The third round of the Women’s World Chess Championship 2006 has finished. As it was reported earlier Svetlana Matveeva was the first to reach the next round. Viktoria Cmilyte (Lithuania) , the representative of China Xu Yuhua and Nino Khurtsidze from Georgia followed her. After tie-breaks we learnt the names of other 1/4 finalists. They are Ekaterina Kovalevskaya and Alisa Galliamova from Russia, Marie Sebag (France) and a chess legend from Georgia Maya Chiburdanidze.

The tie-breaks were as usual very tense and 25 minutes matches determined only 2 winners. Russian fans were very delighted with 2 Russian players who reached the third round. Alisa Galliamova managed to save a difficult first game, and playing black defeated Iweta Radzievicz in the second one. The first game of Kovalevskaya was dramatic as well. The situation was quite shaking and Ekaterina had to do her best to get the desired score. In the second game the world women vice- champion managed to advantage and draw. Chiburdanidze had to play 5-minutes games for the first time at this tournament. With higher rank ability to understand the game Maya defeated young Chinese player Ju Wenjun .Blitz – games between Marie Sebag and Qin Janying were the most dramatic – they sacrificed pawns and pieces without calculation – and the victory of young French player was uncompromising. By the way, she was the only representative of younger generation, who reached the ¼ final. Disastrous results of the Chinese team are also quite significant.

March 17 is a day-off.