Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 6. Juli 2025, 21:55 Uhr

The Women’s World Cup kicks off in Batumi – most of the favourites cruise through   Werbung The first game of the first round of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup was played this afternoon at the outstanding Grand Bellagio Batumi Convention & Casino Hotel.  Located on the new boulevard, the playing venue is just under four minutes walking distance from the beach. Both players and accompanying persons can enjoy all the amenities of a five-star hotel.  At 3:00 pm sharp, the Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim introduced Georgian Federation President Akaki Iashvili and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who performed the ceremonial first move on board number one.

Dvorkovich opted for 1.Nf3 and IM Carissa Yip, playing with White, chose to leave it on the board in her game against WFM Hannah Wilson.  The rest of the games started immediately but something was off. A quick scan of the room made it quite apparent that one of the 86 players was missing. Most of the players had arrived more than fifteen minutes before the round, to avoid delays with the fair-play scanning.  IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya waited patiently and finally her opponent, Jana Mohamed Zaki, appeared through the door, just under the 15-minute time limit permitted to avoid forfeit. Apparently, she had taken the wrong elevator and lost her way.

Although she made it on time to play her first-round game, according to the tournament regulations she will be fined with a hefty 300 USD, which will be deducted from her prize money.  Werbung It’s important to take into account that the top twenty-one seeds of the will join the forty-three winners of round one for the next pairing, in three days’ time.  Some of them have arrived sooner than expected: among others, I spotted 2021 cup winner Alexandra Kosteniuk, India’s Olympiad winner Vaishali and two of the three top Chinese players (Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie) in the dining area.

Game of the day The first game to finish was probably one of the best of the round. French IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette played a fantastic model Sicilian with White against WIM Ahmed Wadifa. She was kind enough to pop-in to the media centre to explain what she was thinking about during the game.

As is customary in knockout-format tournaments, where chess players of unequal level face off in the early rounds, there have been a few striking surprises and upsets. Nonetheless, most of the favourites cruised through with no major difficulties.  On board one, IM Carissa Yip played at an outstanding 96% accuracy to score her first win, only surpassed at 97% by IM Stavroula Tsolakidou on board two!  Other contenders to pull ahead in their encounters with ease were GM Bella Khotenashvili, GM Anna Ushenina and 16-year-old WGM Anna Shukhman.  The current World Junior Girls champion took down her opponent from Philippines, WFM Ruelle Canino in a complex Ragozin, and then came along to the media centre to be interviews by yours truly, and showcase her tactical skills on the digital board.  Check out the interview on Youtube and marvel at the youngster’s huge chess talent!

Other favourites had to work hard to reap the award. Both IM Klaudia Kulon and former Women’s World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova were playing great for most of the game, but a small mistake in the ending could have cost them half a point if their opponents had found some unexpected fortresses.    Upsets and comebacks Being that today was only the first game of the two-game match, everyone has a chance to make a comeback tomorrow, forcing a tiebreak that will take place the day after.  On board four, CM Isabelle Yixuan Ning was out-rated by more than 400 points! Even so, she played a solid game with no mistakes and was able to hold her opponent, GM Valentina Gunina, to a draw.

Further down on board eighteen, WFM Lala Shohradova, rated 2149, also played very solidly, clocking in a 98% accuracy score, and will force her opponent IM Vantika Agrawal to try and advance with the white pieces tomorrow.  Werbung GM Irina Krush, WGM Govhar Beydullayeva, IM Olivia Kiolbasa, IM Sophie Milliet and IM Marsel Efroimski were also all rating favourites that were only able to get a draw and must wait for the second game to try to impose their theoretical superiority.  Finally, towards the lower part of the tree bracket, ratings and playing strength are much closer – and therefore to use the word “surprise” is not really a thing. In any case, IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili (now Spanish but originally from Talavi, Georgia) will need to win tomorrow to tie her match against local prodigy WFM Anastasia Kirtadze.

Tied to the same fate and Peruvian IM Cori Deysi, who will play White against WIM Wang Chuqiao and needs to win, and IM Le Thao Nguyen Pham who will need to bounce back from her defeat with White against local WFM Kesaria Mgeladze.  The second game of the first round will being tomorrow July 7th at 15.00 and can be followed live on FIDE Youtube channel with expert commentary. Join us there! Text by: IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman, Andrei Anosov

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 8. Juli 2025, 10:21 Uhr

FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 2: 15-year-old local player Kesaria Mgeladze eliminates IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen Eleven matches will be decided tomorrow in the tie-breaks The second round in a two-game match is a nerve-racking affair for any player. A draw might involve returning tomorrow for a tie-beak but, on the other hand, one small mistake is all you need, and you’re on your way home. The seriousness of the situation was evident in the room: although most of the players were smiling and small taking before the start of the game, I couldn’t help but sense the tension and the nerves in the background.

Meanwhile, top seeds continue to arrive. Although they don’t enter into the competition until July 9th, many of them prefer to travel early and fully recover from their long journeys. The top two Indians Humpy and Harika, both of the Muzychuk sisters, Chinese superstars Zhu Jiner and Lu Miaoyi, Polina Shuvalova, Alina Kaslinskaya, just to name a few, have been sighted in the venue. But let’s dive in on the chess action, which has been fast and furious. While most of the favourites scored their second win or went for a comfortable draw to secure their qualification, others who drew or even lost yesterday had to step it up to make a come-back on the scoreboard and try to force the rapid games tie-break. Qualifiers to the second round As expected, most of the rating favourites advanced to the second round where they will be paired against the top twenty-one seeds.

IM Carissa Yip (pictured above, left), GM Bella Khotenashvili, WGM Anna Shukhman, IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette, IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, GM Elina Danielian, GM Antoaneta Stefanova, IM Nurgyul Salimova and IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova were some of the few contenders to win both of their games. Other top players such as IM Stavroula Tsolakidou, GM Anna Ushenina (pictured below, right), IM Song Yuxin, IM Lilit Mkrtchian, GM Irina Krush, IM Mai Narva, IM Alice Lee and IM Oliwia Kiolbasa side-stepped the tiebreaks, but dropped a draw on the way.

Both Alice and Irina are two of the four players from the United States of America who have travelled to Georgia in an attempt to take back the trophy. FIDE’s own top interviewer Charlize van Zyl had the chance to talk to them briefly this afternoon and get their thoughts on the event.

Move of the day On the lower boards, India’s IM Padmini Rout knocked out Zhang Lanlin from China by a clear 2-0 score, with what I thought was an excellent candidate for “Move of the Day”.

The tournament of Sarajevo (2000) will always be remembered for the so-called “Tourist Trap” – Garry Kasparov crushed Sergei Movsesian with the classic 13…Rxc3! Sicilian exchange sacrifice. A classic, which all titled players know by heart. By coincidence, also on move thirteen, Padmini took just under six minutes to bid farewell to her rook.

After 13…Rxc3! 14.bxc3 Qc7 15.Kb2 d5! followed by …0-0 and …Rc8 all of Black’s pieces came down on White’s castled king, ultimately forcing her opponent to resign on move 34. Finally, GM Valentina Gunina also advanced to the second round with a fine win over young CM Isabelle Ning from New Zealand. After the game, Valentina revealed how her recent health problems have had an impact on her chess.

Unexpected eliminations Only two – definitely a low rate for this type of event. The 15-year-old Batumi WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (pictured below) defeated Vietnam’s IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen by 1.5-0.5, mainly due to her win in game one.

The other unexpected elimination was IM Deysi Cori by WIM Wang Chuqiao by 0.5-1.5. Cori has been representing Peru in Women’s Chess Olympiads since 2004 and has an outstanding career achievement list.  Tomorrow afternoon’s tiebreaks With 43 tough matches, quite a few 1-1 tiebreaks were to be expected. The final result were eleven matches, which will be decided tomorrow. Possibly the most unexpected result was the encounter between Hungarian WGM Zsoka Gaal and Indian WIM Priyanka K – the rating gap between them exceeds 300 ELO points. However, Priyanka dominated her opponent today on the white side of a French Winawer, making a comeback from yesterday’s loss.

The other clearly unexpected result was Mexico’s WIM Tania Miranda Rodriguez (pictured above) defeating one of Poland’s top Olympic players, IM Klaudia Kulon, with the black pieces. Other slightly unexpected tiebreaks will be the matchups between WGM Govhar Beydullayeva and WIM Anahita Zahedifar (two draws) and IM Sophie Milliet against WIM Umida Omonova (two draws). On the lower boards, where the level of play is very similar, quite a few matches ended in a tie and will also be decided tomorrow. I would highlight special attention to the matches between IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili and young Georgian talent WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (pictured below) (1-1) along with the encounter between WGM Alinasab Mobina and WIM Amina Kairbekova (also 1-1).

For those who wish to follow the tiebreaks live, these are the basic rules – two 15/10 tie-break games will be played to decide the winner. However, if the score remains level after these two games, another set of two games will be played at 10/10, followed by two more games 5/3. If the match still remains tied after these six games, successive games of 3/2 shall be played until a result proves decisive. The full list of tiebreak matches can be found on the official website. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 8. Juli 2025, 21:50 Uhr

FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 3: Umida Omonova, the rising Uzbekistani chess talent, eliminates IM Sophie Milliet The twenty-one top seeds enter the competition tomorrow In 2021, I covered the first Women’s World Cup in Sochi. COVID was nearly over, and online rapid and blitz events had exploded during the lockdowns. Back then I wrote, “Rapid and blitz game tiebreaks are the real test for today’s modern chess player. Calculation skills become slightly less important and are at a certain level substituted by much more intuition, as the time on the clock starts running low”. Four years and two World Cups later, things haven’t changed at all. This afternoon I noticed immediately that the twenty-two players called in for the tiebreaks were very nervous and there was no small talk before the games: a lot is at stake for them. Eleven matches were not decided in the two round-one classical games and had to be fought out in a series of two rapid games – 15 minutes base time + 10 seconds increment, followed by two more rapid games – 10/10 this time – and finally two 5/3 blitz games. As in 2021, but also in 2023 in Baku, this afternoon the better players excelled, largely due to their superior intuition and faster pattern recognition. Most of the favourites only needed the first two rapid games to defeat their lower-rated opponents – eight of the eleven matches – and move on to the next round, where they will be joined by the twenty-one top seeds, including several world-class players. For IM Klaudia Kulon (pictured above), one of Poland’s best players, Batumi is her third World Cup. Advancing to the second round is an important achievement for her: she is trying to improve on her third-round best place. She didn’t expect her first-round opponent, WIM Miranda Rodriguez Tania from Mexico, to prove such a difficult challenge, although she did receive a warning from her trainer to be careful. Her 2-0 tiebreak score will definitely give her a confidence boost for the next round. She was kind enough to come to the media room and analyse her fine performance in the second tiebreak game. Iran’s WGM Mobina Alinasab was also able to fast-track her qualification by taking down Kazakhstan’s WIM Amina Kairbekova 2-0. A fun fact: it’s her 4th World Cup (including the World Championship 64-player knockout) but only her first tiebreak! Local youngster WFM Anastasia Kirtadze – born in 2009! – already showcased her skills in the recent European Championship: clearly it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for her seasoned opponent IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili, playing for Spain but born and raised in Georgia. TACTIC OF THE DAY! Just when Matnadze was very near the draw, the following blunder practically cost her qualification. Ann played her 49…Qxd3? 50.Qxd3 Nc5+ 51.Kc4 Nxd3, but now Anastasia went 52.a6! and after 52…Ne5+ 53.Kb5! stops the defense …Nc6 and White promotes a queen. A 2-0 score secured qualification and an opportunity to be interviewed by Charlize! “I’m happy because Ann is a really strong player. I hope I win the next games too!” she declared, very content. WGM Maili-Jade Ouellet representing Canada, WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro playing for the USA, IM Inna Gaponenko from Ukraine, FM Anastasia Avramidou from Greece all defeated their opponent’s in hard-fought matches and will come back tomorrow as well. The most exciting match, and definitely the major upset of the round, was France’s IM Sophie Milliet elimination by WIM Umida Omonova, the rising Uzbekistani chess talent. The final result was 3.5-2.5. Exceptional in rapid and blitz time formats, at only 19, Umida is already a dominant force across formats. A contributor to Uzbekistan’s team medals in the Women’s Chess Olympiad and Asian Games, she demonstrates mental resilience and tactical sharpness under time pressure. I had the opportunity to briefly talk to her after the game. Very emotional, she said: “Today, I played very well and won in the tiebreak. Although my opponent was very strong, we prepared well. I want to thank everyone — especially my coaches and my parents”. But the upsets didn’t end there. Two matches went the full distance, down to the 5/3 blitz games. In the first one, Indian WIM Priyanka K, although currently only rated 2090, has been in the upper 2200’s most of her career and that experience helped her achieve a 5-3 memorable elimination of up-and-coming Hungarian talent WGM Zsoka Gaal. And the last match of the day to finish also proved to be memorable. Iran’s WIM Anahita Zahedifar defeated Azerbaijan’s top woman player WGM Govhar Beydullayeva by an extremely close 4.5-3.5, qualifying to the second round. Interesting second round match-ups Most of the matches in the second round will be heavily disputed – strengths are already extremely close. My picks for interesting games would be the all-American clash between the very experienced GM Irina Krush and the up-and-coming youngster IM Carissa Yip. Another good one to watch out for will be IM Alice Lee facing WGM Anna Shukhman – a 15-year-old facing a 16-year-old! Two strong Indian players will play each other, definitely not for the first time – GM Harika Dronavalli against WGM Nandhidhaa P V. Finally, I would keep an eye on the clash between experimented GM’s Antoaneta Stefanova and Elina Danielian and also GM Bella Khotenashvili against IM Nurgyul Salimova. The full list of tiebreak matches can be found on the official website. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman and Polina Bovina The full list of tiebreak matches can be found on the official website. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman and Polina Bovina

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 11. Juli 2025, 8:02 Uhr

FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 5: WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet (born in 2010) eliminates local GM Nino Batsiashvili! 12 matches will be decided in tomorrow’s tiebreak Akaki Iashvili is the main man behind the Women’s World Cup. President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Chair of the FIDE Events Commission and Special Tasks Director of the FIDE Management Board, Akaki oversees the production and takes care of the day-to-day running of the event, along with FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. Both of them were joined this afternoon in the playing hall by Giorgi Murvanidze, Mayor of Batumi, a brilliant person and great supporter of the Georgian Chess Federation. After congratulating all the players and wishing them the best of luck, Murvanidze played the first move for WGM Candela Be Francisco on board one.

In the second game of the round, I expected very solid play from most of the players who had already drawn the first game – no one really wants to be eliminated due to a costly mistake. Among other reasons, the pay-jumps are already quite important: the 32 qualifiers for round three are guaranteed a €6,750 payday.

Indian IM Rout Padmini opted for this approach against 2021 World Cup winner GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, after the draw in their first game. Against Kosteniuk’s Petroff Defence, Padmini chose a piece sacrifice that forces a perpetual check in eleven moves – a possibility that side-steps the 30-move no-draw rule.

In this position, theory suggests 6.Nxd7, 6.Nc3 or even 6.0-0 as interesting possibilities for a fight. However, Padmini chose 6.Nxf7 and after 6…Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qe2 pinning the knight, is a well-known theoretical continuation. Black has to return to f7 to avoid falling into a much worse position, and White has a draw with 9.Qh5+. Of course, it’s also possible that Padmini wasn’t feeling well or that Kosteniuk had surprised her in the opening! Other tough match-ups games that will be decided tomorrow in the tiebreak after two draws are: FM Anastasia Avramidou – GM Kateryna Lagno WIM Umida Omonova – IM Alina Kashlinskaya IM Inna Gaponenko – GM Anna Muzychuk WGM Thalia Cervantes – GM Mariya Muzychuk IM Klaudia Kulon – WIM Priyanka K. GM Elina Danielian – GM Antoaneta Stefanova Third round qualifiers Several top players will enjoy a rest day tomorrow after cruising through round two with well-deserved wins.

Although she felt slightly nervous in the second game because her position was not good, IM Polina Shuvalova was finally able to put away IM Gulnar Mammadova with a 100% score. After the game, Charlize van Zyl from FIDE interviewed her and asked about her evolution as a player. Shuvalova reflected on how she has grown – from playing crazy games in her youth to being wiser now with a more calm and solid approach.

Top seed GM Lei Tingjie had a tough day at the office but eventually ground her young opponent down in a queen ending for her second win, while her teammate and former Women’s World Champion, GM Tan Zhongyi, also won both of her games against Georgian prodigy WFM Anastasia Kirtadze, at the same time ending her World Cup dreams.

Local Georgian top GM Nana Dzagnidze also advanced with a nice tactical performance against IM Daria Charochkina. On a lower board, IM Yuliia Osmak prevailed in a tricky endgame against a dangerous opponent, WIM Wang Chuqiao, achieving qualification for round three. In her post-game interview, she credited the best player in the world’s endgame skills. “I actually like Magnus Carlsen’s endgames and studied them a lot. I learned how to squeeze wins from small advantages”.

The four best Indian players all sealed their qualification today. GM Humpy Koneru and IM Divya Deshmukh both won their first game yesterday and a draw was enough to achieve their objective. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu won both of her games, while GM Harika Dronavalli finished off the job in the second game after being the last match standing yesterday.

Harika happily came to the media centre to show us all how to win a fine attacking game even if the queens are no longer on the board. GM Irina Krush was in a must-win situation against her young opponent IM Carissa Yip. She did all she could, even rejecting a likely perpetual check, which would have been no use to her, and eventually had to surrender her king to her teammate. The other young American player, IM Alice Lee, had to say goodbye to Batumi, losing her second game in a row against another adolescent, WGM Anna Shukhman.

Finally, Romanian IM Irina Bulmaga surprised her opponent IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette in the opening and went on to gradually outplay her, finishing off the game with a winning attack. Comebacks! Everyone enjoys a good comeback story, and today was no exception. With all of them against the ropes having lost their first game, GM’s Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Ushenina, and IM’s Song Yuxin, Aleksandra Maltsevskaya and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova were all able to grind their way to a win and will return tomorrow with a chance to qualify in the tiebreaks.

Upsets! Unfortunately, Georgian GM Nino Batsiashvili will no longer be with us, having lost her game today against a 15-year-old WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet, representing Kazakhstan.

Nonetheless, Georgia will still be well represented by GM’s Nana Dzagnidze, Bella Khotenashvili, Lela Javakhishvili and IM Meri Arabidze, all of whom qualified today. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman, Polina Bovina and Andrei Anosov

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 11. Juli 2025, 21:30 Uhr

https://chessecosystem.com/2025/07/11/frauen-world-cup-batumi-stichkaempfe-runde-2/

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 12. Juli 2025, 23:17 Uhr

FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 7: Vantika Agrawal surprises Kateryna Lagno Seven players take the lead in the first game of the third round. Yesterday’s tiebreaks were very exciting but, more importantly, eye-opening. For the most part, the pre-tournament favourites pulled through, but one can already see that the new generation are very good at rapid and blitz. Vantika (born in 2002), Kamalidenova and Song Yuxin (both 2005), Omonova (2006) and specially Lu Miaoyi (2010), have honed their skills through practice and dedication, making them more effective and suitable for the intended purpose – rapid and blitz tiebreaks. Elnaz Kaliakhmet, also born in 2010, has yet to display her own rapid and blitz skills – she unexpectedly took down GM Nino Batsiashvili in the second-round classical games! It’s make or break time! This afternoon I could feel the tension in the room. With only 32 of the original 107 players left in the mix, qualifying to the fourth round of sixteen is already a huge success: a free day, a decent pay-jump and a chance for a shot at the title.

But sometimes you have to play it safe. The first game to finish was IM Carissa Yip’s 13-move draw against GM Vaishali Rameshbabu. Playing with White, and visibly surprised by Vaishali’s opening choice, Yip decided to force a quick three-fold repetition in the Symmetrical variation of the English Opening. Checking with my database, this particular draw has already been played quite often at the highest level. Unfortunately, the local Netflix crew that came to the venue to record some footage of the American star will have to return tomorrow for the second game of the match! It didn’t take too long for another couple of games to end. GM Anna Muzychuk played solidly in the classical line of the Greco Gambit and forced a draw by perpetual check on move 22 against IM Song Yuxin, while IM’s Polina Shuvalova and Lela Javakhishvili clocked in a 98% accuracy score with no inaccuracies to draw just after the 30-move threshold.

But from that point onwards the battle was ferocious and the wins started to roll in. Indian IM Vantika Agrawal scored the upset of the day by defeating GM Kateryna Lagno on the White side of the 5.Na4 Grunfeld side-line. Vantika already enjoyed a big positional advantage in the middlegame, but Lagno’s 21…Nxe5? just precipitated a winning sequence that left the player from Delhi with an extra piece. In her postgame interview and game analysis, a very happy Vantika explained her thought process.

Shortly afterwards, with all the games approaching the time control, three games finished with a decisive result. IM Divya Deshmukh had already equalised comfortably with Black against IM Teodora Injac, but the position was still in the drawing zone around move thirty. However, with less than three minutes for the last ten moves, Injac started to play inaccurately and Divya was able to pick up a couple of pawns and eventually the full point.

Meanwhile, GM Bella Khotenashvili was also under three minutes with sixteen moves to go against GM Mariya Muzychuk, in a complicated position.

The correct move was 24.b3, protecting the c4 pawn. After the exchange of queen’s, White should be able to hold the position, according to the engine. However, after she played 24.Qc2? Muzychuk captured the c4-pawn with her knight and won an exchange shortly afterwards. In her postgame interview with Charlize van Zyl, Muzychuk said that she thought her opponent had missed 24.Qc2 Nxc4 25.Rd1 Qb6! with the double threat on the e5 rook and also 26…Na3+ winning the queen, because she started to shake her head.

GM Zhu Jiner also achieved a head start in her match against IM Alexandra Maltsevskaya, with a model game on how to increase the pressure against your opponent’s king in the advance variation of the Caro-Kann.

Things slowed down a bit after the time control scramble until seed number one GM Lei Tingjie managed to convert the full point in a queen ending against former Women’s World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova. Ending of the day

Playing with Black, Lei Tingjie has an extra passed pawn in a pure queen ending. With a few precise moves, she was able to force the exchange of queens and take home the full point. 43…Qf1+ 44.Kh4 Qe2! Threatening checkmate on g4 and the pawn on h2 45.Kh3 Qe6+! 46.Kg2 Qd5+ and Stefanova resigned. After the exchange of queen’s White’s king is too far away to stop the a-pawn.

A few minutes later, GM Nana Dzagnidze finally forced her opponent to resign when there was no hope left in the position. GM Valentina Gunina blundered a tactic on move eighteen but kept fighting until the bitter end. More or less at the same time, IM Yuliia Osmak converted her two extra pawns against IM Lu Miaoyi, notching up a very important win in her hopes to qualify for the next round.

Amazing endgame studies One of the most amazing positions of the tournament occurred in the game between IM Meri Arabidze and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk. The former 2021 World Cup winner missed an endgame study-like win and had to settle for a draw even though she had an extra rook. Check out the unbelievable move sequence she had to find to win the game!

In the rest of the games of the round, GM Harika Dronavalli (vs IM Stavroula Tsolakidou), IM Klaudia Kulon (vs GM Humpy Koneru), IM Irina Bulmaga (vs GM Tan Zhongyi), IM Meruert Kamalidenova (vs WGM Anna Shukhman) and finally WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet (vs WIM Umida Omonova) were pressing during the whole game and enjoyed good chances to win, but all five of their opponent’s defended tenaciously and achieved a draw. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 18. Juli 2025, 0:28 Uhr

FIDE Women’s World Cup Round of 16 Day 2: Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi, Nana Dzagnidze and Song Yuxin advance to quarterfinals The four Indians head to tiebreaks tomorrow for quarterfinal spots The second game of Round of 16 in the Women’s World Cup knockout stage brought plenty of excitement and high-stakes drama. Of the eight matches played, only two had a decisive result, while six ended in draws—pushing most of the action into tiebreak territory. China’s top seeds, GM Lei Tingjie and GM Tan Zhongyi, continued their dominant run, qualifying directly for the quarterfinals without having played a single tiebreak so far. Joining them are GM Nana Dzagnidze and the tournament’s standout underdog, IM Song Yuxin, who punched her ticket to the final eight.

All eyes now turn to the four Indian contenders, who will return tomorrow for what promises to be a thrilling round of tiebreaks. With a major prize increase and a coveted quarterfinal slot at stake, the pressure couldn’t be higher. Let’s take a closer look at how this afternoon’s games unfolded… Needing a win to force a tiebreak, WIM Umida Omonova opened with 1.e4, clearly signaling her intent to fight. GM Lei Tingjie, however, set aside her usual 2…Nc6 repertoire and instead opted for the ultra-solid Petroff Defense—an opening that’s become a hallmark of China’s top players. While Omonova was unable to gain any tangible advantage out of the opening, she remained persistent, pressing throughout the game and staying alert for any slip from her experienced opponent.

In the position, 40.Nf5? was indeed a pivotal mistake—especially painful given that Omonova had ample time on the clock. The preferred continuation, 40.f4! Rxb3 41.f5!, would have launched a powerful kingside initiative, tying down her opponent’s pieces and maintaining strong winning chances. Missing this moment cost her not only the advantage but ultimately the game, which ended in a perpetual check — a common escape route in high-stakes matches when one side falters. Despite this, Omonova’s postgame attitude was strikingly mature. Rather than dwell on the missed opportunity, she looked ahead with determination, expressing her focus on upcoming competitions and her long-term goal of becoming World Champion. This mindset is critical at the elite level, where resilience often defines careers more than individual victories or defeats.

IM Divya Deshmukh generally plays the Sicilian defence with Black but the open games with 1…e5 have always been considered a safer option when a draw is a good result. GM Zhu Jiner opted for the Mieses variation of the Vienna Game, a subtle and less mainstream attempt to sidestep heavy theory and provoke imbalances in quieter waters. Zhu had only played this line twice before (in 2018), suggesting this was a prepared surprise weapon. The choice may have been strategic, targeting Divya’s lack of familiarity in this specific line.

In fact, Divya had only faced it once, against GM Anton Korobov in Tata Steel 2014, a game which she lost. Overall, this was a smart psychological and strategic decision by Zhu—taking Divya out of her comfort zone (the Sicilian), steering the game toward less familiar terrain, and possibly exploiting a weak spot in her repertoire. Both players blitzed out the opening, showcasing deep preparation and high-level understanding—even in this relatively obscure side-line. It’s remarkable to consider the sheer volume of opening theory top players must internalize to perform at this level. Once the queens were exchanged, it became apparent that Zhu Jiner had a deeper grasp of the resulting position than her opponent. As the game transitioned into a complex multi-piece endgame, Zhu emerged with a clear advantage. Demonstrating excellent endgame technique and playing with 96% accuracy, she skillfully converted her edge into a full point, forcing the tiebreak. After the game, Zhu Jiner joined us in the media center and shared her reflections on her performance.

After yesterday’s solid draw, GM Nana Dzagnidze’s plan this afternoon was to play solidly and try to press. “I have played more than 50 games against GM Mariya Muzychuk,” she explained in her postgame interview. “But today she surprised me with an opening she has never played before.” Despite the surprise factor, the strategy backfired. Nana Dzagnidze calmly seized a pawn, traded down to a simplified position, and showcased superb endgame technique to secure the full point—effectively dodging the need for tomorrow’s tiebreaks. Though visibly fatigued, Dzagnidze graciously stopped by the press room afterward, offering a quick masterclass on converting a pawn advantage in the endgame. A lesson well worth staying awake for!

GM Lela Javakhishvili’s choice of a reversed King’s Indian Defence as White shows a fighting spirit—it’s an aggressive and somewhat unorthodox weapon, especially when playing for a must-win. However, IM Song Yuxin’s cool handling of the position—equalising early and seizing the initiative—speaks volumes about her underrated strength. To not just neutralize an aggressive setup but also take over in the centre and queenside implies deep understanding and precise calculation.

As she was in a must-win situation, Lela pushed her kingside pawns, trying to create winning chances. This aggressive strategy backfired, costing her a pawn. Song then got the upper hand and could have played for a win, but instead, offered a draw from the position of strength, which was accepted by Lela — a decision that helped Song qualify for the next round. In a classical Neo-Grunfeld defence, IM Yuliia Osmak sacrificed a full pawn in the opening in exchange for a strong pawn centre and active piece play. The line has a decent reputation and has been favoured by elite players such as GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Osmak launched a fierce kingside attack, ultimately winning an exchange for a pawn — a promising advantage for the Ukrainian player, who needed a victory to level the score.

However, GM Tan Zhongyi, drawing on her vast experience at the highest level, expertly defended her position and maintained equilibrium. After a tense battle, the players agreed to a draw on move forty, splitting the point. GM Humpy Koneru secured a slight positional advantage early on in a classical Bogo-Indian Defense facing Alexandra Kosteniuk. She steadily increased the pressure, and over time, her advantage grew significantly.

However, alongside her formidable attacking skills, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk demonstrated exceptional defensive resilience. She managed to neutralize the threats, maintaining her composure and even nurturing the possibility of a counterattack. In the end, another draw adds to their personal legacies, and the battle for a spot in the quarterfinals will continue tomorrow afternoon in the rapid and blitz tiebreaks — formats in which both are World Champions (with Humpy claiming the rapid title in 2024!).

The game between IM Meruert Kamalidenova (White) and GM Vaishali Rameshbabu ended in a calm, well-contested draw. Vaishali chose the solid Caro-Kann Defense, while Kamalidenova responded with an extremely rare sideline that I personally had not encountered before. Both players demonstrated excellent opening preparation, maintaining balance in this uncommon positon.

At one point, the Indian Grandmaster sacrificed a pawn for dynamic compensation. However, her opponent astutely returned the material, preserving equality. Following a series of careful exchanges, the players reached a completely balanced endgame, and the draw was agreed upon after seventy moves. Similarly, GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Kateryna Lagno will proceed to tiebreaks tomorrow after their second draw this afternoon. Their game was solidly played, with both players achieving an impressive 96% accuracy and no significant mistakes.

Follow the games live and watch the action with expert commentary provided by GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili and IM Almira Skripchenko on the FIDE YouTube channel. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 20. Juli 2025, 15:25 Uhr

https://chessecosystem.com/2025/07/17/frauen-world-cup-in-batumi-rueckrunde-dritte-runde-2-2/

Zitat von Conrad Schormann am 23. Juli 2025, 12:35 Uhr

https://chessecosystem.com/2025/07/22/lei-tingjie-chance/