Humpy Koneru and Nana Dzagnidze take the lead after the first round of #CairnsCup:
M. Muzychuk ½-½ Ju Wenjun
Koneru 1-0 Yip
Lagno ½-½ Harika
Dzagnidze 1-0 Gunina
Kosteniuk ½-½ Krush

https://t.co/QWxDjgfPRw?amp=1

🎂 Happy 98th birthday to Yuri Averbakh, the world's oldest living grandmaster!

🎂 Averbakh was Soviet champion in 54 and played nine(!) world champions from Euwe to Garry Kasparov.

🎂 He also authored excellent books, including the essential series "Comprehensive Chess Endings."

"It is impossible to ignore a highly important factor of the chess struggle - psychology."

🔸 Yuri Averbakh

@UnityChess

Rapport, Hou Yifan, Kamsky, Fressinet, Gustafsson, Harikrishna, Vitiugov, Navara, Vidit, Howell and many more top players are competing in the Chess Bundesliga today, though one team has pulled out after failing to find sponsorship!

♔The King is a hardworker!
♙Study composed by Henneberger.

Great news for Indian fans! Humpy is now World No.2!

After her win in the first round of the Cairns Cup 2020 against Carissa Yip, Humpy gained 2.8 Elo points and has now reached a live rating of 2582.8. This propels her ahead of the current World Champion Ju Wenjun and become World No.2 in women's chess!

Humpy made a comeback to chess in 2018 after becoming a mother. She had a rating of 2557 which went down to 2541. In a little over a year, she has managed to gain 42 Elo points and also become the World Rapid Champion! The rate at which Humpy is gaining points and improving is quite inspiring! Although Hou Yifan with a rating of 2664, is quite far away from Humpy as of now, we never know what a determined Humpy is capable off!

As of now, this is a proud moment for Indian chess that Humpy has managed to reach the no.2 spot. A big congratulations to her.

Read how Humpy managed to beat Carissa Yip in round 1 of the Cairns Cup 2020:

https://chessbase.in/news/Cairns-Cup-2020-Round-1-report?fbclid=IwAR2SNklo5MFAmvMugimixhV9mQRnaCd1bMtk2ajCUVEtB23HmY5ArMrre8c

On 8 February 1989, Jan Timman qualified for the semi-final of the candidate matches by winning 3.5-2.5 against Lajos Portisch.
On the photo we see the interest of the press and public in after the sixth and last game of the match, played in Antwerp.

@UnityChess

"Finding yourself again in your golden years, I believe it is very important," says 98-year-old grand master Yuri Averbakh. "You must be able to plan your life, then you can live longer."

Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kateryna Lagno, Mariya Muzychuk and Nana Dzagnidze lead the race at Cairns Cup. Round 2 games were played in Saint Louis.