Koneru Humpy’s great form continued in the first leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix chess here as she posted her fourth win in as many games to replace China’s Ju Wenjun at the top of the leaderboard after the ninth round.
The Vijayawada player has seven points with two rounds remaining. Wenjun, who lost to Kateryna Lagno of Russia, remained on 6.5 points, but she is in the sole second position.
That enabled Humpy, who had begun the day half-a-point behind the leader, to move ahead. She defeated Valentina Gunina in a Blumenfeld Gambit, playing accurately and imaginatively against her erratic Russian opponent. Humpy is now the only unbeaten player in the field of 12.
The other Indian in the fray, Dronavalli Harika, who drew with Germany’s Elisabeth Paehtz is placed sixth with 4.5 points.
The standings:
1. Koneru Humpy (Ind) 7; 2. Ju Wenjun (Chn) 6.5; 3. Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) 6; 4. Kateryna Lagno (Rus) 5; 5-7. Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger), Dronavalli Harika (Ind), Valentina Gunina (Rus) 4.5; 8-9. Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus), Alina Kashlinskaya (Rus) 3.5; 10-11. Antonaeta Stefanova (Bul), Marie Sebag (Fra) 3; 12. Pia Cramling (Swe) 2.5.
