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World News:
Xu Yuhua Takes Women's World Championship

Anand, Morozevich share Amber Title

Chess In the Media: Chess Stories Across the USA and Around the World

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Chess Around the World

Xu Yuhua Takes Women's World Championship

Xu Yuhua won twice with the black pieces to take the 2006 Women's World Championship crown, 2.5-0.5 over Alisa Galliamova. Xu won the four game match with a game to spare, only conceding a draw in the second game.

Xu, who entered the tournament as the 6th seed, moved through the tournament with relative ease. In her five matches leading up to the final, Xu was forced int a tiebreaker just once - a 2.5-1.5 win over Russia's Ekaterina Kovalevskaya in the quarterfinals. Galliamova also entered the final on a roll, winning her quarterfinal over Nino Khurtsidze 2-0, and following that with a 1.5-0.5 semifinal win over Viktorija Cmilyte.

For her victory, Xu took home $60,000, while Galliamova won $30,000 as the runner-up.

Here is Xu's tournament-clinching win in the 3rd game of the final.

White: Galliamova, A (2467)
Black: Xu Yuhua (2502)
Women's World Championship Final, Game 3
1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 b6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bb7 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Ne4 11. Bxd8 Nxc3 12. Bc7 Na6 13. Bf4 Ne4 14. Nb5 g5 15. Be3 Ke7 16. Rd1 d5 17. f3 Nf6 18. Bd4 Rhd8 19. e3 Rd7 20. h4 Nc7 21. hxg5 hxg5 22. c5 a6 23. Nxc7 Rxc7 24. cxb6 Rc6 25. a4 Nd7 26. a5 Nc5 27. Bc3 Na4 28. Bb4+ Kf6 29. b3 Nc5 30. Rb1 Nd7 31. Be2 Rc2 32. Rh6+ Kg7 33. Rh5 Kf6 34. g3 Rac8 35. f4 gxf4 36. gxf4 Ra2 37. Rd1 Nc5 38. Bc3+ Ke7 39. f5 Ne4 40. Bb4+ Kf6 41. Bd3 Rg8 42. Rh6+ Ke5 43. Rh1 Rg3 44. Bxe4 Rxe3+ 45. Kf1 dxe4 46. fxe6 Kxe6 47. Rh6+ Kf5 48. Rd7 Rf3+ 49. Ke1 Rxb3 50. Bd2 e3 51. Bc1 Rb1 52. Rc7 Bf3 53. Rhc6 Bxc6 54. Rxc6 Raa1 55. Ke2 Rxa5 56. Bxe3 Rb2+ 57. Kf3 Rb3 58. Rc7 Re5 0-1

Anand, Morozevich share Amber Title

Alexander Morozevich dominated the blindfold play, while Viswanathan Anand topped the rapid standings as the two GMs shared first place at the Amber Rapid and Blindfold Tournament. Both players finished with identical 14.5/22 scores, well ahead of the field.

The victories marked Anand's fifth win at the Amber tournament, and Morozevich's third in just four appearances.

Morozevich, who has a history of dominating blindfold play, easily led that half of the tournament with a 9.5/11 score - an incredible three full points ahead of both Francisco Vallejo Pons and Anand. Meanwhile, Anand continued his success in fast-paced chess by easily winning the rapid portion of the competition. His 8/11 score was 1.5 points better than both Veselin Topalov and Levon Aronian.

Here are the complete, combined final standings:

Anand, Viswanathan (14.5/22)
Morozevich, Alexander (14.5)
Vallejo Pons, Francisco (12.0)
Grischuk, Alexander (11.5)
Leko, Peter (11.0)
Topalov, Veselin (11.0)
Aronian, Levon (10.5)
Gelfand, Boris (10.5)
Van Wely, Leko (10.0)
Svidler, Peter (9.5)
Ivanchuk, Vassily (9.0)
Nielsen, Peter Heine (8.0)

Here is an example of the blindfold play in the tournament: a win by Morozevich over FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov.

White: Morozevich, A (2721)
Black: Topalov, V (2801)
Amber Tournament, Blindfold Round 8
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b6 3. d4 Bb7 4. c4 e6 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc3 Re8 9. Rc1 d6 10. Bg5 Bxc3 11. Rxc3 Nbd7 12. Re1 h6 13. Bc1 c5 14. b3 Qc7 15. Bb2 a4 16. bxa4 Ra6 17. d5 exd5 18. cxd5 Rea8 19. Nh4 Rxa4 20. a3 b5 21. Nf5 b4 22. axb4 Rxb4 23. Rb3 Qb6 24. Rxb4 Qxb4 25. Qb1 Rb8 26. Ba1 Ba8 27. Qc1 c4 28. Bc3 Qb3 29. Qa1 Kh7 30. Nd4 Qb6 31. Nc6 Re8 32. Rb1 Qc7 33. Qa6 Ne5 34. Nxe5 dxe5 35. e4 Rb8 36. Rxb8 Qxb8 37. Qxc4 Qb1+ 38. Qf1 Qc2 39. Qe1 Nd7 40. h4 Bb7 41. Qd2 Qb1+ 42. Kh2 Ba6 43. Qb2 Qxb2 44. Bxb2 f6 45. Ba3 g5 46. Bh3 Bb5 47. h5 Kg7 48. f3 Nb6 49. Kg1 Be8 50. Bg4 Bd7 51. Bxd7 Nxd7 52. Kf2 Kf7 53. Ke2 Ke8 54. Kd3 Kd8 55. Kc4 Ke8 56. Kb5 1-0