Pranav and Shukhman win 2025 World Junior Championship in Montenegro
The 2025 World Junior Chess Championship concluded in Petrovac, Montenegro. Over the last thirteen days, almost two hundred and sixty boys and girls from sixty-seven countries competed for the prestigious titles. Indian Grandmaster and second seed Pranav Venkatesh (pictured below, right) emerged as the winner in the open section. He delivered an impressive 9/11 score, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament with a rating performance of 2721, fully deserving the title. Slovenian IM Matic Lavrencic and Norwegian GM Amar Elham tied for second place, both finishing with 8.5/11. Lavrencic claimed silver due to a superior Buchholz score (a secondary tiebreaker). Final standings Open In the girls’ section, Anna Shukhman (FIDE) triumphed with a 9/11 score. Remarkably, she finished the tournament with a strong 5/5 streak in the last five rounds. Second place went to Ayan Allahverdiyeva of Azerbaijan, who scored 8/11, while third place belonged to top seed Lu Miaoyi of China. Final standings Girls The Chess Union of Montenegro is proud to have hosted this prestigious FIDE event, especially as it is the first of its kind to be held in the country. Montenegro Chess Union President Jovan Milovic thanked all the players, the organizational committee, and everyone involved in making this chess spectacle a success. Prizes for the winners in the girls’ section were awarded by Ms. Nadja Lakovic, a member of the Parliament of Montenegro, while Jovan Milovic, President of the Montenegro Chess Federation, presented the awards to the open section winners. Photos: Mitar Djukanovic Official website: https://worldjunior2025.sahcg.me/
World Junior Championship 2025 crosses midpoint
Six exciting rounds have been played at the FIDE World Junior Chess Championship in Petrovac, Montenegro. Due to the decision to start the championship one day later, participants have played every day without a rest day. After six rounds, GM Venkatesh Pranav (IND, 2602; pictured below) leads the open section with 5.5 points. The Indian GM is closely followed by GM Yahli Sokolovsky (ISR, 2552), IM Adar Tarhan (TUR, 2460), and Meng Yihan (CHN, 2412), who all have 5 points. The tournament’s top seed, GM Daniel Dardha (BEL, 2652), is in a large group of players with 4.5 points. Standings after Round 6 Open In the women’s section, four players are tied at the top after six rounds: WIM Ayan Allahverdiyeva (AZE, 2284; pictured below), WIM Umida Omonova (UZB, 2228), WFM Keseria Mgeladze (GEO, 2219), and WFM Mariya Yakimova (FIDE, 2201;)—all with 5 points. They are followed by a group of six players with 4.5 points. Standings after Round 6 Girls Notably, the Fujairah Chess Club has announced that the winners in both categories will receive free accommodation and covered travel expenses for the 1st Fujairah Global Chess Championship, set to take place from August 25 to September 2, 2025. This was announced by the club’s Vice President, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zaabi, who also made the ceremonial first move in the sixth round. Jovan Milovic, President of Montenegro Chess Federationd and Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Zaabi Vice President of Fujairah Chess and Culture Club Here are two interesting games of played in Rounds 3 and 4, with brief commentaries. Chasin,Nico (2415) – Pranav,V (2615) [D20] World Junior Chess Championship (3.1), 27.02.2025 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 Nc6 5.Nf3 e4 6.Nfd2 Qg5 Black has chosen a very agressive, but risky line. 7.Nxe4 Qxg2 8.Ng3 Qh3 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e4 10.Qb3!? should be considered as well. 10…Bg4 11.f3? The risky strategy pays off. One wrong move is all it takes for Black to take over the initiative. 11.Qa4 was the correct response, with better prospects for White. 11…0–0–0! 12.Be3? 12.fxg4 Nxd4 13.Bf1 Qh4 14.Be3 Bc5 seems quite dangerous for White, but it was probably the best hope for survival. 12…Bc5! From this moment on, the pressure on White position just keeps growing. 13.Bd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bd6 15.Kf2 Be6 16.Nc3 16…f5! The end is near. 17.Bg5 Rd7 18.d5 f4 19.Nge2 Bc5+ 20.Ke1 Qg2 21.Rf1 Bh3 Facing huge material losses, White resigned. 0–1 (2032) Kaldarova,Ayaulum (2248) – Nurman,Alua (2336) [A34] World Junior Chess Championship (4.3), 28.02.2025 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bg2 d4 We see another ultra-agressive, but risky set-up for Black. 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Bxa8 Qxa8 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Qxd5 Objectively, Black might not have full compensation, but it’s quite easy to go wrong as White in such a position. 13.f3 Bc5 14.Qd3 0–0 15.a3? And one mistake is again all it takes. 15.Bd2 was a much better option. 15…f5! White is already in big trouble. 16.e4? This only helps Black, but the correct 16.b3 e4 17.fxe4 fxe4 18.Qc4 Qxc4 19.bxc4 e3 was also difficult for White. 16…fxe4 17.fxe4 Qb7 18.Bd2 Kh8 19.a4 Bh3 20.Rg1 Qxb2? Complicating things. The simple 20…Qf7 would finish the game quickly. 21.Rb1? But White returns the favour. She could’ve forced the Queen exchange with 21.Qb1, keeping good chances to hold. 21…Qa2 22.g4 Qf7 The Queen has finally found the right square, and it’s all over now. 23.Kd1 Qf2 24.Qxh3 Qxg1+ 25.Be1 Bb6 26.Qh4 Qe3 27.Qg3 Qxe4 28.Rb3 Rc8 0–1 Photos: Mitar Djukanovic Official website: https://worldjunior2025.sahcg.me/
Goryachkina clinches second FIDE WGP 2024-2025 title in Monaco after dramatic finale
We have reached the end of a spectacular Grand Prix leg in Monaco, filled with intense battles, unexpected turns, and a newly crowned champion. After nine grueling rounds, three players—Aleksandra Goryachkina, Batkhuyag Munguntuul, and Humpy Koneru—finished tied for first place. However, it was Goryachkina who emerged as the tournament winner, securing her second Grand Prix leg victory, thanks to the superiour Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak. The final round delivered high-stakes drama, with Munguntuul and Goryachkina drawing their encounter, allowing Humpy Koneru to join them at the top after defeating Bibisara Assaubayeva. Meanwhile, Alexandra Kosteniuk bounced back with a victory over Elisabeth Paehtz, Tan Zhongyi and Harika Dronavalli drew, and in a shocking twist, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh defeated Kateryna Lagno, dashing her hopes for the title. Yesterday’s results had already reshaped the leaderboard, with Goryachkina and Munguntuul catching up to Lagno, setting up a final-round showdown. The stakes were high: a win in Munguntuul-Goryachkina would likely secure first place for the winner, while Lagno needed a victory against Khademalsharieh to stay in contention. With everything on the line, the last round was a fitting climax to an unforgettable event. Round 9 results Batkhuyag Munguntuul 1/2-1/2 Aleksandra GoryachkinaAlexandra Kosteniuk 1-0 Elisabeth PaehtzTan Zhongyi 1/2-1/2 Harika DronavalliHumpy Koneru 1-0 Bibisara AssaubayevaSarasadat Khademalsharieh 1-0 Kateryna Lagno Batkhuyag Munguntuul – Aleksandra Goryachkina This was the game everyone had their eyes on. The tournament’s bottom seed, Batkhuyag Munguntuul, delivered a phenomenal performance in Monaco, while Goryachkina, the winner of the previous Grand Prix leg, fought her way to the top after an early setback in round one. A victory for either would have secured at least a shared first place, while a draw would have left the final standings uncertain, depending on Lagno’s result. The opening choice—a Berlin Defense in Ruy Lopez—was particularly interesting, as it is known for its drawish tendencies. However, throughout this tournament, we have seen dynamic interpretations of this setup, and this game was no exception. Both players sought complications, but multiple exchanges eradicated any attacking chances, leading to a draw. Goryachkina remains the clear favorite in the overall Grand Prix standings and will play her third and final leg in Cyprus (March 14-25). Will she cement her place at the top? Meanwhile, Munguntuul, who had a tough start in Shymkent but shone in Monaco, will return for the Indian leg (April 13-24). What will her third appearance bring? Alexandra Kosteniuk – Elisabeth Paehtz A King’s Indian Defense quickly turned favorable for White, both on the board and on the clock. Alexandra first advanced on the queenside, securing a strong outpost for her knight, and then took full advantage of Black’s passive pieces and ill-timed counterplay on the kingside. Both players have not had great time management in this tournament, and today they exchanged long tanks – for more than 20 minutes at some points. A key moment came at move 18 when Black faced a recapture dilemma: Kosteniuk noted in her post-game interview that King’s Indian players instinctively want to recapture on f5 with a pawn, but here, Black’s passive position demanded either 18…Bxf5 or 18…Nxf5 instead. After further simplifications, White’s advantage became undeniable due to Black’s misplaced pieces and weak pawn structure. The game concluded with a tactical shot following 36. Bb4, making White’s passed a-pawn a decisive factor. Paehtz, understandably determined to win, took risks, but Kosteniuk—bouncing back from her previous loss—remained composed and converted the advantage. Paehtz started the tournament strongly but lost momentum. However, with her next appearance in Cyprus, she has the opportunity to regain her form. Meanwhile, Kosteniuk will return for the final Grand Prix leg in Austria. Tan Zhongyi – Harika Dronavalli Both players entered the round with confidence after winning their previous games. While neither had a standout tournament, ending on a strong note was crucial—especially for Harika, who will play in Cyprus next, and Tan, who is set to challenge the Women’s World Champion in just four weeks. Tan, trailing the leaders by just half a point, still had an outside chance of winning, making this game all the more significant for both players. It began with a Sicilian but quickly deviated from mainline theory. White appeared more comfortable in the resulting closed position, securing a strong outpost knight. However, her other pieces were passive, preventing any decisive breakthroughs. As the game progressed, Black found chances for a kingside initiative, but the position remained balanced. Eventually, the queenside opened up, leading to multiple exchanges and leaving Black with a passed a-pawn. Dronavalli could have forced a draw by trading queens but opted to continue, given her slightly more active pieces. Despite Black’s winning pawns, the ensuing complications allowed Tan’s queen to remain a constant threat. Ultimately, the game ended in a hard-fought draw. Tan will soon be in China for the World Championship match before returning for the Grand Prix final leg in Austria (May 6-17)—will she compete as the newly crowned World Champion? Meanwhile, Harika, despite an underwhelming performance in Monaco leg, will have two more chances to shine in Cyprus and India. Humpy Koneru – Bibisara Assaubayeva Trailing the leaders by half a point, Humpy had every reason to go all in, and that’s precisely what she did. Her opponent, Assaubayeva, struggling with health issues and sitting at the bottom of the standings, was likely not at her sharpest. An early mistake cost her a pawn, and from there, Humpy dictated the game. Here, instead of 11…c6 or 11…Nh5 Black played 11…Nd7?, allowing 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Nb5, attacking the c7-pawn. Despite being down material early, Assaubayeva fought on, posing as many problems as possible. However, Humpy’s experience prevailed, and she secured a critical victory, joining the tournament leaders. This was Assaubayeva’s final Grand Prix leg, while Humpy will return to compete in India, playing on home turf. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Kateryna Lagno Lagno had led the tournament for multiple rounds and played a quick draw on the previous day. But with her co-leaders facing off, she needed a win. Unfortunately, pushing
Midway through FIDE WGP Monaco: All draws in Round 5
As the third leg of the 2024/25 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series reaches its halfway mark, Round 5 saw all five games end in draws—yet the results hardly tell the full story. Despite the peaceful outcomes, the battles were anything but uneventful, with players pushing hard, missing key opportunities, and ultimately splitting the points in tense encounters. With the only rest day ahead, the tournament remains wide open, and the second half promises even more excitement. Round 5 results: Harika Dronavalli 1/2-1/2 Aleksandra GoryachkinaElisabeth Paehtz 1/2-1/2 Bibisara AssaubayevaBatkhuyag Munguntuul 1/2-1/2 Kateryna LagnoAlexandra Kosteniuk 1/2-1/2 Sarasadat KhademalshariehZhongyi Tan 1/2-1/2 Humpy Koneru Harika Dronavalli – Aleksandra Goryachkina Starting off with a Ruy Lopez Berlin, one of the most solid systems in chess, a draw was not a surprising result, although the game did offer excitement regardless of the opening’s reputation. A slow game unfolded, with multiple trades in the middlegame, leading to a roughly equal position. After inaccurate play by White, Black obtained an advantage, with the chance to press for a win. At this point, Black had an opportunity to exert real pressure with 26…Na6 with the idea of 27…Nc5, which is the best square knight in this structure (26… Rd6 was also a very strong option). However, Goryachkina should have weighted the consequences of the line 27. Qb7 Nc5 28.Qxc7, in which Black sacrifices a pawn for positional compensation. Aleksandra opted for 26…Qd6 and after 27.h5 Qf6, White gave Black another chance to grab initiative with 28.Re1? by simply capturing on h5, as Qh4 was no longer a threat. Instead, 28…Qg5 balanced the game again. After further exchanges, a draw was agreed. Goryachkina missed a few chances, but given the grueling pace of the tournament, fatigue is a factor. With the rest day ahead, both Harika and Aleksandra will look to recharge before the crucial second half. Elisabeth Paehtz – Bibisara Assaubayeva After suffering a dramatic loss in the previous round, Paehtz chose not to retreat into a cautious approach, but instead opted for an aggressive response to Assaubayeva’s Najdorf. White emerged from the opening with a dominant position: Here, Paehtz played 17.Ba4?, allowing Black to escape via queenside castling. A stronger alternative would have been a queen move, followed by placing the bishop on e6, where it would dominate the board. After 17…0-0-0 18.0-0-0 Qc7 19.Bb3? Na5, White’s advantage evaporated. Our commentators analyzed the fascinating move 19.Rd5!, a practical shot that could have led to an imbalanced fight. After 19…Ne7 20.Qb3, White would allow Black to capture the rook, gaining a dangerous initiative in return. Instead, the game equalized and ended in a threefold repetition. Despite the missed opportunity, Paehtz’s combative approach is a promising sign for the second half. Meanwhile, Assaubayeva, who stabilized after her third-round loss to Goryachkina, will look to regain momentum. Batkhuyag Munguntuul – Kateryna Lagno Munguntuul has been one of the tournament’s surprises, delivering a strong performance with an undefeated streak so far. She tested the Caro-Kann Defense, which is part of her regular repertoire, in her game against Lagno. Black managed to win a pawn, but at the cost of compromising her pawn structure. This positional imbalance allowed White to generate sufficient counterplay, ultimately leading to a draw. For Munguntuul, this is an impressive result. She was not only the rating underdog by 184 points, but she also endured a tough previous Grand Prix leg, losing all her games with White. Now, she stands within reach of a potential GM norm, should she continue this solid run. Meanwhile, Lagno retains her tournament lead, thanks to an all-draw round. Alexandra Kosteniuk – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh The first game of the day to finish was the encounter between Kosteniuk and Khadem that ended in a draw. What started as an interesting line in the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation reached this fresh position after Black’s 11…Bb4: Commentators noted that 12.Kd2 was a slightly more accurate, whereas 12.Bd3 played by Alexandra allowed Black to get counterplay after exchanging on c3 and eventually bringing the knight to the c4 outpost. Despite the seemingly vulnerable kingside pawn structure, Black’s position remained stable, supported by the king and the open g-file. After multiple trades, the game ended in a threefold repetition. Zhongyi Tan – Humpy Koneru Tan, one of the pre-tournament favorites, has faced unexpected difficulties in Monaco. She entered today’s game with solid preparation in the Neo-Catalan Defense Declined, often employed by her compatriot Ding Liren. Initially, White achieved a comfortable position, but mishandled it shifting focus between the queenside and kingside, giving Koneru to arrange her pieces on optimal squares and reach a winning position. White had already gone with the incorrect plan of pushing her kingside pawns, but here the 27.f6 does not amount to any attack as the natural 27…g6 stops everything and suddenly the white king is exposed and in danger. However, Humpy incorrectly played 27…Ng4? picking the f6-pawn but letting White off the hook. Instead, maintaining control and launching an attack on the white king was much more dangerous for White. In a post-game interview, Humpy noted that she thought she must have been better and did in fact calculate the 27…g6 variation, but was not sure about it. The game instead continued with multiple trades where Black managed to hold onto the extra pawn, resulting in a drawn knight endgame where both sides had passed pawns that did not offer any real danger. The final handshake came after 4.5 hours of play, bringing an intense game to a peaceful conclusion. With the first half of the event behind us, the tournament heads into its only rest day, when players will enjoy an excursion in Monaco. This break comes at an ideal moment, offering a mental reset before the decisive second half of the competition. Standings after Round 5: 1 GM Kateryna Lagno 2515 3½ 2 GM Humpy Koneru 2523 3 3 IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 2458 3 4 IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2331 3 5 GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2484 2½ 6 GM Aleksandra Goryachkina 2546
FIDE WGP Monaco Round 4: Kateryna Lagno takes the lead with a spectacular victory
Round 4 of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Monaco delivered high-level chess, with four games ending in draws and one spectacular victory. Kateryna Lagno, playing a breathtaking attacking game, defeated Elisabeth Paehtz to seize the sole lead in the tournament. The day began on a lighthearted note as Michael Stoettinger, President of the Austrian Chess Federation and host of the final WGP leg, made the ceremonial first move for Lagno—perhaps bringing her a touch of good fortune. Meanwhile, tournament director Jean-Michel Rapaire outlined plans for the upcoming rest day on February 23, which will feature an exciting excursion. Stoettinger added a humorous remark about the Austrian rest day including schnitzel and Vishy Anand, drawing smiles from the players. As for the games – despite the draws on most boards, the games were far from dull. Sara Khadem misplayed a significant advantage, while Humpy Koneru and Aleksandra Goryachkina also had opportunities to press for more. Round 4 results: Aleksandra Goryachkina ½-½ Zhongyi TanHumpy Koneru ½-½ Alexandra KosteniukSarasadat Khademalsharieh ½-½ Batkhuyag MunguntuulKateryna Lagno 1-0 Elisabeth PaehtzBibisara Assaubayeva ½-½ Harika Dronavalli Kateryna Lagno – Elisabeth Paehtz The sole victory of the round was a dazzling display of creativity and fighting spirit, making it an early frontrunner for the tournament’s brilliancy prize. The game began at an unusually slow pace, with only eight moves played in the first hour and a half. By move six, the players had entered an unexplored variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Lagno, with the white pieces, gained an edge out of the opening and soon shook things up with a pawn sacrifice: In the post-game interview, Lagno explained her reasoning behind the sacrifice, aiming to delay Black’s ideas of 12…Nc5 and 12…Bf5. Paehtz responded with 12…Nc5 instead of the stronger 12…Bxe6, allowing the game to spiral into chaos, ultimately favoring White. I implore you to really assess the intricacies of this position – there is so much going on from both sides. White’s last move, 16.g4! (the best in the position), gives up a pawn to distract what Lagno considered to be Black’s strongest piece – the light-squared bishop. However, after 16…Bxg4 White erred with 17.Ne5? Allowing Black to come back into the game with 17…Bxd1 although practically, and in the spirit of the game, White’s decision made sense to target the g6-pawn. A key moment came after move 19, where Paehtz missed a crucial defensive resource: Here 19…Bg5 (or the fancier 19…Qxd2 achieving the same) was the only way for Black to continue. This would force a series of trades where White would end up with only a slightly better position – which Lagno noted she had calculated and was happy with. Nevertheless, Paehtz opted for 19…e3 which closed the important diagonal and did not achieve much. 20.fxe3 Kxg6 21.Rg1 Bg5 22.h4! The exposed black king was in trouble, and after picking off the bishop, White brought her pieces to the party. Playing under time pressure, both sides exchanged inaccuracies where Black had one last opportunity to prolong her resistance after 27.e4: Here 27.Rd1 instead was important to insert before e4, setting up a discovery on the black queen where e4 becomes even stronger with the threat of Bxg5 (in all fairness, Black’s position was already beyond repair). 27…Qd4 was played in the game, to which White responded with 28.Rf1 and now 28…Ncd7?? was Black’s final major blunder as she incorrectly defended her f6-knight. There is a lot of tricky analysis here to look into, but instead I will leave you with the remainder of the beautiful game: 29.Bxg5 Rhf8 30.Be6 Rad8 31.Bxd7 Rxd7 32.e5 Kd8 33.Bxf6 Kc7 34.e6 Qd2 35.Kb1 Rd6 36.e7 Re8 37.Be5 Rxe7 38.Rd1 and Black resigned. With this victory, Lagno emerged as the tournament leader. As she left the hall, she remarked with a smile that this was the best game she had played in a long time. Aleksandra Goryachkina – Tan Zhongyi For the second consecutive day, Goryachkina was the last player to leave the board, battling for nearly five hours. Both players blitzed through the opening in Petroff Defence and entered a slow, positional struggle. Much like her previous game against Assaubayeva, Goryachkina attempted to squeeze out a win from a seemingly equal position. Several moments arose where a threefold repetition seemed imminent, but each time, one player deviated to continue the fight. Tan, however, handled the clock better, maintaining a significant time edge—42 minutes against Goryachkina’s mere 3 minutes. Time trouble has led to several blunders in this event, but today, both players held firm, agreeing to a draw after 93 moves. Humpy Koneru – Alexandra Kosteniuk A Semi-Slav set the tone for a long positional game, and this is what occurred in the game between Koneru and Kosteniuk, with the opponents performing at 98% accuracy. This stat makes a draw between two chess titans the logical outcome. White obtained a more comfortable position out of the opening and had a 20-minute time advantage by the ninth move. However, this was soon balanced, as became the position. Play unfolded on the queenside, where both sides made the best moves, leading the game to a natural draw – even though Humpy had chances to push for more. Although we did not see fireworks in this game, it was a display of the high-quality chess that we are witnessing in this event. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Batkhuyag Munguntuul Another incredibly instructive game was played in which White got a desirable position out of the opening but could not convert it, leading to a draw. Black did not make any obvious error in an Exchange Slav but allowed White to dominate the queenside by controlling the backward c6-pawn without any counterplay. White solidified her strong position with a3 and b4, eventually activating her queen and taking advantage of Black’s passivity, picking up a pawn: The h5-pawn is under attack, while White threatens Rxd5 as the c7-rook is hanging. Despite this material and positional advantage, it was still not that easy to breakthrough – something Khadem