Both Zhu Jiner and Humpy won their games this afternoon and have extended their lead over the rest of the players. They will face-off in tomorrow’s seventh round, with Humpy playing White and in need of the win to overtake the Chinese GM.
After five days of intense battle and many decisive outcomes, the players, arbiters and organization staff of the Women’s Grand Prix enjoyed the hospitality of Pune on their free day.
After five days of intense battle and many decisive outcomes, the players, arbiters and organization staff of the Women’s Grand Prix enjoyed the hospitality of Pune on their free day.
The organizers chartered a bus to visit the centre of the city to visit the Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple, dedicated to the God Ganesha and the Shaniwarwada Fort Pune, with its majestic portal.
The afternoon continued with a trip to one of the largest malls in Pune for souvenir hunting and refreshments.
The afternoon continued with a trip to one of the largest malls in Pune for souvenir hunting and refreshments.
Today’s ceremonial first moves were performed on the Harika vs Divya board by Justice Mrs. Neela Gokhale, member of the Mumbai High Court, and Pankaj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of the PCMC. Adv. Shivaraj Kadam also participated in the opening game ceremony.
Let’s take a closer look at this afternoon’s games.
Harika Dronavalli 0.5 – 0.5 Divya Deshmukh
The first game to finish between Olympic team colleagues Harika and Divya ended in relatively quick draw. In a symmetrical variation of the English opening, they followed a 2020 game between top GM’s Vladislav Artemiev and Mircea Parligras.
In both of the games, White had a very slight edge due to a backward d-pawn but in exchange Black did have excellent piece coordination.
After lengthy manoeuvres, and some inaccuracies by his opponent, Artemiev scored the win, but this afternoon Harika preferred to repeat the position three times and secure the draw just before move thirty.
Munguntuul Batkhuyag 0-1 Humpy Koneru
Harika Dronavalli 0.5 – 0.5 Divya Deshmukh
The first game to finish between Olympic team colleagues Harika and Divya ended in relatively quick draw. In a symmetrical variation of the English opening, they followed a 2020 game between top GM’s Vladislav Artemiev and Mircea Parligras.
In both of the games, White had a very slight edge due to a backward d-pawn but in exchange Black did have excellent piece coordination.
After lengthy manoeuvres, and some inaccuracies by his opponent, Artemiev scored the win, but this afternoon Harika preferred to repeat the position three times and secure the draw just before move thirty.
Munguntuul Batkhuyag 0-1 Humpy Koneru
The number one Indian female player, Humpy Koneru, took a major step towards tournament victory by defeating Mongolia’s top women player Munguntuul Batkhuyag in a complicated variation of the Two Knights defence.
“I noticed that she never plays 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights so I decided to try out this line,” explained Humpy in her post-game interview.
The tricky Ulvestad variation caught Munguntuul by surprise, and she spent a lot of time in the opening. The Mongolian quickly ended up in a very bad position, with opposite-side castled kings and a massive attack for Humpy.
“I knew it was a very important game for me with the black pieces, and I just wanted to try whatever I could. The position just gave to a complex opening and I was happy when I saw it over the board,” Koneru shared.
Although it was a tough game, Humpy was kind enough to come to the media centre and explain her thoughts. A must-watch interview!
“I noticed that she never plays 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights so I decided to try out this line,” explained Humpy in her post-game interview.
The tricky Ulvestad variation caught Munguntuul by surprise, and she spent a lot of time in the opening. The Mongolian quickly ended up in a very bad position, with opposite-side castled kings and a massive attack for Humpy.
“I knew it was a very important game for me with the black pieces, and I just wanted to try whatever I could. The position just gave to a complex opening and I was happy when I saw it over the board,” Koneru shared.
Although it was a tough game, Humpy was kind enough to come to the media centre and explain her thoughts. A must-watch interview!
Zhu Jiner 1 – 0 Vaishali Rameshbabu
Only a few minutes after Humpy had secured the full point, Zhu Jiner scored her own fourth win of the event, retaining the lead before tomorrow’s decisive match-up against the Indian.
Only a few minutes after Humpy had secured the full point, Zhu Jiner scored her own fourth win of the event, retaining the lead before tomorrow’s decisive match-up against the Indian.
Zhu opened with a Sicilian Rossolimo Attack, a line that she had already tried out against Salome Melia earlier in the tournament. Well prepared with Black, Vaishali sacrificed some of her weak pawns in order to transfer all of her pieces towards her opponent’s kingside. And it definitely seemed to be working!
Moment of the day
Moment of the day
With fourteen moves to go to the time control, and Black under her last minute, Vaishali blundered here with 26…Nxc2?? allowing Zhu Jiner to take back control of the board with 27.Nxd5! and eventually win decisive material, as she explained to us in her post-game interview.
The correct move was 26…Rh6!, threatening mate on h2 and after 27.Nf1 Nxg2! 28.Rxg2 Bxf3 leads to a complex material imbalance which is not worse for Black.
The correct move was 26…Rh6!, threatening mate on h2 and after 27.Nf1 Nxg2! 28.Rxg2 Bxf3 leads to a complex material imbalance which is not worse for Black.
Salome Melia 0 – 1 Polina Shuvalova
The third decisive result of the round was Shuvalova’s second win in the tournament, this time against tailender Salome Melia.
The Georgian IM opened with the Delayed Alapin variation against Shuvalova’s Sicilian defence and got quite a decent position from the opening.
The third decisive result of the round was Shuvalova’s second win in the tournament, this time against tailender Salome Melia.
The Georgian IM opened with the Delayed Alapin variation against Shuvalova’s Sicilian defence and got quite a decent position from the opening.
After installing a bishop on d6, her position seemed promising but she soon lost the advantage by playing 19.Nd4? instead of 19.c4, opening up the position for her other bishop.
The rest of the game is a textbook example by Shuvalova of how to exploit a misplaced minor piece. If you want to enjoy her move by move explanations, join us in her postgame interview and improve your play!
The rest of the game is a textbook example by Shuvalova of how to exploit a misplaced minor piece. If you want to enjoy her move by move explanations, join us in her postgame interview and improve your play!
Alina Kashlinskaya 0.5 – 0.5 Nurgyul Salimova
Who said a draw was boring? Possibly one of the most exciting games of the tournament, it started out as a solid Petroff Defence, but immediately spiced up when Kashlinskaya opted for the 5.Nc3 variation, which generally leads to opposite-side castled king’s positions.
After the opening phase, Kashlinskaya ventured upon12.Ng5 at one point and then had to drop back immediately. Not a good sign. A few moves later she launched an attack with 14.g4 but it was met with 14…g5! a not at all obvious defence by Salimova.
Who said a draw was boring? Possibly one of the most exciting games of the tournament, it started out as a solid Petroff Defence, but immediately spiced up when Kashlinskaya opted for the 5.Nc3 variation, which generally leads to opposite-side castled king’s positions.
After the opening phase, Kashlinskaya ventured upon12.Ng5 at one point and then had to drop back immediately. Not a good sign. A few moves later she launched an attack with 14.g4 but it was met with 14…g5! a not at all obvious defence by Salimova.
Nonetheless, the key mistake was 21.Rg1? dropping a pawn, and leaving Kashlinskaya with a very bad ending.
But the game isn’t over until it’s over. Approaching time trouble both players started to trade mistakes: at one point, Salimova’s advantage was +35.7!!
But the position was a mess, king’s and queen’s all over the place – and indeed even Kashlinskaya enjoyed one specific moment in which she had a decisive advantage.
In the end, the game was drawn by perpetual check on move sixty-seven, a result that probably doesn’t leave any of the two players satisfied.
But the game isn’t over until it’s over. Approaching time trouble both players started to trade mistakes: at one point, Salimova’s advantage was +35.7!!
But the position was a mess, king’s and queen’s all over the place – and indeed even Kashlinskaya enjoyed one specific moment in which she had a decisive advantage.
In the end, the game was drawn by perpetual check on move sixty-seven, a result that probably doesn’t leave any of the two players satisfied.
Round 7 dates and pairings
The seventh round of the fifth leg in the 2024/25 Women’s Grand Prix series will take place on Monday, April 21, at 15:00 CET local time in Pune, India.
These are the pairings:
Nurgyul Salimova – Salome Melia
Vaishali Rameshbabu – Alina Kashlinskaya
Humpy Koneru – Zhu Jiner
Divya Deshmukh – Munguntuul Batkhuyag
Polina Shuvalova – Harika Dronavalli
The seventh round of the fifth leg in the 2024/25 Women’s Grand Prix series will take place on Monday, April 21, at 15:00 CET local time in Pune, India.
These are the pairings:
Nurgyul Salimova – Salome Melia
Vaishali Rameshbabu – Alina Kashlinskaya
Humpy Koneru – Zhu Jiner
Divya Deshmukh – Munguntuul Batkhuyag
Polina Shuvalova – Harika Dronavalli
You can follow the games with expert commentary on FIDE’s YouTube channel.
The main side event of the Pune Women’s Grand Prix is the third edition of the Maharashtra International Grandmaster Chess Tournament, a 9-round 500+ player open event taking place in the Amanora Mall, at walking distance from the WGP venue.
Top players include GM’s Abhijeet Gupta, Karen Grigoryan, Manuel Petrosyan and Levan Pantsulaia.
Written by IM Michael Rahal
Photos: Abhilash Shinde
The main side event of the Pune Women’s Grand Prix is the third edition of the Maharashtra International Grandmaster Chess Tournament, a 9-round 500+ player open event taking place in the Amanora Mall, at walking distance from the WGP venue.
Top players include GM’s Abhijeet Gupta, Karen Grigoryan, Manuel Petrosyan and Levan Pantsulaia.
Written by IM Michael Rahal
Photos: Abhilash Shinde
