FIDE Women’s World Cup Round 5 Game 2: Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi and Humpy Koneru qualify for the semifinals
Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh will tiebreak tomorrow for the fourth spot International Chess Day was celebrated in grand fashion across the globe. At the Grand Bellagio, the festivities began with a magnificent celebratory cake prepared by the hotel’s chef. The cake was ceremonially cut by Akaki Iashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation, alongside the final eight players of the World Cup—a fitting start to a day dedicated to the game. The second games of the fifth round delivered thrilling action. All four matches were fiercely contested and went the full distance, culminating in two decisive victories and two hard-fought draws. As a result of today’s games, Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi, and Humpy Koneru have secured their spots in the semi-finals. Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh will return tomorrow for the tiebreak match to determine the fourth semi-finalist. The day was a true celebration of chess—marked by tradition, talent, and tenacity on the board. Let’s take a closer look at the games IM Song Yuxin – GM Humpy Koneru (0.5-0.5) Having to win with White to level the match, Song Yuxin essayed the tricky Jobava London system. Humpy, however, wasn’t caught off guard—she had clearly prepared for the line and emerged from the opening with a comfortable position. On move 14, Humpy spent nearly half an hour assessing the validity of a risky and entirely unforced double pawn sacrifice, aimed at gaining significant positional compensation. Her opponent would be left with two sets of weak pawns, including a set of tripled, isolated pawns. Song did her best to improve her pawn structure without returning the extra material, but the position proved too difficult—the risk was simply too great. Eventually, the material balance was restored, and the players agreed to a draw. After the game, Humpy graciously stopped by the media center for an interview with Charlize van Zyl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DB3YINRr4 GM Lei Tingjie – GM Nana Dzagnidze (1-0) Needing only a draw to qualify, Lei Tingjie opted for the solid Alapin Variation against Nana Dzagnidze’s Sicilian Defence—a practical and strategic choice to steer the game into quieter waters. Dzagnidze’s response with 8…d5 was slightly imprecise; 8…dxe5 is generally considered the more accurate continuation. As a result, the game transitioned into a middlegame resembling a French pawn structure with a closed center, where Lei held a slight but stable edge. Facing a must-win situation, Dzagnidze took on significant risk with the aggressive 15…g5—a double-edged move that ultimately backfired. Lei responded with composure, gradually building pressure on both flanks. Her bishop pair proved especially powerful, dominating the long diagonals and exposing weaknesses in Black’s position. As the game progressed into the endgame, Lei maintained control. However, on move 49, she played Kh2, missing the more precise 49.Kf1, which would have restricted Black’s defensive resources more effectively. The engine suggests this would have forced Dzagnidze’s hand and sealed the result more cleanly, but the oversight didn’t change the final outcome. Position of the day In a tense endgame, Dzagnidze faltered under time pressure with 53…Nc6?, a misstep that allowed Lei 54.Kg3, centralizing the king and initiating a decisive pawn advance on the kingside. The correct defensive try was 53…Nc5!, immediately targeting the b3 pawn and maintaining practical drawing chances. For example: After 54.g5 Naxb3 55.g6 Nd4 56.Bd1 Nf5, Black holds. Or 54.Bxc5 Kxc5 55.g5 Kd4 56.g6 Nc6, and then 57…Ne7 secures the draw. While Dzagnidze was in a must-win situation, a draw would still have been a creditable save given the pressure. Ultimately, her position was precarious, and the error sealed her fate. Lei took full control, wrapping it up with surgical precision. Her play throughout was strategically sound and psychologically sharp—neutralizing Dzagnidze’s initiative, exploiting structural weaknesses, and converting her advantage smoothly. With this win, Lei advanced straight to the semi-finals without needing tiebreaks. After her fair-play check, Lei joined IM Michael Rahal to review the key turning points and to preview her next challenge: a semi-final clash with Humpy Koneru. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHy17KWA6NY GM Harika Dronavalli – IM Divya Deshmukh (0.5-0.5) This afternoon’s game proved to be the most evenly matched of the four quarterfinals, reaching an astonishing 99% accuracy score — a testament to the high quality and balance of play between the two Indian contenders. In what was undoubtedly one of the most important games of her career, Divya opted for the Neo-Grünfeld Defense with the Black pieces. Harika responded ambitiously, sacrificing a pawn for central control and dynamic piece play — a strategy inspired by none other than GM Ding Liren. However, Divya showed impressive composure and understanding, returning the pawn at the right moment to liquidate into a comfortable and equal endgame. Despite the equilibrium, it was Harika who needed to tread carefully in the final phase. She demonstrated precise endgame technique to neutralize any chances for Black, successfully defending a Philidor position in a rook endgame. With the classical portion ending in a draw, the two will return tomorrow for the tiebreaker — with a coveted spot in the semi-finals at stake. GM Tan Zhongyi – GM Vaishali Rameshbabu (1-0) Former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi continues to demonstrate remarkable consistency at the highest level. She is the only player to have reached the semi-finals in all three Women’s World Cups to date: Sochi 2021 (third place) and Baku 2023 (fourth place). With her victory over R. Vaishali this afternoon, Tan has once again punched her ticket to the final four — this time in the 2025 edition — and will face either Divya Deshmukh or Harika Dronavalli for a spot in the final. It’s a refreshing change of matchup, as Tan had faced Anna Muzychuk in both her previous semi-final appearances. Vaishali played extraordinarily well for most of the game, skillfully holding off Tan Zhongyi’s initiative. However, the Indian GM eventually faltered — perhaps due to fatigue from her recent grueling tiebreaks, while Tan had not yet played a single one in the tournament. The critical moment came after 50.Ke4, where Vaishali missed a crucial drawing resource.