From the 18th of November till the 2nd of December the capital of Ugra is hosting the final and decisive leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015/2016. The venue for the tournament is Ugra Chess Academy in Russia’s Khanty Mansiysk.
In Round 4 of the tournament, a third draw happened for the Iranian Woman Grand Master Sarasadat Khademalsharieh in her encounter against Almira Skripchenko of France.
The game between Iran’s representative and European champion Skripchenko was carried through quite smoothly. In the middle-game White, played by the French side, went for the exchanges a little bit early, and then the position started to simplify step by step. The chess players agreed to a draw after Black had made her 30th move.
Skripchenko owns six titles of French Women’s Chess Championship, the annual, national chess tournament of Franc, in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2014.
By the end of Round 4, Valentina Gunina, Olga Girya and Nino Batsiashvili are leaders while Ju Wenjun and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh are 0.5 point behind.
It is noteworthy that, Wednesday, November 23, is a rest day for all the twelve participants who will take on rivals on Thursday in the fifth round of the final and decisive leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015/2016.
Iran’s only representative at the sportive event has so far held title-defender Dronavalli Harika of India and the 2008 champion Alexandra Kosteniuk from the host country at draws and subdued Russia’s Valentina Gunina in her third showdown.
IM Khademalsharieh is scheduled to take on Georgia’s Lela Javakhishvili in the fifth round of the fifth leg of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015/2016.
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