess Life Online that includes photographs of some of the young ladies and analysis.  More coverage at Chess Life Online.

The Benidorm Open 
April 25 - May 4, 2008 
(198 players) GM Vladimir Burmakin (RUS 2615) won the tournament with 8.0/10 on tie-break (three other players also finished with 8.0/10).  Here are the chess femmes' final standings:
(23) WFM T. Deysi Cori (PER 2208), 7.0 (sixteen other players also finished with 7.0/10);  (108) Maria Gabriela Gonzalez Espana (VEN unra), 4.5;  (126) Mercedes Herrero Crespo (ESP 1897), 4.5;  (151) Ariadna Vieito Ribelles (ESP 1784), 4.0;  (171) Pilar Sogues Tena (ESP 1648), 3.0;  (174) Marie-Jeanne Jonckers (BEL 1678), 3.0;  (180) Margarita Avrukh (ISR unr), 2.5; (190) Arina Mossiaguine (SWE unr), 2.0.  

(Photo: Deysi Cori, 2008 Benidorm Open, Round 1)  Who the heck is Deysi Cori???  She clearly outpaced all the rest of the chess femmes and gave the chess hommes a run for the money.  She's not a player who was on my radar screen.  Was her Benidorm performance an aberration?  Or a break-out?  According to FIDE information, she was born in 1993, another teenager!  Here's a chart of her ratings progress.  She's been active lately, playing in a tournament each month in August, October, November and December, 2007, and in January and February, 2008.  One more young chess femme to add to my "watch" list.

The Panamericano Women's Championship
May 6 - 12, 2008
Official Website
 The event was won by Zirka Frometa Castillo with 7.0/9.  These are not the highest-rated chess femmes in the world, but what a wonderful opportunity for them to come together to meet and play OTB.  We don't get a lot of news about women chessplayers from the southern American hemisphere.  Final standings:

2008 Kaupthing Open 
May 10 – 17, 2008
Luxembourg
Last year's Kaupthing Open "A" was won by GM Koneru Humpy, on her march toward topping the 2600 ELO mark.  Several photographs of this year's action were taken in all 9 rounds, but none of them were captioned.  I scrolled through those from Round 9 and found these chess femmes you may recognize from prior coverage in this column: IM Tania Sachdev (top photo - I just love that attitude) and IM Yelena Dembo (bottom photo - Yelena is thinking "why are you asking me these silly questions?" and restraining herself from punching out the cameraman).

There were three sections, here are the final standings for each (9 Rounds) (prizes won by the chess femmes given in Euros):

Open "A" (85 players) 

1. Istratescu, Andrei GM 2628 M ROU 5 4 0 7.0 
6. Socko, Monika IM 2505 W POL 5 3 1 6.5 (won 1,500 E) 
18. Dzagnidze, Nana IM 2443 W GEO 5 1 3 5.5  (won 750 E)
23. Nebolsina,Vera WGM 2345 W RUS 4 3 2 5.5 (won 400 E)
32. Tania, Sachdev IM 2423 W IND 3 4 2 5.0  (won 200 E)
38. Zdebskaja, Natalia WGM 2368 W UKR 2 5 2 4.5 (won 100 E)
 41. Dembo, Yelena IM 2429 W GRE 3 3 3 4.5 
47. Rudolf, Anna WGM 2302 W HUN 3 3 3 4.5 
48. Berend, Elvira WGM 2303 W LUX 2 5 2 4.5 
52. Schweitzer,Viktor WIM 2218 W FRA 3 3 3 4.5 (Viktor? Viktoria? Julie Andrews in the movie?) 
53. Wagener, Anna WGM 2266 W LUX 2 5 2 4.5 
70. Bakalarz, Grazyna WFM 2006 W LUX 2 3 4 3.5 
85. Vogel, Heike WFM 2134 * GER 1 0 5 1.0

IM Monika Socko was the female star of the "A" Open and took home nearly $3,000 USD for her 6th place finish.  Yelena Dembo finished just out of the money, as did "Little Red" Anna  Rudolf.  Tania Sachdev took home some cash, but judging from her photo she wasn't very happy with her finish.  She's not used to finishing in the middle of the pack.

Open "B" (66 players) 

1. Dal Borgo, Albin 2164 M BEL 7 2 0 8.0 
3. Henrichs,Wenke 2097 W GER 6 1 2 6.5 (won 200 E)
55. Ludewig, Daniela 1398 W LUX 1 4 4 3.0 (won 100 E)
58. Boyarchenko,Vlada 1603 W LUX 2 2 5 3.0 (won 50 E)
64. Dohm, Micheline 1480 W LUX 0 4 5 2.0 

"C" Group (22 players) 

1. Schmitt, Carsten 1199 M Turm Wadern GER 6 2 1 7.0 
4. Apel, Laryana 1307 W Esch LUX 5 2 2 6.0 (won 20 E)
9. Socko,Weronika 1198 W POL 5 0 4 5.0 (Monika's sister???)
14. Blond Hanten, Elsa 1200 W Differdange LUX 4 0 5 4.0 
17. Krippler, Anne 1200 W Differdange LUX 3 2 3 4.0 
20. Berend, Tina 1198 W Dudelange LUX 2 1 6 2.5 
21. Krippler, Lisa 1200 W Differdange LUX 1 3 5 2.5

2008 Frank K. Berry U.S. Women's Chess Championship
May 13 - 21, 2008
I have so much to say about this Championship and subsequent events, it has its own special coverage section!

The 2008 Chicago Open 
May 23 - 26, 2008 
Chicago, Illinois
(Photo: Iryna Zenyuk, November, 2007, Amadeus Echecs), Zenyuk, Abrahamyan (winner of the 2008 Goddesschess "Fighting Chess" Award) and Airapetian all played in the 2008 Frank K. Berry U.S. Women's Chess Championships.  There were several sections; here are the final standings for the chess femmes in the Open and the U-2300:

Final standings (chess femmes):
Open:
(19) Iryna Zenyuk (USA 2186), 4.0

Under 2300:
(3) Tatev Abrahamyan (USA 2296), 5.5
(13) Tatiana Vayserberg (USA 2132), 5.0
(27) Yulia Cardona (CUB 2179), 4.0
(31) WFM Chouchanik Airapetian (USA 2143), 4.0
(74) WFM Hana Itkis (USA 2082), 2.0

Upcoming Events

Susan Polgar World Open for Girls 
June 7 - 8, 2008 
Las Vegas, Nevada
This event has been held the past couple of years (this is now the third) in conjunction with the Las Vegas International Chess Festival at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas.  Last year Goddesschess partner Georgia Albert (a/k/a Isis) attended a free presentation on marketing given by Susan Polgar and Paul Truong at the hotel and came away greatly impressed.  Scholarships to Texas Tech University and prizes of up to $100,000 will be awarded (I believe this is split between the World Open for Girls and the World Open for Boys).  Lots of events are scheduled.  More information at Susan Polgar's blog. For young ladies who have not otherwise qualified for a spot in the Susan Polgar National Invitational this year, this is the final place to do it.  

Chess Classic Mainz 2008
July 27 - August 3, 2008
Mainz. Germany
Anand, Morozevich, Carlsen and Judit Polgar to play.  Ooooohhhhhh!

In the News

• Is there going to be a Women's World Chess Championship after all?  From The Week in Chess (May 30, 2008), talking about the Kamsky-Topalov match (yes yes, I know it should be the other way around, but I prefer putting Kamsky first).  I've abstracted the portion relevant to the WCC:  The latest is that in a new phone interview with FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov with Yury Vasilyev (who reliably reports the FIDE line) reported at the chess site chesspo.ru:

  •  KI: I give my personal guarantees. The prize-fund will be such that has been specified in the application of the manager of the grandmaster Gata Kamsky - Alexander Chernenko: $935,000 dollars. The players will receive $750,000. Also I will announce tomorrow the world championship among women. It will take place in Nalchik August 28th - September, 18th. The prize-fund will be $630,000.  Where?  What happened to the potential bid by Is Bank and the Turkish Chess Federation?
     

• The Hindu Online, Sport - Chess, May 27, 2008: Final standings for the Delhi state (under-15) chess championship at the K.R. Mangalam School (New Delhi, India).  Among the girls, Arunima Kalra won all four rounds to take the title. Madhurima Shekhar and Pooja Joshi scored three points each to make the medal-bracket.  Final Standings:  Girls: 1. Arunima Kalra (4 points), 2-3: Madhurima Shekhar, Pooja Joshi (3 each); 4. Kesshni Basiin (2.5), 5-7: Preetika Tayal, Upasana Mahajan and Saumya Dangwal (2 each).
   

• Yorkregion.com, May 26, 2008: Pengs are prodigies in chess by Michael Power.  Ten-year old Jackie Peng and seven-year old Janet Peng will both be playing in the Canadian National Youth Championships in Quebec City, Quebec (Canada) July 14 - 17, 2008.  Winners from this Championship will compete for Canada in the World Youth Championships to be held in Vietnam in October.
   

• The Kalinga Times, May 23, 2008:  An interview with India's newest and youngest (14) WIM, Padmini Rout, Orissa Chess Champion Padmini Rout Aims to Become a Grandmaster.
   

• The Star Online (Malaysia), May 23, 2008 (photo: 2007 Malaysian Women's Champion Nur Shazwan Zulkafli):  The Chess Column by QUAH SENG SUN, Family Affair (on the Malaysian Closed National Women's Chess Championship and chessplaying sisters who have participated in the event in the past, including Zarul Shazwan Zulkafli and Nur Shazwani Zulkafli, Nurul Huda Ariffin and Khairunnisa Ariffin, and Eliza Hanim Ibrahim and Eliza Hanum Ibrahim).
   

• The NavHind Times, May 23, 2008:  A feature article on young Indian chess whiz Ivana Maria Furtado (recent silver medalist at the National U-9 Indian Championships held in New Delhi, with a record of +8, =2, -1), Winning Medals is Ivana's Habit.  Ivana will play in the Indian Women National B Championship to be held in Calicut from June 6 to 14, as well as in the Asian Youth Chess Championship, to be held in Teheran in July and the World Youth Chess Championship to be held in Vietnam from October 17-29, by virtue of of her championship gold in both events last year.
   

• Susan Polgar Chess Blog, May 23, 2008:  The Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, is now one year old.  Accomplishments of SPICE during the past year were listed, and it's an impressive list.  A potentially important announcement was made by Susan Polgar regarding the 2009 U.S. Chess Championships: I informed the USCF EB during the last board meeting [held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the U.S. Championships] that SPICE and the SPF would be interested in hosting and sponsoring the US and US Women's Championship if no other sponsor is found.
   

• The Baguio Sun Star, May 21, 2008:  Thirteen year old Brena Mae Membrere of the Phillipines conquers the world!
   

• The Chiliiwak Times, May 20, 2008:   Ola Kubiak, a Grade 4 student at St. Mary's elementary, tied as co-champion at the 2008 B.C. Youth Chess Championship, held at Sprott-Shaw Community College in New Westminster on April 26 and 27. She won in the girls 10-and- under category, tying for top honors, and will be competing in the national finals in Quebec City, Canada.
   

• Xinhuanet, May 17, 2008 and Mathaba News Agency, May 17, 2008:  GM Xu Yuhua (who now lives in Qatar with her husband, GM Mohamad al-Modiahki) will be an Olympic torch bearer in China, doing 100 yards (she's six months pregnant).
   

• The Leamington Observer, May 15, 2008:  Schoolgirls are queens of the chessboard.

Featured Chess Femme IM (GM-elect) Marie Sebag (FRA 2521) (b. October 15, 1986) (Photo from Kosteniuk.com) Bio from Chessgames.com: "In 2002, Marie Sebag won the World Girls' Under 16 Girls' Championship and became Women's National French Champion. In 2003, she came fourth in the European Women’s Championship in Silivri, Turkey. In 2004, Sebag came equal first with Jolanta Zawadzka in the U18 Girls World Championship in Heraklio, Crete but came second on countback. She contested the FIDE Women's World Championship (2006) and reached the quarter finals, only to bow out when defeated by Svetlana Matveeva in the rapid game tiebreakers.  Sebag has played for the powerful Kydon club as a European Union player. She is an IM and a WGM." As covered in last month's column, Sebag scored her third and final GM norm at the 2008 Individual European Chess Championships, the only woman to play in the putative Men's section, as there was a separate Women's Championship and the highest-rated female chess stars of Europe opted en masse to play for that title (and easier money).  Marie is number 9 on the FIDE Top 50 Women, one of only 12 with a rating of 2500 and above (but several are knocking on the door).  FIDE is now providing percentage of wins/draws/losses with White and Black for games reported with colors after January, 2007.  Here are Marie's stats: Color Percentage: 41 game(s) with White :  Win: 49%  Draw: 34%  Loss: 17% 40 game(s) with Black :  Win: 43%  Draw: 33%  Loss: 24% As these stats show, she's a very balanced player, playing nearly equally well behind the Black pieces as White.  Her ELO chart shows a steady non-stop climb to her current rating since her first FIDE appearance in 2000. Some chess games of Marie Sebag. Some articles about Marie Sebag: Chessbase, September 11, 2003:  Marie Sebag, France's New Wonder Girl  Wikipedia Biography  Chessvibes, Sebag defeats GM Michael Krasenkow in Round 7 of the Hogeschool Zeeland Tournament, on August 10, 2007 (game viewer) Chessdom, May 2, 2008:  Marie Sebag is a GM! The New York Times, May 4, 2008: Frenchwoman Wins Attention at an Event Dominated by Men (about IM Marie Sebag scoring her third and final GM norm at the 2008 European Men's Chess Championship - the only woman playing in the field).  Lots of photos of Marie Sebag

As always, you can find more news about women chess players at Chess Femme News at Goddesschess and the Goddesschess blog.

Archives
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008

"Xena" (a/k/a Jan Newton) is one of the principals at Goddesschess, a popular "niche" website since its debut in 1999.  Goddesschess publishes articles from authors around the world as well as producing and publishing the principals' own work.  In addition to promoting views about the goddess side of chess, Goddesschess publishes news and articles of general interest about board games, research concerning the development and history of board games and archaeological discoveries related to board games.  Jan also regularly publishes women's chess news at Chess Femme News.  Enjoy!

Also, JanXena is experimenting with formatting and content,
please feel free to let Chessville know what you think, pro and con.

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