Round 7 of WGP: Zhu Jiner Joins Anna Muzychuk at the Top!
Round 7 of WGP in Austria was packed with action. Out of five games, four ended decisively in under four hours!
Zhu’s Fifth Win in a Row!
Zhu Jiner scored her fifth straight victory, defeating Nana Dzagnidze. A blunder by Nana helped Zhu clinch the full point. With this win, Zhu now shares the lead with Anna Muzychuk—both have five points.
Tan Zhongyi Stays Close
Former World Champion Tan Zhongyi also had a great day. She beat Lela Javakhishvili and now stands just half a point behind the leaders.
Vaishali Slips to Fourth
Vaishali started the tournament strong, but she’s struggling now. After two wins and two draws early on, she has scored only one point from her last three games. She currently holds fourth place with four points.
Only Two Can Win the Series
With just two rounds remaining, only Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk can still win the overall Women’s Grand Prix series. The race is heating up!
Round 7 Highlights
Zhu vs Dzagnidze
Nana Dzagnidze made a crucial mistake. She played 35…Rf4? instead of the better 35…Nb6. Zhu found the perfect response with 36.d7!, leading to a winning position.
Kosteniuk Crushes Vaishali
In a Nimzo-Indian opening, Alexandra Kosteniuk surprised Vaishali with 1.d4, putting her under pressure. Vaishali blundered with 23…c5??, and Kosteniuk finished the game beautifully. This marked Kosteniuk’s second consecutive win, and she now has 3.5 points.
Mariya Muzychuk Scores First Win
Mariya Muzychuk won a chaotic game against Olga Badelka. Both players blundered in time trouble, but Mariya held her nerve. This was her first win of the tournament, bringing her to 3 points.
Tan Zhongyi Beats Javakhishvili
In the Giuoco Piano, Tan Zhongyi played a clean game. After her opponent missed a key pawn, Tan took control and converted her advantage into a solid win.
Anna Muzychuk Holds Salimova
The only draw of the round was between Anna Muzychuk and Nurgyul Salimova. They played the Four Knights Game, and the position stayed equal throughout. After 40 moves, they agreed to share the point. Anna remains the only undefeated player so far.
Rest Day With Anand!
Even the rest day was full of chess fun. On May 12, a special event took place in G’Schlössl Murtal.
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Grand Prix stars like Kosteniuk, Tan, Mariya Muzychuk, and Badelka played a blitz match against young Austrian talents—and won every game!
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The juniors then played one-on-one blitz games against 15th World Champion Viswanathan Anand.
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The highlight? Eva Maria Schmied held Anand to a draw with perpetual check!
The day ended with a gala dinner, chess puzzles, and plenty of celebration.
Anand Talks About India’s Chess Boom
During a live chat with Felix Blohberger, Viswanathan Anand spoke about India’s rapid chess growth.
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He praised Tamil Nadu, Pune, Kolkata, and Mumbai for building strong chess cultures.
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According to Anand, India has excellent coaches, school programs, and supportive parents.
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Young stars like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Erigaisi are products of this strong foundation.
On women’s chess, Anand said there’s progress, but more needs to be done. He applauded stars like Humpy Koneru and Harika Dronavalli, but hopes more women join the top ranks.
Round 8 Starts May 14 – 3 PM CET
Round 8 Pairings:
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Dzagnidze vs Salimova
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Javakhishvili vs Anna Muzychuk
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Vaishali vs Tan Zhongyi
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Mariya Muzychuk vs Kosteniuk
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Zhu Jiner vs Badelka
About the Event
This tournament in Grosslobming, Austria is the final leg of the 2024/25 Women’s Grand Prix series.
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10 top players
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Round-robin format (9 rounds)
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€120,000 prize fund
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Top 2 overall qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament
For full details, visit: womengrandprix.fide.com
Photos: Przemysław Nikiel, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
