20th ICCD World Team Championships: Registration now open
The International Chess Committee of Deaf (ICCD) invites all ICCD member countries to participate in the 20th ICCD World Team Chess Championships. The event will be held in Roquetas de Mar, Spain from May 6-15, 2026 and include six competitions: 20th ICCD World Deaf Team Chess Championship 1st World Deaf Team Blitz Chess Championship 1st World Deaf Team Rapid Chess Championship 8th World Deaf Individual Blitz Chess Championship 14th ICCD Deaf Open Individual Chess Tournament 1st ICCD Open Individual Rapid Chess Tournament The ICCD encourages visually-impaired deaf chess players to participate in any of these events. Please complete and send FORM 1 to the ICCD Secretary General at iccd.gensecretary@gmail.com and the Organizing Committee: alfredogomez@iccdroquetasdemar.com Registration deadline (for submitting FORM 1): October 14, 2025 Participation in this ICCD World Deaf Chess Championship implies full acceptance of the present regulations. The ICCD Organizing Committee reserves the right to modify, replace or cancel any of the clauses or conditions set forth herein, as well as to make changes to the schedule, timetable, format or venue of the event should force majeure, justified organizational reasons or unforeseen circumstances arise. Any modifications will be officially communicated through the designated communication channels of the organization. 20th ICCD World Team Championships: Regulations, schedule, format (PDF)
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.
FIDE Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals Game 1: Lei and Humpy strike the first blow
Top seed GM Lei Tingjie made a strong bid for a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup by winning the first game of her quarterfinal match against GM Nana Dzagnidze. The game ended dramatically when Dzagnidze overstepped the time limit. Despite the victory, Lei was candid in her post-game reflections: “I think today I played quite horribly, but the position was quite complicated. I spent a lot of time thinking, while my opponent developed her pieces very quickly.” With this win, Lei Tingjie now needs only a draw in the second game to secure her place in the final four. One of the other favourites to win the Cup, India’s top Grandmaster Humpy Koneru, pulled ahead in her two-game match against IM Song Yuxin. “It was a very complex game,” Humpy said afterward. “I wasn’t too sure about playing this position because she seemed very well-prepared, but I decided to take the risk anyway.” The other two games of the round ended in draws. The four encounters tomorrow will ultimately decide who advances in the World Cup and secures one of the three coveted spots in the Candidates Tournament—the next step toward the World Championship. Let’s take a closer look at the games: GM Humpy Koneru – IM Song Yuxin (1-0) Fully recovered after her grueling tiebreak victory over former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, Indian GM Koneru Humpy struck first in her quarterfinal match against surprise contender IM Song Yuxin. In the opening, Song demonstrated excellent home preparation, blitzing out her moves with confidence. Humpy, on the other hand, took a more measured approach. On move thirteen, she introduced the new idea 13.e4, a move she found over the board. This appeared to be an improvement over a line previously seen in Vidit–Aronian, and it immediately took Song out of her preparation. By move seventeen, Humpy boldly sacrificed a pawn in exchange for active piece play. Song accepted the challenge, but within a few moves, she found herself under significant pressure. Humpy’s initiative grew rapidly, and by the time the dust settled, Song was already on the defensive — as clearly illustrated in the following diagram. White was an exchange up for a pawn, but both the rook on f5 and the knight on f3 were under attack. In this tense moment, Humpy opted for simplification with 23.Rxf6?!, returning the exchange while maintaining a slight advantage. However, the powerful tactical shot 23.Qf5! would have been decisive. After 23…Nxe6, White could continue with 24.Qxe6+ Kh8, and then the brilliant 25.Ng5! would have left Black in a hopeless position: If 25…Bxg5, then 26.Bxb7 threatens mate on e8, which cannot be stopped. If 25…Bxg2, then 26.Nf7+ Kg8 27.Nd8+, once again leading to a forced mate on e8. Though Humpy missed this crushing continuation, she continued to press her initiative and ultimately converted her advantage into a full point with confident play. After the game, she joined IM Michael Rahal, FIDE Press Officer for the World Cup, in the media center to share her thoughts on the first game. https://youtu.be/C7BM6EpILJs GM Nana Dzagnidze – GM Lei Tingjie (0-1) World Cup top seed Lei Tingjie continued her impressive run in the tournament with another victory, this time against Georgian Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze. Despite not being at her best, Lei managed to navigate a tense and error-prone game to emerge victorious in dramatic fashion. Dzagnidze, the last remaining Georgian player in the tournament, had the White pieces and opted for the Reti Opening — a popular flank strategy. Lei responded classically, quickly staking her claim in the centre with pawns. The game soon left known theoretical paths, transitioning into a complex “hanging pawns” structure, setting the stage for a deeply strategic battle. Both players spent considerable time navigating the intricacies of the position, exchanging strong moves with occasional inaccuracies. For much of the game, Dzagnidze held the upper hand. However, as she approached time trouble, mistakes began to creep in, and the balance started to shift. In a surprising twist, Dzagnidze overstepped the time control, handing Lei the win. “At the end of the game, both of us had made a mistake on the scoresheets and we both thought we had reached move forty, although in reality we were at move thirty-nine,” Lei explained afterward. “It was a dramatic ending, and I feel sorry for her, but the final position is completely winning for me.” Despite the unexpected conclusion, Lei’s resilience and tactical awareness saw her through. With this win, Lei Tingjie moves one step closer to the title, proving once again why she is the tournament’s top seed. After the game, she joined Charlize van Zyl in the interview area to share her reflections on the match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wGfKYnp7eY IM Divya Deshmukh – GM Harika Dronavalli (0.5-0.5) When two players perform at 99%, a draw is often the only realistic outcome. Harika chose the ultra-solid Berlin Defence against Divya’s Ruy Lopez, where Divya opted for a lesser-known side-line favoured by Spanish GM David Antón Guijarro. After the opening, Divya appeared to hold a slight edge—thanks to open central files and better piece coordination—but the engine’s evaluation indicated only a minimal advantage. Harika responded well by trading off-key pieces and smoothly liquidating into an equal rook and minor piece endgame. The players agreed to a draw on move 31, a result that arguably favours Harika, who will enjoy the White pieces in the second game of the match. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu – GM Tan Zhongyi (0.5-0.5) The longest game of the afternoon saw a critical moment early on when Vaishali missed the chance to consolidate an extra pawn. The move 22.Qe2, played instead of the more promising 22.Ra3, allowed Tan Zhongyi to seize the initiative. As the game transitioned into the endgame, the Chinese Grandmaster successfully won the exchange for a pawn and pressed hard to convert her advantage into a full point. However, Vaishali defended with precision and resilience, ultimately securing a well-earned draw after seventy-three moves. Follow the games live and
FIDE World U9-U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025: Registration now open
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Turkish Chess Federation are pleased to announce the FIDE World U9-U17 Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025. The event will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 15 December (arrival) to 21 December (departure) 2025. There will be five age categories: under 9, under 11, under 13, under 15 and under 17 with separate open and girl’s events. Players placed 1st–3rd at the FIDE World School Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2024 are granted the personal right to participate in the corresponding (or higher) age category, provided they meet the age requirement as of 1 January 2025. FIDE member Federations should register their participants and may enter an unlimited number of players. The registration deadline: October 15, 2025 E-mail: youthrapidblitz@fide.com Invitation letter (PDF)
ChessFests across England this summer
ChessFest Trafalgar Square A huge thank you to everyone who came to Trafalgar Square on Sunday for ChessFest 2025. Over 20,000 visitors enjoyed a range of fun, family-friendly chess activities: Our troupe of actors put on four fabulous performances, re-enacting the famous Evergreen Game. Some of England’s top chess stars (Nikita Vitiugov, Mickey Adams, et al) took on all-comers in simultaneous games. Many thousands of blitz games were played in our Challenge the Master tent. England junior stars Bodhana Sivanandan and Supratit Banerjee defeated their counterparts from North America in a live match. Grandmasters Gawain Jones and Matthew Sadler delivered an amazing queen sacrifice to win a blindfold consultation game. CSC tutors delivered hundreds of free lessons to players of all standards in one of two teaching tents. A game of giant blitz chess between two masters turned out to be as much a test of physical speed and stamina as chess ability. FunMaster Mike and his team entertained all the ChessKids with two Puzzle Rush competitions. ChessFest Portishead New for 2025, ChessFest opened in the Somerset coastal town of Portishead on Saturday 12th July. ChessFest truly took over the whole town for the day: Zone 1 – Casual Chess at Aqua. Visitors enjoyed a game of chess with brunch and coffee in this great restaurant on Portishead Marina. The chess was still carrying on 3 hours after ChessFest had finished! Zone 2 – Elite Chess on Parish Wharf. International Master Chris Beaumont took on four players simultaneously while blindfolded! Zone 3 – Kids’ Zone outside Portishead Leisure Centre. ChessKid’s FunMaster Mike who ran activities for children of all ages. Zone 4 – Schools’ Competition at Portishead Primary School (9am-11am). Children from across the town took part in an outdoor tournament. Zone 5 – Ark of Angels in Jubilee Park. 32 adults and children took the place of chess pieces in two live performances. Special thanks go to the CSC Bristol team for an amazing inaugural event. We know they are already planning for next year! Still to come… ChessFest Liverpool ChessFest returns to Chavasse Park at Liverpool One for a fifth year on Sunday 20th July. Please join the event for: Free chess lessons for adults and children, delivered by CSC tutors Social games of chess on one of many boards across the park Giant chess games – a test of skill and stamina Simultaneous displays – take on a one of our visiting chess masters Blitz chess tournament – test your skills at speed chess Last year, over 1,000 people enjoyed a day of free, family-friendly fun at ChessFest Liverpool. We hope to see you there. Government announces funding for chess Just as our Trafalgar Square event was coming to a close, one of CSC’s highest profile ambassadors, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves was announcing a huge boost to English chess: a £1,500,000 financial package aimed at “identifying, supporting, and elevating young people who have the potential to compete at the top level“. The Chancellor, herself a junior chess champion, is a regular attendee at our events, and recently came to see a school from her Leeds West constituency take part in a CSC tournament in London, taking on eight of the players simultaneously while she was there. This funding builds on a series of grants introduced under the previous government. On this week’s funding, Rishi Sunak commented, “Chess isn’t just a great game. It also builds the kind of skills young people need to thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive world.”We await more details of the new grants. Under the previous funding, 100 schools introduced chess lessons and chess clubs for their pupils, with 42 of these being delivered via CSC’s Schools Programme.
FIDE Director for Chess Development visits Mauritania
In his ongoing efforts to promote chess growth across Africa, Grandmaster Nigel Short, FIDE Director for Chess Development, recently visited Mauritania. The primary purpose of the visit (from July 8-12) was to strengthen relations with the Mauritanian Chess Federation, the Ministry of Sport, and the National Olympic Committee, as well as to assess the state of chess development in the country. The program included meetings with the Minister of Sport and the Mauritanian National Olympic Committee, where discussions focused on strategies for the future of chess in Mauritania and on reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Education regarding the introduction of chess in schools. As part of his visit, Nigel Short also gave a simultaneous exhibition at the Hotel Nouakchott. The event was attended and formally opened by His Excellency Mr. Guy Harrison, the British Ambassador to Mauritania. Nigel Short was later honored with a trophy by the president of the national federation. He also visited the headquarters of the Mauritanian Chess Federation, where he met with the executive board and top local players to share his chess expertise. The Mauritanian Chess Federation expressed its deep appreciation for Nigel Short’s visit and voiced its hope to collaborate with FIDE on future joint programs.
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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qryecjOsjpI 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! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OprS5z5J48c 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 center 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
FIDE Women’s World Cup Round of 16 Day 1: Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi, Song Yuxin and Divya take the lead
Refreshed after their rest day, the sixteen qualifiers returned to the Grand Bellagio venue for the first of the two-game Round of 16 matches that will determine who advances to the quarterfinals. The round was formally opened by the Head of the Sports Department of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Irma Nizharadze, who welcomed the players and wished them good luck. She then performed the ceremonial first move on Lei Tingjie’s board, marking the official start of the round. Seeded number one and a former Women’s World Championship challenger, GM Lei Tingjie opted for a solid approach against her young opponent’s tactical prowess. It wasn’t their first encounter. “I played a blitz game against Omonova two years ago at the World Blitz and Rapid Championship and noticed that she’s a very talented and resourceful player,” said Lei after the game. “So, I decided not to waste too much time on the clock.” “It worked out very well for her when WIM Umida Omonova, perhaps slightly out of her depth, made a couple of positional mistakes and quickly found herself in a desperate position. Omonova attempted an exchange sacrifice to generate counterplay, but it ultimately proved ineffective. ‘I don’t necessarily think that I am in the best form of my life. Every game seems normal, and I just wait for my opponent to make a mistake,’ Lei explained after the game.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBql7VtCHkg IM Divya Deshmukh delivered a fantastic performance this afternoon, decisively overcoming an opponent who had posed significant challenges in recent tournaments, including two previous losses at the Nicosia and Pune 2025 Women’s Grand Prix legs. “I didn’t prepare specifically for this game. Since I had a poor score against GM Zhu Jiner, I thought it might be some sort of mental block. So, I decided to focus on playing against the pieces instead, and once the game started, it didn’t matter who I was playing,” explained Divya in her post-game interview with FIDE’s Star Interview host, WIM Charlize van Zyl. Divya’s strategic handling of the Najdorf, especially seizing control over the d5-square, shows deep positional understanding. Dominating that square in the Sicilian often means restricting Black’s counterplay and securing central control. By forcing principled exchanges, she clearly transitioned into a favorable good knight vs bad bishop endgame — a textbook example of converting a small edge into a winning position. Those endings are notoriously difficult for the defender, and her tactical precision in the final phase just capped off a well-played game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKjiTMa2s68 China’s GM Tan Zhongyi took revenge for her loss in the 2020 Online Olympiad against Ukraine’s IM Yuliia Osmak. “I think my performance has been average, especially in the second round where there were some issues,” Tan explained after the game. It was a strong performance by the former Women’s World Champion, and one of the players here, who already knows what it feels like to finish among the top spots in this event. Under pressure for most of the game, Osmak finally succumbed on move 31, despite the draw being within reach. When asked afterward about how she personally handles pressure, Tan responded, “I think there’s nothing you can really do about it; it’s something every player has to endure.” Moment of the day Playing with White, Tan is slightly better but to hold the draw Osmak must get her king to the d8 square as fast as possible. The correct move therefore would have been 31…Ke8 but after a few minutes thought Osmak played 31…Nd7? allowing 32.Bb5 Ke8 33.Re1! Kd8 34.Kd3! and suddenly the rook will invade the seventh rank. A few moves later, Osmak had to resign as the combined strength of the rook, bishop and passed pawn had created an unstoppable mating net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WVfIeYLs24 IM Song Yuxin joined her two higher-rated country colleagues in the winning group with a fine performance against local GM Lela Javakhishvili, giving her a head start going into the second game of the match tomorrow. Although she was trailing 1.5-0.5 in their head-to-head score from two 2019 Chinese League games, Song capitalized on her deep home preparation to refute her opponent’s slightly dubious opening. Always smiling, Song joined us in the media center to analyze her game and share insights into her daily tournament routine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-i82gP31qc The other four matches concluded in solid, uneventful draws. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk delivered an exceptionally precise performance against GM Humpy Koneru in a Spanish Berlin Defense, achieving a remarkable 98% accuracy with no inaccuracies. These two players are well-acquainted, having faced each other 73 times across various formats, with Kosteniuk holding a slight edge at 36.5 to 32.5 points. GM Kateryna Lagno had a crucial moment to seize the advantage in her game against GM Harika Dronavalli. However, after missing this opportunity, the game gradually simplified into an equal rook ending, which eventually ended in a draw. This result added draw number 48 to their personal head-to-head record, which now stands at 23 wins for Lagno, 22 for Harika, out of a total of 92 games. Both GM Mariya Muzychuk (playing against GM Nana Dzagnidze) and GM Vaishali Rameshbabu (facing IM Meruert Kamalidenova) fought hard for a win but were unable to find a decisive advantage at any point in their games. They will all return tomorrow afternoon with colours reversed to determine who will advance to the quarterfinals. 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 About the tournament: Scheduled to take place from July 6th to July 28th, the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup will gather together in Batumi (Georgia) the world’s best female chess players. A total of 107 players from 46 different federations are set to participate in the event, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals and emerging talents will play for the $50,000 first prize, in addition to three qualifying spots for the
FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 9: Song Yuxin eliminates Anna Muzychuk
The Round of 16 is set: Lei Tingjie-Omonova, Dzagnidze-M.Muzychuk, Humpy-Kosteniuk, Song-Javakhishvili, Zhu Jiner-Divya, Lagno-Harika, Tan Zhongyi-Osmak and Kamalidenova-Vaishali The World Cup tiebreaks are unforgiving. In such high-stakes, compressed formats — especially with time controls like 15+10 and 10+10 — there’s so little room for error or recovery. The story of GM Vaishali versus IM Carissa Yip stands out not just for the result, but for the emotional and psychological arc behind it. Even though all the third-round tiebreak matches were interesting in their way, I was paying special attention to the match between India’s GM Vaishali, elite GM Praggnanandhaa’s older sister, and IM Carissa Yip, the America star that has a local camera crew following her around preparing a Netflix special on women’s chess. Carissa Yip being followed by a Netflix crew adds another layer. The spotlight can be motivating, but also creates added pressure. Vaishali, on the other hand, might have flown under that radar, and her underdog success makes for a compelling story. In the first two rapid games, Vaishali was completely lost—something she candidly admitted in her post-game interview. But she fought on, defending as best she possibly could, just hoping for the results to turn around. Vaishali’s ability to survive lost positions in the early rapid games shows deep psychological fortitude. In knockout formats, surviving can be just as crucial as winning. Just like in football matches, if you keep on hitting the post, don’t be surprised if your opponent scores in the last minute – you have to get the job done. And Vaishali exactly did that. In the first 10/10 game she played superbly. Her quote — “even though I’m not better at all, this is the best position I have had in the whole match” — is both honest and telling. It shows how players gauge hope and energy not just by the objective evaluation of position, but relative to the flow of the match. That moment, perhaps, was the turning point. Once Vaishali won the first 10/10 game, the psychological burden flipped. Yip, who had been pressing before, now had to play catch-up under pressure — a very different psychological space. Although she was visibly tired, Vaishali picked up her mom immediately after the game and joined us in the media center within five minutes for a short interview. She even took the time to analyze the key game for all of us. https://youtu.be/lyCXxfe1LPQ?si=KBAAiRrW8Um90Onx One of the other Indian players competing this afternoon had a similar situation. After playing extremely well against GM Kateryna Lagno in the two classical games and the first three rapid games, IM Vantika Agrawal imploded in the final 10/10 game of the day, allowing Lagno to advance, as in the second round against FM Anastasia Avramidou. Vantika’s level of play was impressive, and the heartbreak of narrowly missing out must have been very difficult to deal with. Facing someone as experienced and strong as GM Kateryna Lagno and pushing her to the limit is no small feat. Taking Lagno to the final Armageddon-style rapid game (“10/10”) shows how tightly contested the match was. As a side-note, playing the Flank Attack against the French Defence is particularly interesting. It’s not often seen at the top level — especially in such high-stakes games — so for Lagno to deploy it not once but twice with White is bold and worthy of study. Without a doubt, IM Song Yuxin was the underdog story of the afternoon. Her victory isn’t just a personal triumph — it’s a reminder of how deep preparation, resilience, and nerves of steel can turn the tables in elite chess. With five Chinese players in the final 16, it’s clear that the country continues to produce world-class talent at an astonishing rate. GM Anna Muzychuk surprised her opponent with the 2.c3 Alapin Variation against the Sicilian in the first game of the match. Although she’s been a lifelong 1.e4 player, Muzychuk had rarely ventured into this line, last playing it back in 2023. The unexpected choice appeared to catch Song off guard; she mishandled the opening and quickly landed in a losing position. Already ahead in development, Muzychuk’s 11.Qb3 followed by 12.Bf3 highlighted the weaknesses on Song’s queenside and her lack of piece play. The game was over on move 17. Needing just a draw to clinch qualification, Muzychuk adopted a cautious strategy. For 45 moves, the game remained balanced, with a symmetrical two-rook endgame suggesting a peaceful outcome. However, chess is a merciless game — one imprecise move was all it took for Song to seize the initiative. Doubling rooks on the seventh rank, she broke through Muzychuk’s defenses and levelled the score. In the third game, Song refined her earlier approach to the Alapin and reached a strong position. With accurate and confident play, she gradually outplayed Muzychuk to take the lead. The fourth and final game saw Song pressing with an extra pawn in a slightly better endgame. A draw was enough to win the match, and she played sensibly to neutralize any counterplay, securing the result and the match victory. Check out her post-game interview! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXhlcnmt1XQ Playing for Switzerland, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated IM Meri Arabidze (from Georgia) by 1.5-0.5: the only 2-game tiebreaker. In game one, Kosteniuk got a promising advantage from the opening against the Philidor Defence but eventually the game simplified into an equal rook ending, resulting in a draw. But in game two, Kosteniuk, playing Black, unleashed her knights, causing chaos in the center and setting up a mating net to secure the win. In her postgame interview with Charlize van Zyl, Alexandra expressed mixed feelings — she enjoys the experience, but is aware of the pressure and the risk of being eliminated at any moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3fCdl23O1w The match between GM’s Nana Dzagnidze and Valentina Gunina was arguably the most dramatic of them all. In the first game, Gunina emerged from the opening with a clear advantage, but a series of inaccuracies allowed Dzagnidze to steer the game
Machteld and Jorden van Foreest, sister and brother, win 2025 Dutch Championship
Initiated by a classic bishop sacrifice on h7, Jorden van Foreest crushed Loek van Wely in the second final game of the 2025 Dutch Chess Championship, securing his second national title (his first was in 2016). On the other board in the playing hall of the Ald Weishoes in Venlo, his sister Machteld van Foreest defeated Robin Duson in the tiebreak, also claiming her second championship title (her first was in 2022). The 2025 Dutch Championships (Open and Women’s) were played in a knockout format, with 16 and 12 players respectively. The four highest-rated women received byes in Round 1 and entered the competition in Round 2. The tournaments were held in Venlo, the Netherlands, from July 5 to 12. “Glad it’s over,” were the first words of Jorden van Foreest (26) as he exited the playing hall. He had seemed to cut through Loek’s defenses like a knife through butter. “It was also partly due to my preparation,” said Jorden. “It was good.” When did he start calculating 18.Bxh7? “Quite a while ago. And I recalculated it a hundred times.” Does this national title bring Jorden happiness, or did he feel obligated to win, given his high rating? “A little bit of both,” he answered, as thoughtful as ever. With a 2700+ rating, the new champion is clearly in form. Does he dream of challenging for the world title someday? The ever-modest Jorden avoids bold claims: “I just want to be better than I am now.” Loek van Wely, runner-up and eight-time Dutch champion, came close to a ninth title but fell short in the final. “I think I wanted to win the tournament more than anyone,” he said. Yet there was also realism in his words. “It could have gone wrong against Arthur de Winter. He’s a very strong player. Just like Jorden, of course. You can want it, but sometimes that’s not enough.” At 52, does he still have the drive to compete again next year? “I take it year by year. But my kids are a major motivator. They’re 6 and 9, and they always ask how Dad is doing.” The Women’s final between Machteld van Foreest and Robin Duson was a tense, closely fought battle. After a draw in the first classical game, Machteld miraculously escaped defeat in the second, forcing a tiebreak. By then, Robin’s resistance had faded, and after Machteld won both rapid games, the Van Foreest siblings were crowned joint Dutch champions. This article is based on report written by Ron Puyn. Photos: NZ9_1789 and Frans Peeters Official website: https://nk.schaken.nl/