Semi-Finals underway (9)

Camilla Baginskaite and Anna Zatonskih won the first legs of their Semi-Finals and only need to draw their second games to book their place in the final. In the Men's event, both matches were drawn and remain finely balanced, noting that group winners Gata Kamsky and Robert Hess both have White today.

Draws in the first legs of the Semi-Finals have left both matches finely balanced.

The question arises of course: What happens if a match reaches 1-1? Here's the official ti-breaking method:

Semifinals and finals tiebreaks will consist of a two-game rapid match (G/25+5 second increment). If the contest is still undecided, the match will go to a rapid Armageddon bidding game with a base time of 45 minutes for each Player. Black will have draw odds. Each Player shall bid an amount of time (minutes and seconds, a number equal to or less than 45:00) they are willing to play with in order to choose their color. The Player who bids the lowest amount of time chooses his color and begins with that amount of time; the other Player receives 45:00. If both Players bid exactly the same amount of time, the Chief Arbiter will flip a coin to determine who shall choose their color.

Another novel American idea that would raise a few eyebrows in Europe!

Semi Finals (game one):

White Elo Result Black Elo
Sam Shankland 2512  ½-½ Gata Kamsky 2733
Yuri Shulman 2622  ½-½ Robert Hess 2565
White Elo Result Black Elo
Gata Kamsky 2733  - Sam Shankland 2512
Robert Hess 2565  - Yuri Shulman 2622
White Elo Result Black Elo
Anna Zatonskih  2499  1-0 Irina Krush 2472
Tatev Abrahamyan 2326  0-1 Camilla Baginskaite 2342
White Elo Result Black Elo
Irina Krush  2472   - Anna Zatonskih 2499
Camilla Baginskaite 2342   - Tatev Abrahamyan 2326
  • The games will start at 2pm (local time).
  • There is a seven hour difference between St. Louis and Paris.
  •  So 2pm (St. Louis) =

8pm London

9pm Paris, Madrid

11pm Moscow


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