WGP Cyprus: Shake-up at the top! Badelka defeats Muzychuk, Zhu Jiner leads
The shortest round of the tournament featured three decisive results and the emergence of a new leader. In a surprising turn of events, Olga Badelka defeated Anna Muzychuk in a spectacular attacking game, allowing Zhu Jiner to claim the top spot with her victory over Divya Deshmukh. Nana Dzagnidze also returned to a positive score, taking down Stavroula Tsolakidou with the black pieces. The ceremonial first move was made in the game between Zhu Jiner and Divya Deshmukh. Former Women’s World Champion and current FIDE Treasurer, Zhu Chen, played the first move for Zhu Jiner, while FIDE Vice-President Joran Aulin Jansson did the honors for Divya. Let’s take a closer look at the five games. Elisabeth Paehtz – Aleksandra Goryachkina (0.5-0.5) Although players cannot agree to a draw before move forty, they can bypass this rule in the case of a threefold repetition—exactly what happened in the first game to finish this afternoon. Both Elisabeth and Aleksandra ended the game with more time than they had at the start, indicating they were content with an eleven-move draw. Harika Dronavalli – Mariya Muzychuk (0.5-0.5) The second game to finish also ended in a draw but in this case it was hard-fought. Muzychuk brought a rather new move (7…c4) in the London opening to the table, achieving a very solid position. After he exchange of queens there was not much to play for in the ending, and a threefold repetition on move twenty-eight sealed the result. Both players achieved a 99% accuracy score – a testament to the high-level displayed in the encounter. Olga Badelka – Anna Muzychuk (1-0) The upset of the day! Refreshed from the village outing on the free day, Olga Badelka seems to be having the time of her life. After holding Goryachkina to a draw yesterday, today Olga played a game for the ages, defeating leader Anna Muzychuk with a ferocious attack in the Colle-Zukertort. “It’s better to win late than never,” were her first words in the postgame interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZwaeu7n0sE I had a very well-needed rest on the free day with the mountain excursion to the village, and I am still trying to find my focus,” continued Olga. The key moment of the game occurred on move fifteen. Moment of the day Muzychuk has just played 14…Ne4 intending to exchange the knights after 15.cxd5 Nxd2. However, Badelka is not forced to recapture, and instead she spotted a nice intermezzo 16.dxe6! with a massive attack that ultimately proved decisive. When asked about Muzychuk’s blunder 14…Ne4, Badelka responded: “Maybe she wasn’t happy with the outcome of the opening: she had already spent half an hour and maybe she wanted to simplify things quickly, but it wasn’t to be.” Zhu Jiner – Divya Deshmukh (1-0) Shortly after Badelka had won her game, Zhu Jiner confirmed her excellent moment of form in the tournament by defeating Divya Deshmukh in great style. Divya opted for her signature French defence against which Zhu Jiner chose the Steinitz variation with an early 10.dxc5. Divya took some time to respond and soon ended up in a difficult position. However, according to the engine, she could have turned the tables with the tricky 21…e5 instead of 21…b3? after which Zhu Jiner didn’t give her a second chance. “I just tried to focus on myself and try my best to play. I didn’t see too much about the other results” explained Zhu Jiner in her post-game interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJTbi_qLQr0 During the interview, Zhu Jiner showed us how she would have been forced to use an underpromotion to a knight to win the game if Divya hadn’t resigned. Stavroula Tsolakidou – Nana Dzagnidze (0-1) The final game to finish saw a completely recovered Nana Dzagnidze defeate Stavroula Tsolakidou with the black pieces. Stavroula essayed a secondary line against Dzagnidze’s trusted Sicilian Taimanov which promises a very chaotic position with attacking chances for both sides. However, it seemed that Dzagnidze was very comfortable in the complications – an unlucky choice for Stavroula who never found her moment in the game. According to the engine, sacrificing the exchange with 18.Bf2 didn’t offer enough compensation and the follow-up was just not enough to trouble Dzagnidze’s relatively safe king. The Georgian GM wrapped up the game with ease, happy to have left behind yesterday’s blunder against Harika. Round 8 dates and pairings: The eighth round of the 2024/25 Women’s Grand Prix series will be played on Sunday, March 23rd at 15:00 CET local time in Nicosia, Cyprus. These are the pairings of the round: Nana Dzagnidze – Mariya MuzychukAleksandra Goryachkina – Harika DronavalliAnna Muzychuk – Elisabeth PaehtzDivya Deshmukh – Olga BadelkaStavroula Tsolakidou – Zhu Jiner More information about the event, including the regulations and details of the pairings, as well as live games can be found on the official website: womengrandprix.fide.com You can follow the games live and watch the action with our wonderful commentators GM Alik Gershon and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich on YouTube. Written by Michael Rahal Photos: Mark Livshitz
Four contenders chase Anna Muzychuk’s lead in WGP Cyprus
With her game ending in a draw, Anna Muzychuk remains at the top of the Cyprus WGP cross table after six rounds, with a total of 4.5 points. Anna’s opponent today, Zhu Jiner, trails her by half a point (4/6), maintaining the same gap with three other players just behind on 3.5/6—Aleksandra Goryachkina, Mariya Muzychuk, and Harika Dronavalli. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich performed the ceremonial first move at the game between Divya Deshmukh and Stavroula Tsolakidou while Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, from the Department of Education of the University of Cyprus in Physical Education played the first move for Anna Muzychuk in her game against Zhu Jiner. After the round begun, Dvorkovich joined the commentator’s booth, expressing his satisfaction on how the WGP cycle is developing. “The Grand Prix cycle has expanded: there are six events now instead of four, prizes are higher, more players participate. It shows are focus on the development of women chess and are dedication to the whole World Championship cycle for women players,” he said. Dvorkovich is in Cyprus attending the FIDE Council, which meets in person once or twice a year to discuss many strategic subjects – for example the structure of the World Championship cycle. Among many other issues, this afternoon they attended the presentation of the virtual FIDE Online Museum, which will be officially inaugurated next week. Let’s take a closer look at the five games of Round 6. Anna Muzychuk – Zhu Jiner (0.5-0.5) The most important game of the day paired together the leader of the tournament, Anna Muzychuk (4/5), with Zhu Jiner, trailing Anna by half a point. They had faced each other previously in classical chess a couple of times in the past – both of those games ended in a draw. The commentators were slightly taken aback by Muzychuk’s choice in the opening, the 3.Bb5+ Moscow variation in the Sicilian. “An interesting choice, although not without its own dangers. I think that Anna wants to play for a win today but without risking too much,” explained GM Alik Gershon in the booth. The Chinese GM opted for the solid 3…Bd7 and, facing Muzychyk’s Maroczy bind, chose the interesting side-line 7…Qg4 instead of the much more common 7…cxd4, which basically forces the trade of queens. Interestingly, the elite Chinese GM Li Chao has played this line a few times in the past. It soon became clear that Zhu Jiner had analysed the endgame extensively and, in fact, Muzychuk soon realised that she had no advantage and proposed a draw by means of a three-fold repetition. Slightly ahead on the clock, Zhu decided to play on, exerted some pressure but after accurate play by the leader a draw was eventually agreed on move forty-two. Mariya Muzychuk – Elisabeth Paehtz 1-0 Apart from being good friends, Mariya and Elisabeth have faced each on nine occasions, with a good record for the younger of the two Muzychuk sisters: two wins and seven draws. Playing today with White, and considering Elisabeth’s shaky start, Mariya pushed from the get-go for an open and aggressive game, choosing the Open Sicilian. “The 6.h3 line against the Najdorf is one of the more fashionable lines, preventing …Ng4 in certain situations. In some lines it’s more useful whereas in others it’s less useful,” explained GM Alik Gershon on the live stream. “In other lines White can play the concrete g4, asking some questions to the f6-knight”. Soon the fight for the d5-square became the game’s focal point: by exchanging her dark-squared bishop for the knight on b6, Mariya managed to transfer her knight from b3 to d5 and secured a huge positional advantage along with excellent attacking chances on her opponent’s kingside. It’s not totally clear where Paehtz made her fatal mistake – it just seemed that she was positionally outplayed. Mariya was very happy with her first win in the event. In her postgame interview, she considered a couple of ideas that didn’t appear on the board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An59NxTPzlw Divya Deshmukh – Stavroula Tsolakidou 0.5 – 0.5 Belonging to the younger generation, Divya and Stavroula haven’t had enough time yet to string many classical games against each other. In fact, they have only played twice before, with two draws. For today’s game, Stavroula had prepared the 6…Be7 secondary line in the Open Ruy Lopez, a variation that Magnus Carlsen has used quite often in the past. Maybe she was hoping to surprise Divya but the Indian came very well-prepared to the game, even finding the 11.b3 / 12.Ba3 manoeuvre quite fast. The game quickly transitioned into a queen+rook+minor piece equal middlegame. In the commentary booth, WGM Anastasiya Kharlovich provided some insights: “Anand suggested that as Divya is an aggressive player, everyone wants to take her to the ending.” Although Stavroula’s pawn structure was slightly damaged, she had a good compensation in the form of piece activity. Divya decided to call it a day and force a perpetual draw on move forty-one, just after the time control. Nana Dzagnidze – Harika Dronavalli 0-1 Nana and Harika have a lot of history together, having played a total of twenty-one classical games in the past, with a totally equal score of thirteen draws and four wins each. With regard to Dzagnidze’s unpretentious opening choice – the rare Agincourt defence – GM Gershon put forward his theory: “Nana just wants to get a game, with as little theory as possible and then let the better player win.” In any case, she definitely caught her opponent of balance: the move 7…c5 cost Harika twenty minutes while on move 8…d4 – which is actually an inaccuracy – she spent another twenty-eight minutes. It has to be said though, that Dzagnidze was also in unfamiliar territory, spending a lot of time as well. Ultimately, faced with an unfamiliar position, Harika decided to sacrifice a pawn, hoping to get some form of compensation. Both players entered time trouble, leading to mistakes. Dzagnidze’s 19.Nf5? (instead of the much better 19.Nxf7!) allowed the counter 19…e4! which
FACI Project: From five to eight countries
In 2025, the Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) project, which supports chess federations in Asian countries where chess is still underdeveloped, will expand from five participating countries to eight. Since 2024, the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess/KCF), with financial support from Freedom Holding Corp. and in partnership with FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), has been implementing the Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) program. This initiative provides assistance to chess federations in Asian countries where chess is not yet sufficiently developed. The first beneficiary countries were Cambodia, Nepal, Oman, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka. Starting in April 2024, Kazakhstani coaches have been conducting training sessions in these countries: Kirill Kuderinov – Sri Lanka Dmitry Stativkin – Oman Murtas Kazhgaleyev – Nepal Evgeniy Vladimirov – Tajikistan Bakhtiyar Askarov – Cambodia The program includes training sessions for youth and adult national teams, as well as educational seminars for local coaches. After the in-person sessions, training continues online. Overall, the program structure ensures that each coach spends approximately one month on-site, followed by eight weeks of online training, and then one final month in the country, making it a four-month intensive training cycle. Given the positive feedback from all five federations, a working group consisting of Victor Bologan (FIDE), Hisham Al-Taher (ACF), Darmen Sadvakasov, and Gulmira Dauletova (KazChess/KCF) reviewed applications for FACI 2025 in February. They decided to expand the program to include three more countries, bringing the total to eight (listed alphabetically):Bhutan, Jordan, Cambodia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka. At the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024 in Budapest, the three newly added countries achieved the following results: The men’s teams of Pakistan, Jordan, and Bhutan ranked 97th, 130th, and 141st out of 188 teams, respectively. The women’s teams of Jordan and Pakistan finished 92nd and 122nd out of 169 teams. Bhutan did not compete in the women’s tournament. The list of coaches for each of the eight countries will be finalized soon. Additionally, the FACI official website has been launched, where key updates and news about the project will be regularly published.
European Championship 2025: Daniil Yuffa leads at the half-way mark
European Individual Chess Championship 2025 in Eforie Nord, Romania has crossed its midpoint. After six intense rounds, the participants are enjoying a well-deserved rest day. The sixth round of the competition was opened by Consul General of Turkey in Romania Ozan Cakir, Vice President of the Romanian Chess Federation Alin-Mile Berescu and Secretary General of the Romanian Chess Federation Gabriel Grecescu. GM Daniil Yuffa (ESP, 2654; pictured below, left) retained the sole lead with 5.5/6, after drawing with GM Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM, 2630) in Round 6. Daniil achieved a highly promising position on the white side of the Reversed Benoni but was unable to capitalize and conceded his first half-point of the event. A large group of eleven GMs trails by just a half-point sharing the second place with 5/6: Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM, 2630), Baadur Jobava (GEo, 2578), Benjamin Gledura (HUN, 2658), Aryan Tari (NOR, 2621), Gabriel Sargissian (ARM, 2628), Lorenzo Lodici (ITA, 2559), Matthias Bluebaum (GER, 2643), Gleb Dudin (HUN, 2544), Maxime Lagarde (FRA, 2615), Yuriy Kuzubov (UKR, 2603) and Paul Velten (FRA, 2515). With five rounds to play, the competition remains wide open. Standings after Round 6 Round 7 pairings You can follow live games and video broadcasts on the ECU TV platform and the ECU YouTube channel. Photos: Federația Română de Șah and David Llada
FIDE World School Chess Championship 2025 begins in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
The FIDE World School Chess Championship 2024 has officially begun in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia, often referred to as the capital of chess and tourism. The event runs from March 19 to March 29, 2025. During the opening ceremony, which featured a performance by the children’s choir “Vrnjačke Iskrice,” President Andrija Jorgić welcomed all participants and guests on behalf of the Chess Federation of Serbia. FIDE delegate Özgür Solakoğlu also addressed the audience, especially praising the Chess Federation of Serbia and President Jorgić for their efforts in integrating chess into school curricula across the country. The Mayor of Vrnjačka Banja, Boban Đurović, reminded attendees that the city was hosting a major sports event for the third consecutive year and expressed hope that this trend would continue. The Minister of Sports of the Republic of Serbia, Zoran Gajić, delivered an inspiring speech, highlighting Serbia’s rich chess heritage. To conclude the ceremony, Mr. Gajić and Mr. Đurović made the symbolic first move, after which Chief Arbiter Nenad Dorić officially declared the competition open. According to the final figures provided by the organizers, 461 participants from 43 national federations are competing across six age categories: U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17, with separate Open and Girls events. Photos: Chess Federation of Serbia Official website: worldschool2025.fide.com
How Women’s World Champions shaped chess
Women’s chess has come a long way since Vera Menchik claimed the first Women’s World Championship nearly a century ago. The 17 women world champions have shaped the game and symbolized resilience, achievement, and progress—both on and off the chessboard. The Queen’s Gambit series, based on a 1983 book by Walter Tevis of the same name, sparked global interest in chess. In the series, the main character, Beth Harmon, tries to make her name in the male-dominated game, facing social and personal struggles, from being shunned to being resented and discriminated. Beth Harmon’s struggles mirror the real-life obstacles top women chess players have faced—and still face today. A look at some of the key successes and stories of the best women in chess shows how far they’ve come and how they helped shape chess to this day. The first chess queen: Vera Menchik Vera Menchik was the first woman to break the barriers of male-domination in chess, sowing the seeds for other great women players who followed. When Vera Menchik sat down at the chessboard in 1927, little did she know she was about to leave a big mark on history, starting a tradition that has lasted until today. As the first Women’s World Chess Champion, she wasn’t just moving pieces on a board—she was making a statement in a world that barely acknowledged women could play the game at all. Photo: FIDE archive In the summer of 1927, FIDE organized the first Olympiad or, as it was called then – the Tournament of Nations. In addition to the Olympiad, a women’s tournament was organized which was won by the 21-year-old Vera Menchik (with 10.5/11, drawing with Edith Michell) which led to her being declared the first Women’s World Chess Champion. She would go on to become the dominant figure in women’s chess – the longest-reigning women’s world champion, with eight titles – until her life was tragically cut short in the German bombardment of London in 1944. She died as Vera Stevenson (she was married to Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson (1878–1943), a prominent figure in British chess, serving as the Honorary Secretary of the British Chess Federation (BCF). Menchik’s era happened between two world wars, when – similar to today – much of the planet was on the edge and the cause for women’s rights (and the rights of other marginalized groups) was on the fringes of society. During this time, when FIDE was still taking shape, women did not enjoy many privileges or support in chess, but Menchik proved her worth standing shoulder to shoulder with the top male players in tournaments – defeating the likes of Yates, Euwe, Sultan Khan, Reshevsky, and Mieses. Post WW2: The Soviet women dominate Post-war, the Soviet Union became the epicenter of chess. Instead of matches which were practiced in the open (male) events, the Women’s World Champion was determined through tournaments. Lyudmila Rudenko (who was one of top swimmers in Ukraine before turning to chess!), claimed the title in the first post-war tournament, in Moscow in 1950. She lost the crown three years later to Elisaveta Bykova, who taught us all about second chances: Despite losing to Olga Rubtsova in 1956, Bykova reclaimed her title in 1958 and again in 1959, holding it until 1962. Photo: Dmitry Donskoy/Sputnik But it was Nona Gaprindashvili who really shook things up and took women’s chess to the next level. First, she claimed the title in epic style, defeating Bykova (+0 -7 =4) in 1962, at the age of just 21! This led to the launch of a chess revolution in her native Georgia which, to this day, is one of the strongest chess nations in the world, particularly in women’s chess. Gaprindashvili didn’t just dominate women’s chess—she challenged men directly, competing successfully in male-dominated events. Thanks to this, in 1978 she became the first woman in history to be awarded the title of Grandmaster. Despite losing her world crown to compatriot Maia Chiburdanidze in 1978, Gaprindashvili continued competing at the top for another two decades. Her successes also include playing at 12 chess Olympiads (11 times for the USSR and one time for her native Georgia, in 1992, in their first international appearance since gaining independence). A national hero of Georgia and a living legend of chess, Gaprindashvili (now 83) still takes part in chess events (for seniors) and in 2024 toured several countries in the world to talk about the sport. Maia Chiburdanidze and Nona Gaprindashvili Photo: NEWSGEORGIA Then, a new world champion and a new chess milestone for women: another Georgian, Maia Chiburdanidze, became World Champion in 1978, at the age of just 17 – an unprecedented success in women’s chess, matched only by Hou Yifan decades later, and still unmatched among men. After four successful defences of the world crown, her reign ended in 1991 when Chiburdanidze lost the title match to Xie Jun of China (+2-4=9). The first Chinese chess moment The chess world’s center of gravity shifted eastward in the 1990s when Xie Jun clinched the crown – becoming the first ever women’s chess champion from Asia. This victory wasn’t just personal—it signalled a new chess superpower was emerging in the east. Xie’s meteoric rise in chess stands as an example of her country’s rapid global advancement by making giant leaps in short periods. Xie Jun took up chess as a child and by age 10, she was already the champion of Beijing. By the age of 14, she was the girls’ champion of China. In 1991, at the age of 21 – Xie defeated Maia Chiburdanidze to become the first Chinese World Chess Champion. Xie Jun giving a simul at the 2024 World Championship Match Photo: Eng Chin An Then in 1993, the 23-year-old Xie achieved another milestone – the first among nearly 1.7 billion women in Asia to claim the title of Grandmaster. That year Xie successfully defended her world crown against Nana Ioseliani (winning the match 8.5–2.5). Her reign would continue for another three years
WGP Cyprus: Anna Muzychuk leads with 4/5 going into the rest day
The elder of the two Muzychuk sisters took a huge step towards the title by scoring her third win in a row and now leads the Cyprus Women’s Grand Prix leg with only four rounds to go. Trailing by only half a point is China’s Zhu Jiner, who held Alexandra Goryachkina – now in third place – to a draw. With her result in this event, Zhu Jiner has already overtaken Kateryna Lagno and Nana Dzagnidze in the live ratings and is now number eight in the world. The other happy contender of the day was Germany’s Elizabeth Paehtz, who secured her first win in the event. The players will enjoy a well-deserved rest day tomorrow. For those willing to catch a breath of fresh air and get their minds off the tournament for a while, the organisers have planned a special excursion to Lefkara Village, one of Cyprus’s most picturesque and historic locations: a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy the scenic beauty and Cypriot hospitality. Let’s take a closer look at the five games. Zhu Jiner – Aleksandra Goryachkina 0.5-0.5 Leading a round-robin tournament, it always makes sense to keep rivals at bay, and that’s exactly what Zhu Jiner accomplished today. She opted for a safe line, which she had prepared at home, and achieved a quick draw. Taking into consideration her time management, it seems that she had prepared practically the whole game in advance – on move eighteen, Zhu still had her initial starting time! Goryachkina repeated 1.e4 e5 for the second time in the tournament. Zhu Jiner normally plays the Ruy Lopez (3.Bb5) but she decided to mix things up and opted for the Italian Opening (3.Bc4). Always well prepared, Goryachkina blitzed out her opening moves with Black, repeating the same type of aggressive setup she used in a 2021 game against elite GM Esipenko in the 74th Russian Championship. The key moment of the game came on move twenty-two. Goryachkina faced two choices – accept a draw by move repetition or venture into a line that the computer assesses as good for her but which at the same time is quite risky from a human point of view. On this occasion she decided to play it safe and go into the rest day undefeated: there are still four more rounds to go and anything can happen. Elisabeth Paehtz – Harika Dronavalli 1-0 The second game to finish concealed an emotional backstory. On the verge of her retirement from classical chess, 40-years-old Elizabeth Paehtz defeated Harika Dronavalli when the Indian GM confused her move order and blundered a pawn on move six. After a few moves she was in deep trouble, not only on the board but also on the clock: on move fifteen the engine was already pointing to a clear +2 decisive advantage for Paehtz, which ultimately was more than enough to bring home the point. “This is the first win against another woman in my last thirty games” exclaimed a happy very Elizabeth in the post-game press conference, at the same time confirming an open secret: this will be the last classical chess tournament for the German chess superstar. “I’m 40 years old now, and my energy levels aren’t what they used to be,” was Elizabeth’s reasoning. A must-see interview! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIL5uB46l6k Divya Deshmukh – Nana Dzagnidze 0.5-0.5 Divya used to play exclusively 1.e4, but in recent years she has expanded her repertoire to also include 1.d4 and occasionally 1.Nf3, whereas Dzagnidze has been playing the Nimzo-Indian Defence all her life. In her preparations for her first classical game against her Georgian opponent, Divya went for a sharp line, following the steps of a previous 2019 Goryachkina-Dzagnidze WGP game. But Nana was well-prepared and played the opening fast and comfortably, reaching a completely equal queenless middlegame. Certainly, White enjoyed an extra pawn but the opposite-coloured bishops signaled a draw, which was agreed on move forty-one. The 99% accuracy score by both players indicates that the extra pawn had not real significance. Stavroula Tsolakidou – Anna Muzychuk 0-1 For this important game, Anna brough back the symmetrical variation of the Semi-Tarrasch defence, a line which she has used successfully four or five times in the past, but that is not one of her main defences. Around move ten, Anna decided to sacrifice a pawn on the queenside in exchange for active piece play – a brave decision which the engine applauds. Even so, in her postgame interview Anna was surprised to see that she had enough compensation in some of the lines. “Both today’s game and also the two previous wins have been difficult games,” she explained. “When I sacrificed the pawn in the opening, I wasn’t sure that it was good, but now I see that the engine approves of the move.” Indeed, her counterplay was so dangerous that Stavroula decided to give back the pawn and trade a few pieces, but she was unable to relieve the pressure completely. When both players were under their last minute, errors started creeping in and Stavroula committed the fatal one. Moment of the day Muzychuk’s last move was 32…Rc8-c2, which doesn’t seem that dangerous but in fact hides a devious trap. The best continuation for White was either 33.Bd4 or 33.Qe1 and although Black is pressing, there is nothing concrete. However, down to her last seconds, Stavroula blundered with 33.Qf2? and had to resign after 33…Rxb2!, winning a piece, as the d1-rook is hanging. Olga Badelka – Mariya Muzychuk 0.5-0.5 A marathon game which ultimately finished in a draw after fifty-four moves. In an attempt to side-step her opponent’s opening preparation, the younger of the two Muzychuk sisters brought back the Grunfeld defence, which used to be one of her favourite weapons with Black. Without batting an eye, Badelka pushed her h-pawn forward with 3.h4 and the battle was on. Soon the game transposed into a King’s Indian structure and, after some thought, Badelka decided to trade queens and play a queenless middlegame, enjoying a
WGP Cyprus: Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner jointly lead after four rounds
After three more or less quiet rounds, with high accuracy scores and very solid play, the participants unleashed their inner power this afternoon at the Hilton Nicosia. None less than four games ended with a decisive result in the fourth round of the Cyprus Women’s Grand Prix. Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Anna Muzychuk all secured victories, while Zhu Jiner and Mariya Muzychuk settled for a draw, leaving Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner co-leading the tournament with three points. The ceremonial first move was performed by the President of the Cyprus Chess Federation, Mr. Criton Tornaritis, who opened for Alexandra Goryachkina in her game against Greece’s top female player, Stavroula Tsolakidou. Let’s take a closer look at all five games. Nana Dzagnidze 1 – Elisabeth Paehtz 0 Nana and Elisabeth have played dozens of games together, the first one going back to the U-10 Girls European Championship in 1995. The opening was a fun one, as you rarely see a reversed Blumenfeld Gambit at this level nowadays. “Their fortunes changed slightly yesterday: Nana suffered her first loss, while Elisabeth stopped her losing streak. After the round, she said that she was feeling better and that hopefully her play will improve,” explained commentator GM Alik Gershon. Black grabbed the extra pawn and decided to hold onto it. Of course, White did have a good pawn center and excellent attacking chances with the pair of bishops in exchange. In her postgame interview, Dzagnidze explained that, playing with White, she wanted a fighting game, and that her choice of opening served this objective very well. Paehtz’s key blunder occurred on move twenty-one when she chose 21…Ra-c8 which just loses material after 22.Rb1! and all the tactics favor White. From then on, Dzagnidze wrapped up the game in style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y61yq3mJnrM Mariya Muzychuk 0.5 – Zhu Jiner 0.5 The most important game of the round was the only one to end in a draw. Playing with White, former Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk wanted to pile up the pressure on the leader of the event. The opponents tested a very long theoretical line of the Mikenas-Carls variation of the English Opening, which is regularly played at the highest level by the likes of Ian Nepomniachtchi and other elite GMs. Both players were very clearly booked-up, blitzing out the opening at total ease. The middlegame turned out to be slightly better for Muzychuk enjoing a bit more space and active piece play. By invading the b-file with her rook, she managed to pick up the weak a7-pawn, converting her positional advantage into something more tangible. But Zhu Jiner remained solid and maintained the balance with precise play. At some point, she was even enjoying some attacking chances against Mariya’s king. All in all, it was a very correct game, with both players registering 98% on the accuracy score. Aleksandra Goryachkina 1 – Stavroula Tsolakidou 0 Goryachkina alternates her opening choice based on her opponents. Having a +3 score against Stavroula, she definitely wanted to go for a win. This afternoon she went for 1.e4 and Tsolakidou immediately replied with 1….c5. “The Sicilian Defence! It shows her fighting spirit today,” said WGM Anastasiya Karlovich in the commentary booth. “We always welcome the Sicilian here, the more fighting and interesting the games are, the better it is for the players, the spectators and the commentators of course,” added GM Alik Gershon. The opponents went down one of the main paths of the Rossolimo Attack, which has appeared in Cyprus several times already, including one game by Tsolakidou. Playing extremely fast, Goryachkina exchanged her two bishops for knights in order to reach a position with a strong knight on d5. Based on her speed, it became apparent that Aleksandra was playing according to her home preparation. Feeling pressure both on the board and on the clock, Tsolakidou traded-off the d5-knight and soon after sacrificed an exchange to get just a pawn in return. According to the engine, she was still worse but holding. However, low on time she lost control over the position, allowing Goryachkina to convert her extra material and score her first win of the tournament. Anna Muzychuk 1 – Divya Deshmukh 0 Anna Muzychuk chose the advance variation of the Caro-Kahn, and after including 4.h4 she exchanged bishops on d3 – a very trendy line nowadays. Divya, in her turn, exchanged quees and transisioned into an endgame which the engine assessed as quite reasonable for her. Nevertheless, it was still quite tricky and Divya spent half of her remaining time on just one move, which turned out to be a mistake (24…Nb6? instead of the superior 24…Nd-b4). Muzychuk sensed her opportunity and pushed forward, attacking her opponent’s weaknesses and putting a lot of pressure on the clock, ultimately scoring her second win in a row. In her postgame interview, Anna mentioned that she was surprised by her opponent’s opening choice. She also added that maybe Divya didn’t figure out how to react to White’s activity in the endgame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ywqjmmjP8 Harika Dronavalli 1 – Olga Badelka 0 No doubt willing to take her opponent out of her opening book, Harika opted for one of the most creative opening ideas I have seen in the past months. In an English Opening with 1.c4 e5, she first played 2.a3!?, startling Badelka, who took four minutes to react, and then 4.h4!? with a completely new position emerging on the board according to my database. “My opponent had only played 1…e5 against the English three or four times, so I decided to play something different,” Harika explained. MOMENT OF THE DAY Harika was kind enough to show us this moment on the board in her postgame interview. The key position occurred on move eight. Badelka blundered an exchange with the 8…Qd7? allowing 9.Bh6! Now the bishop can’t be captured because of 10.Nxf6+ winning the queen, and therefore the only move is to castle, after which White exchanges knights and wins the rook on f8. “These things can
FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad 2025 in Barranquilla, Colombia: Registration open!
FIDE and the Colombian Chess Federation (FECODAZ) are pleased to invite all national chess federations to participate in the World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad, set to take place in Barranquilla, Colombia, from August 16 to August 23, 2025. This vibrant Caribbean city will become the world’s chess capital, welcoming young talents from across the globe. With its stunning coastal scenery, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality, Barranquilla promises an unforgettable experience. Don’t miss this prestigious event—the countdown has begun! All FIDE member federations have the right to send one team as the invited team. Each team shall consist of 4 players, with boys and girls represented and also the captain. The registration deadline is on June 15, 2025. The 9-round Swiss tournament is scheduled, but if less than 40 teams are registered only 7 rounds will be played. Each match between teams will be played across four boards. The pairings, scoring and tiebreak regulations are in accordance with the Pairing Rules for the Chess Olympiad. The time control is 45 minutes with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from move one. Regulations for World Youth U16 Olympiad (PDF) FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad official website coming soon: youtholympiad2025.fide.com E-mail: youtholympiad@fide.com
Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club Wins UAE Cup Rapid Chess Team Championship
From left to right: ACMG CEO Hisham Al Taher, GM Volodar Murzin, UAE Chess Federation President Taryam Matar Taryam and GM Vladislav Artemiev. The Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club (ACMG1) team of GMs Vladislav Artemiev and Volodar Murzin emerged victorious at the UAE Cup Rapid Chess Team Championship held over the weekend from March 15-16, 2025 at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club in Dubai, UAE. A record 116 teams with players representing 33 countries participated in the 9-round Swiss tournament with rapid time control of ten minutes plus two second increments per move. Each team was composed of two players with fourteen top ranked GMs and ten IM battling for the title. Prizes were sponsored by National Paint and Sidrat Alsalwa Beauty Centre. A large number of fans were in the venue from 9:30pm to midnight following the action live. The champions, Al Ain team, won seven matches and drew two, scoring 16 points. Artemiev, 27, achieved a perfect score of 9 out of 9 while the reigning World Rapid Chess Champion, Murzin, 19, won seven and lost two games. ACMG1 team won the top prize of AED 12,000 out of a total AED 40,000 prize pool. Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club, the reigning FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team champions, are set to defend their title at the third edition of this event in London, scheduled for June 10-16, 2025. Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings. The runner-up Shams team receiving their prize. From left are Hisham Al Taher, GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova, UAE Chess Federation president Taryam Matar Taryam and IM Mokhliss El Adnani of Morocco. The Shams team of GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova and IM Mokhliss El Adnani of Morocco finished second place with 15 match points and took a prize of AED 8,000. Iordachescu registered a 7-2-1 win-draw-loss score while El Adnani won five, drew two and lost two games. The third place finishers Sharjah team receiving their prize. From left are Hisham Al Taher, GM Bassem Amin of Egypt, UAE Chess Federation president Taryam Matar Taryam and GM Saleh A.R. Salem of the UAE. The Sharjah team of GM Saleh A.R. Salem of the UAE and GM Bassem Amiin of Egypt finished third netting 14 match-points and received AED 6,000 for their efforts. Salem scored six wins and suffered three losses while Amin notched 7 wins, one draw and one loss. The Sharjah team prevailed in the tie break over Al Ain Chess and Mind Games ACMG2 and Signature Club Master with similar 14 match points apiece. ACMG2 was composed of GMs Danil Dubov (second from right) and Parham Maghsoodloo (second from left). Dubov, known for his bold attacking style, won seven games but lost to Salem and Artemiev. At left is Tournament Director IA Abdulrahim Mahdi. Playing for Signature Club Master were GM Farrukh Amonatov of Tajikistan and GM Asghar Golizadeh of Iran. Rounding up the top ten teams are We Chess, Sharjah Coaches, Al Ain ACMG3, EKCC1 and Signature Club Nexus finishing with 13 match points each. Fourth to tenth places received AED 2,500, AED 2,000, AED 1,700, AED 1,300, AED 1,100, AED 1,000 and AED 900, respectively. Special awards were also presented at the event. Gold medal for the greatest number of teams went to Chess Lab Academy as Participating Chess Club/Academy, silver to Chess Signature Academy, and bronze to Master Move Academy. Ajman Twins won Best Family Team, Tatar Ladies became Best Women’s Team, UAE Ladies won best Emirati Women’s Team, AlQasimia University 1 won Best Emirati Men’s Team, Night Riders won Best Boys’ Team Under 14, The Twins won Best Girls’ Team Under 14 and DCPD won Best Special Needs Team. UAE Chess Federation president Taryam Matar Taryam graced the closing ceremonies to award prizes together with Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club CEO Hisham Al Taher. IA Abdulrahim Mahdi (UAE) served as a tournament director. CA Majed Al Abduli (UAE) with a team of eight arbiters officiated the event, while Mohamed Abdull Chief Arbier was a technical director. Photos: Rayjan Solano Official website: https://asianchess.com/