The event continued with the great fighting spirits shown in the venue. And we again witnessed a few major upsets on the top boards.

The biggest upset of the round was seen on the second board in the game between 2nd-seede IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2451) and WFM Charis Peglau (GER, 2238). Playing with Whites, Yuliia Osmak earned the opening advantage, but Peglau equalized in the middlegame. Getting closer to time troubles, both players had a few inaccuracies, but the outcome was better for Charis Peglau who took the decisive advantage and eventually scored a win.

WFM Anastasiia Hnatyshyn (UKR, 2207) defeated higher rated IM Marina Brunello (ITA, 2346). It was a very solid and precise game for 16-year-old Ukrainian player, who earned the advantage in the early part of the middlegame, and convincingly sailed through the win without giving chances to her opponent.

WGM Michalina Rudzinska (POL, 2200) scored against rating favourite IM Gulnar Mammadova (AZE, 2325) after a very interesting and dynamical game. It seemed that Black had a more practical position, and Rudzinska successfully proved it after her opponent made a mistake with 33.gh4?. The Polish Grandmaster took the advantage and secured a win after a sequence of precise play.

WFM Varvara Poliakova (FIDE, 2108) again stunned and after yesterday’s win over Romanian representative IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2361), today scored against Serbian representative WGM Sofia Pogorelskikh (SRB, 2284). Poliakova earned a slight advantage with Blacks out of the opening and showed great play in the continuation to score her second win in the tournament.

Just like the opening round, today’s second round finished with 20 draws. The top-seed IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2455) drew with Blacks against FM Alexandra Zherebtsova (MNE, 2242), Tetyana Skarbarchuk (UKR, 2236) drew against higher rated IM Lela Javakhishvli (GEO, 2442), WIM Bozhena Piddubna (UKR, 2235) managed to escape from a worse position and drew against IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2408), WIM Noga Orian (ISR, 2231) missed her winning chances and played a draw against IM Olga Badelka (AUT, 2392), while IM Guna Mammadzada (AZE, 2374) and WIM Anna Kubicka (POL, 2226) played a very solid game which ended in a draw.

ECU