Four victories in five intense fights

If Luis Rentero (1922-2015) raised his head today at the Women's Grand Prix in Munich, he would be very happy.

Ten of the twelve world elite women who compete in the tournament have fought with great intensity, as promoted by the architect of Linares (Jaén) becoming the

of chess and the model of extreme combativity.

The Chinese Zhongyi Tan, the Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk (in the process of being Swiss), the Georgian Nana Dzagnidze and the German Elisabeth Paethz are the first leaders.

The only very predictable thing came true: the Ukrainian Muzychuk sisters, Mariya and Anna, drew a draw, as in their twenty previous games since October 2015. The only ingredient with a certain morbidity in this tournament will be their confrontations with Kosteniuk, although it must be taken into account that the Russian plays with the flag of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and is in the process of adopting Swiss nationality.

Kosteniuk won today in an interesting fight against her ex-compatriot Alina Kashlínskaya, who shortly after the invasion of Ukraine became Polish (she is married to the Polish grandmaster Radoslav Wojtaszek).

The regulation, as usual in official tournaments and also in some private ones, indicates that players of the same nationality must face each other on the opening day.

So also did the Indians Humpy Koneru and Dronavalli Harika, who also tied but giving the impression that they were fighting much more seriously than the Muzychuk sisters.

There is no doubt that the two Chinese have really hit it off because the former world champion (2017-2018) Zhongyi Tan has beaten the best young star in her country, Jiner Zhu, 18th in the world at 20 years old.

The other two games have been very spectacular and instructive at the same time.

Paethz has imposed himself on the also German Dinara Wagner from a laboratory idea prepared conscientiously with her trainer and her father (grand teacher), as she has explained after her.

And then she has finished off with a combination worthy of an award for the most beautiful game.

But the best, in terms of its quality and complexity from start to finish, has been the precious exchange of swords between the Kazakh Zhansaya Abdumalik and Dzagnidze, who has prevailed in a position of enormous tactical complexity and under great pressure from the clock .

The very elegant halls of the Kempinski luxury hotel, venue of the tournament, are not the most appropriate to fit with the expression that Luis Rentero used to use when addressing journalists to highlight the combativeness of the Linares tournament, but his philosophy is transferable. to the current one in Munich: “Look how these gladiators fight!

Look how the floor of the stage is covered with blood!

For now, gladiators also fight hard.

First round:

Harika – Koneru, draw;

M. Muzychuk – A. Muzychuk, boards;

Kosteniuk – Kashlinskaya, 1-0;

Tan–Zhu, 1-0;

Paehtz-Wagner, 1-0;

Abdumalik-Dzagnidze, 0-1.

Classification:

1st-4th Tan, Kosteniuk, Dzagnidze and Paethz 1;

5th-8th Koneru, A. Muzychuk, M. Muzychuk and Harika;

9th-12th Abdumalik, Kashlinskaya, Zhu and Wagner 0.

Second round (Friday, 3:00 p.m.):

Koneru – Abdumalik;

Dzagnidze–M. Muzychuk;

Zhu–Harika;

Kashlinskaya – Tan;

Paehtz-Kosteniuk;

Wagner–A. Muzychuk.

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