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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2DbF-XUxko&pp=0gcJCb4JAYcqIYzv 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z3-xem3HzU 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! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QYIGKV3uto 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 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
Join the Global Online Celebration for International Chess Day
FIDE, in partnership with Lichess.org, invites chess-lovers from around the world to take part in the largest-ever Social Chess Day tournament — a 24-hour blitz marathon celebrating International Chess Day on July 20! Event Details: * Format: 5+3 Blitz (5 minutes + 3 seconds increment)* Platform: Lichess.org* Start Time: 00:00 CEST (Zurich time) on July 20* End Time: 00:00 CEST on July 21* Entry: Open to players of any skill level, from all time zones — join anytime and play as many games as you want! Amazing Prizes Await! All participants will be automatically entered into random prize draws, with a chance to win: Exclusive experiences: 5 winners will get vouchers to attend the Opening Ceremony & Round 1 of the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, including 2 nights of hotel stay. Merch & Collectibles: 10 winners: €100 FIDE Merchandise Vouchers 20 winners: Limited edition “Chess Players” photography books Train with the best: * 1-on-1 Online Blitz Training with GM Lei Tingjie* Group Talk (up to 50 people) with GM Nijat Abasov – motivational insights and chess prep advice Simuls & Q&A Events: Online simuls with top GMs * Humpy Koneru * Praggnanandhaa * Vaishali Rameshbabu * Tan Zhongyi * Arjun Erigaisi * Valentina Gunina (with lecture) * Anish Giri * Anna Shukhman (with lecture) Q&A & Game Analysis with GM Anna Muzychuk Be part of chess history This is more than just a tournament — it’s a global celebration of the game we all love. Whether you play one game or one hundred, you’re part of the movement. Let’s make July 20 a day to remember! Join here: lichess.org/tournament/fscday25 Regulations: fide.com/wp-content/uploads/FIDE-Social-Chess-Day-Tournament-Regulations-.pdf
European Individual Senior Championships 2025: Registration now open
The Croatian Chess Federation, under the auspices of the European Chess Union, invites all the member federation to participate in the European Individual Senior Chess Championships, taking place from September 26 to October 6, 2025, in Rabac, Croatia. Tournament Information The Championship will be played as a 9-round Swiss-system event. Time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves + 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. The Championship will be played in four categories: age 50+ and 65+ (Open and Women) with women’s tournaments played separately. However, if fewer than nine women register in a given category, they will be merged with the corresponding open group but still awarded separate prizes. The total prize fund is € 8,000, and the top three places in each category will directly qualify for the 2026 World Individual Senior Championship (with free accommodation and full board). The playing venue is the restaurant Sunny Rabac by Valamar, located close to the official hotels. The official regulations can be found at the following link: EISCC2025_Rabac_regulations Accommodation Accommodation is available exclusively through the organizer at two 4-star Valamar hotels, with full-board and half-board options. Valamar Sanfior Hotel & Casa 4* Doubleroom (per person): €87 full board / €73 half board Single room: €119 fullboard / €105 half board Includes: welcome drink, use of fitness center and indoor pool, drinks during thedinner time (water, juice) 4-minute walkfrom the playing venue Valamar Sanfior Hotel & Casa Rabac, Hrvatska Valamar Bellevue Resort 4* Doubleroom (per person): €92 full board / €78 half board Single room: €125 fullboard / €111 half board Includes: welcome drink, drinks during thedinner time (water, juice, local wine and beer) 10-minute walkfrom the playing venue Family Bellevue Resort, Rabac, Hrvatska, Istra Reservations are confirmed upon payment of a €200 deposit per person. Registration Players are kindly asked to complete the official Registration Form carefully and submit it to the organizer no later than Friday, August 29, 2025, via e-mail: chessrabac2025@gmail.com. Entry fee: €120 (ECU fee included) For any questions, please feel free to contact the organizer: chessrabac2025@gmail.com Official website: hrvatski-sahovski-savez.hr/european-senior-individual-2025/
FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 6: Kamalidenova eliminates 2023 winner Goryachkina; Omonova continues to surprise
The major upset of the second round’s tiebreaks was the elimination of GM Aleksandra Goryachkina – the current holder of the Women’s World Cup trophy, which she won two years ago in Baku. She will not be returning to the playing venue tomorrow. Although Goryachkina staged a comeback in the second game of the classical section, her opponent, IM Meruert Kamalidenova from Kazakhstan, delivered a dominating tiebreak performance, giving her opponent absolutely no chance at all. In the first of the two 15/10 rapid games, Goryachkina blundered a pawn in a minor piece ending, and Kamalidenova displayed excelled endgame technique to get the job done. Forced to play for a win in the second game, Goryachkina overplayed her hand, eventually landing in a completely lost position. She was lucky to escape with a draw by perpetual check but that was not enough to prevent elimination. Aleksandra has qualified for the Candidates Tournament already through the Women’s Grand Prix, so we shall be seeing her soon again at the highest level. Kamalidenova discussed her qualification with FIDE’s Charlize van Zyl in the media centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30U7HjSDqBk The second amazing result of the afternoon was the 2-0 score by WIM Umida Omonova, playing from Uzbekistan, against established Polish IM Alina Kashlinskaya. In the first of two rapid games, Kashlinskaya blundered a pawn in the opening and Omonova demonstrated excellent endgame technique to convert the win, clocking in a 97% accuracy score. The second game was going very well for Kashlinskaya, with a huge attack for a piece, but she couldn’t follow through and finally had to resign. Once again, Omonova showcased her rapid and blitz skills – she will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the following rounds, especially if she reaches the tiebreaks. Former Women’s World Champion GM Anna Ushenina will also be travelling home very soon after losing an unbelievable eight-game tiebreak against IM Vantika Agrawal. Right at the end, in the blitz games, she had a chance to take the lead. In a winning position, with only a few seconds on her clock, Vantika played 40.Qd2-d1?? (instead of 40.Qe1) allowing her opponent to win with 40…Qxf2+ followed by 41…h3. Only nerves and game pressure can explain how Ushenina inexplicably missed this move and instead retreated her queen to b7, resigning a few moves later. Most of the other favourites advanced to the third round, although not without suffering. 2021 winner GM Alexandra Kosteniuk was on the verge of elimination but found the way to come back and prevail in the final blitz matches against IM Padmini Rout, who proved a tough nut to crack. Two other former Women’s World Champions will also be joining the rest of the qualifiers in the third round. GM Antoaneta Stefanova faced one of the toughest opponents of the field, GM Elina Danielian. After four very close draws in the classical and rapid, Stefanova pulled through in the second set of the rapid games, totaling a final score of 3.5-2.5. Meanwhile, WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro, playing for the United States, won the first game against GM Mariya Muzychuk, forcing the former Women’s World Champion to win three consecutive games to qualify. One of the three wins was a miniature, beautifully analysed by Mariya for the spectators in the media centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUYSOe7zIEg Her sister Anna also has to defend her position as a top seed against her countrywoman from Ukraine, IM Inna Gaponenko. After two solid draws in the classical games, Gaponenko forced a three-fold-repetition draw in the first rapid, in a position where if anyone was better it was her. Karma struck in the second rapid, with Anna outplaying her opponent in the ending. GM Kateryna Lagno, also had to dig deep to get through to the next round. Her opponent, FM Anastasia Avramidou, from Greece, played very well, continuously putting Lagno to the test. The final score, 4-2 for Lagno, is a testament to the strength of Avramidou. Although very tired after the match, Lagno was kind enough to give Charlize van Zyl her thoughts in a postgame interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNKSNT74zzU The match between China’s IM Lu Miaoyi and IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (Uzbekistan), ended in a narrow 3.5-2.5 win for the Chinese youngster. Suffice it to say that anything could have happened in this match! In other tiebreak interesting encounters, IM Klaudia Kulon got past WIM Priyanka K with a clear 2-0 score, the same result that China’s IM Song Yuxin inflicted on Estonia’s IM Mai Narva. After winning the first game by means of a nice exchange sacrifice, Song took advantage of the fact that Narva couldn’t accept a draw in the second. She popped-in to the media center to analyse her game and give us her thoughts on the match-up. Finally, playing for Poland, IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya defeated Armenia’s IM Lilit Mkrtchian in the second game of the first rapid set, after the first game ended in a draw after a long and equal battle. 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 Candidates. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the Women’s World Cup website.
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 LagnoWIM Umida Omonova – IM Alina KashlinskayaIM Inna Gaponenko – GM Anna MuzychukWGM Thalia Cervantes – GM Mariya MuzychukIM 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLU8eRqI94w 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”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7akazsJhNEw 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrASlNqek4 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. In her postgame interview, Irina showed us the key moment of the encounter and talked about texting her opponent (and a good friend) before the match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeALX_Xuk7g Comebacks! Everyone enjoys a good comeback story, and today was no exception. With all of them against the ropes having lost their first game, GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Ushenina, and IMs 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 GMs 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 About the tournament: Taking place from July 6 to July 28, the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup brings together the world’s top female chess players in Batumi, Georgia. A total of 107 participants from 46 federations are competing, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals, and rising talents are vying for the $50,000 first prize, as well as three qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results are available on the Women’s World Cup
FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 4: Giant-killer Kamalidenova takes down Goryachkina in the surprise of the day
Top seeds Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi also get off to a good start The competition just got tougher! With the 21 top seeds officially joining the competition the battle for the Candidates is heating up. None less than 64 of the best female players from around the world started their clocks at 3pm local hour for the second round of the World Cup knockout – it can’t be a coincidence that the chessboard also has 64 squares! In less than three weeks, only two will remain, with one of them following the steps of GM’s Kosteniuk (winner in 2021) and Goryachkina (2023) – and FIDE’s media team will be here all the way to keep you in the loop! Even at this early stage of the tournament, there is no easy match-up for anyone. Many games ended in hard-fought draws, albeit none of them before move thirty – the rule threshold. Most top seeds start on the right foot Top seed and former World Championship finalist, GM Lei Tingjie, wanted nothing of the sort. After missing the previous two World Cups, she has a clear objective here to play well and qualify for the Candidates. Her fine performance in the first game of her match against 2025 American Continental Champion, WGM Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu looks like an excellent step in the right direction. After the game, Lei joined us in the media center to give us her thoughts. https://youtu.be/TLG5x1Ex07E Some other top seeds getting off to a good start this afternoon are GM Tan Zhongyi, GM Humpy Koneru, GM Nana Dzagnidze, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, IM Polina Shuvalova, IM Yuliia Osmak, IM Divya Deshmukh and IM Teodora Injac. The surprise of the day WGM Meruert Kamalidenova is a fantastic player. Silver with Kazakhstan in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad, several times National and Asian youth champion, former World Junior Champion, Kamalidenova is a star athlete in the making. This afternoon she pulled off a brilliant first game win against one of the best female players in history, and current World Cup trophy holder, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina. After three previous losses and one draw, Kamalidenova was over the moon with the result and happily joined FIDE Press Officer IM Michael Rahal in the media center to give us her thoughts on the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwLoneTZxFY Two other relative surprise results of the day were FM Anastasia Avramidou holding GM Kateryna Lagno to a draw with Black along with WGM Thalia Cervantes also achieving a draw with Black against GM Mariya Muzychuk. TACTIC OF THE DAY It’s hard to call a result “surprising” when the rating difference is less than 50 points, but of course GM Anna Ushenina is a former Women’s World Champion with a rating peak of over 2500. Up to move thirty both players were performing at an extraordinarily high level with no inaccuracies but going into time trouble mistakes gradually started to creep in. At the key moment, Ushenina went for a pawn-grab with 33…Nxf2? against which Vantika uncorked a devilish tactic. Starting with 34.Qd8+ Kg7 35.Ne6+! fxe6 (35…Kh6 36.Qh4 mate) and now 36.Qc7+! forcing resignation. After the exchange, a new queen will appear on the board very soon. WIM Charlize van Zyl, FIDE’s star interviewer, caught up with Vantika just before she left the venue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLTUvHmz6ag BLUNDER OF THE DAY The all-American game between GM Irina Krush and IM Carissa Yip was a match to watch. Yip surprised her experienced opponent in the opening with the Dutch defence – at least which was the vibe that Charlize and I felt when we saw the move being played on the board. Irina picked up the advantage early on and even sacrificed the exchange in an attempt to win. Things were looking very good but, with both players under severe time trouble, disaster struck for her. With just three moves to go to reach the time control, Irina played 38.Nh4??, resigning immediately after 38…Qxc2. Instead, 38.Qxf5 Rxf5 39.Nd4! would have left Krush with excellent drawing chances. After retreating to her room for a well-deserved rest, Carissa was kind enough to return to the venue to talk to Charlize. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSBgcsft9PU The second game of round two will be played tomorrow at 3pm in the Grand Bellagio Hotel and Convention Centre. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman and Polina Bovina 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 Candidates. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the Women’s World Cup website.
Uniting continents behind bars: 5th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners
As part of the Chess for Freedom project and in celebration of the FIDE Year of Social Chess, the International Chess Federation is proud to present the 5th edition of the FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, taking place from October 14 to 16, 2025. This special event underscores FIDE’s commitment to using chess as a force for positive change, offering hope, connection, and new perspectives to those behind bars. Since its launch, the Intercontinental Championship has become a powerful symbol of how chess can transform lives and break down barriers. Organized in collaboration with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, USA), the tournament gives incarcerated individuals around the world a rare opportunity to represent their institutions, demonstrate their skills, and engage in meaningful competition beyond prison walls. Teams and Composition Teams from correctional facilities across the globe are invited to participate, with each country able to register up to three teams: one representing male inmates, one for female inmates, and one for juveniles under 20 years old. Countries that hold national prison chess tournaments may be granted additional teams. In cases where needed, teams can include players from multiple facilities. Each team is composed of four players with an unlimited number of substitutes, all of whom must be incarcerated individuals. Their names and identities will remain protected unless disclosure is permitted by local laws for media purposes. Format The event will take place on Chess.com using a time control of 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. On October 14, teams will compete in round-robin groups of up to eight teams, grouped by time zone to ensure fair play conditions. No two teams from the same country will be placed in the same group. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Championship Round on October 15. On October 16, the best teams from each category; men’s, women’s, and youth, will battle for the championship title, while the next two will fight for the third-place spot. To ensure integrity and fairness, strict regulations govern the event. Each site must have a secure connection and a video setup covering the playing area via Zoom. Fair play checks and oversight will be rigorously enforced throughout. Registration Participation is free of charge. Correctional facilities must complete the official registration form (forms.gle/2SbUGJCnUSP7RQrs9) and confirm their entry by emailing Tournament Organizer Mikhail Korenman (mikhail.korenman@ccsheriff.org). The registration deadline is September 14, 2025, with pairings announced on October 7 and a mandatory technical meeting scheduled for the week of September 15. Winning teams will receive special certificates and global recognition as champions of this remarkable initiative. Final standings will be determined by match points, individual scores, direct encounters, and tie-break criteria. Continental Championships Recap:Earlier this year, in May 2025, FIDE successfully introduced the inaugural Continental Online Chess Championships for Prisoners, creating a strong foundation for regional competition and connection. That milestone highlighted the growing momentum of chess as a tool for rehabilitation and reintegration. Now, the Intercontinental Championship brings together teams from all corners of the world, embodying the spirit of inclusivity and transformation that defines this FIDE Year of Social Chess. About the FIDE Year of Social Chess: 2025 has been declared the FIDE Year of Social Chess, a dedicated celebration of chess as a bridge to inclusion and community building. Throughout this year, FIDE emphasizes projects that bring chess to diverse groups, highlighting its role in promoting education, social engagement, and empowerment around the world. The Intercontinental Championship for Prisoners is a powerful example of this mission in action, offering inmates an opportunity to reconnect with society and develop life-changing skills through the game. Registration form: forms.gle/2SbUGJCnUSP7RQrs9 Tournament regulations (PDF) More info about the program: chessforfreedom.fide.com
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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arrccj3ScmY 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! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc10CKIfn84 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlj1SfzVP8k 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 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 Candidates. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the Women’s World Cup website.
FIDE announces the list of players at the 2025 Grand Swiss
The new elite players dominate the list as young stars pack the field, vying for the top spots leading to the 2026 Candidates. Scheduled to take place from September 3 to 16 in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the strongest-ever Swiss system tournament – the FIDE Grand Swiss – returns for the fourth edition, after previous events in the Isle of Man (2019 and 2023) and Riga (2021) The Grand Swiss is one of the most significant tournaments in the chess calendar, also serving as a pathway to the Candidates tournament. The 11-round Swiss format tournament will see 172 players take part – 116 in the Open and 56 in the Women’s tournament. As per regulations, the top two qualifiers in both the Open and the Women’s competition will qualify for the 2026 Candidates tournament, where the challenger for the title of World Champion will be determined. Apart from serving as the qualifier for the Candidates, the 2025 Grand Swiss also features a notable prize fund, which has been significantly increased from the last edition. The prize fund in the Open is $625,000 (increased from $460,000 in 2023) and in the Women’s competition features a $230,000 prize fund (up from $140,000 in 2023). The Open tournament Among 116 players in the Open, 101 have qualified by rating, with the remaining spots allocated to Continental representatives, six FIDE wildcards and five are nominated from the local organiser. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz Young Indians headline the list of the Open competition, with Arjun Erigaisi (21; pictured above) and World Champion Gukesh D (19) seeded as the top two, while Praggnanandhaa R (19) is ranked fourth, just behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov (20). Another star youngster, 22-year-old world number eight, Alireza Firouzja is ranked fifth. The remainder of the top ten is made up of more seasoned Grandmasters – two-time world champion candidate Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Levon Aronian and Vladimir Fedoseev. Further bolstering the young presence at the event are Hans Niemann (22), Vincent Keymer (20), Javokhir Sindarov (19), Nihal Sarin (20) and Awonder Liang (22), who are all among the top 20. Former candidate for the title of World Champion Boris Gelfand, as well as former Women’s World Championship challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina (pictured below) will also play in the Open, after receiving wildcard invitations. Photo: Niki Riga The rule requiring 30+ classical rated games between July 2024 and June 2025 has excluded several high-profile names, including two former world champions – Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand, as well as heavyweights who participated in previous Grand Swiss tournaments – Le Quang Liem and Peter Svidler. Although qualifying by rating, former World Champion Ding Liren will not be participating in the event. Fabiano Caruana – who played in all three previous Grand Swiss tournaments – will also not be taking part, having already secured a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament by winning the 2024 FIDE Circuit. The full list of participants of the Open Grand Swiss can be found here. The Women’s tournament In the Women’s Grand Swiss, 44 players have qualified by rating. Four additional players are joining them from Continental spots, four via FIDE wildcards, and another four as nominations from the local organiser. Photo: Przemek Nikiel Former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi (pictured above) is the top-rated participant in the Women’s Grand Swiss, followed by seasoned elite world players – Humpy Koneru, Anna Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno. The 2023 winner, Vaishali Rameshbabu (24) is also taking part. Lei Tingjie (who won the inaugural Women’s Grand Swiss, in 2021, in Riga), is also playing, after receiving a wildcard invite from FIDE. The Women’s Grand Swiss will also see emerging talents take part, such as world junior champion and runner-up, Divya Deshmukh (19) and Lu Miaoyi (15) and Leya Garifullina (20). The full list of participants of the Women’s Grand Swiss can be found here: Open: grandswiss2025.fide.com/open-event-participants/ Women: grandswiss2025.fide.com/women-event-participants/ About the FIDE Grand Swiss Held every two years, the FIDE Grand Swiss brings together many of the strongest chess players in the world, playing in a classical 11-round Swiss system tournament. The first Grand Swiss took place in 2019 in the Isle of Man and was won by GM Wang Hao, who scored 8/11. The 2021 edition was moved from the Isle of Man to Riga due to Covid restrictions on the island and was won by GM Alireza Firouzja in the Open and Lei Tingjie in the inaugural Women’s event. The 2023 Grand Swiss was won by India’s Vidit Gujrathi in the Open and Vaishali Rameshbabu in the Women’s competition. More information about the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss can be found on the official website.
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, GMs Elina Danielian, Antoaneta Stefanova, IMs Nurgyul Salimova and 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 Xuxin, 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS5r1RaXSHI 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 anexcellent 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTyucOWaDLw&t=100s 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 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 Candidates. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the World Cup website.