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FIDE Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals Game 1: Lei and Humpy Lead the Charge
The FIDE Women’s World Cup quarterfinals started with plenty of excitement. Top seed GM Lei Tingjie won her first game against GM Nana Dzagnidze. The game ended in dramatic fashion when Dzagnidze lost on time.
Even though Lei won, she wasn’t fully happy with her play. “I think today I played quite horribly,” Lei admitted. “But the position was quite complicated, and I used a lot of time thinking.”
With this victory, Lei now needs only a draw in the second game to reach the semifinals.
India’s top Grandmaster Humpy Koneru also won her first game. She beat IM Song Yuxin after a tough and complex battle.
“It was a very complex game,” Humpy said afterward. “I wasn’t too sure about playing this position because she seemed well-prepared, but I decided to take the risk.”
The other two matches of the round ended in draws. The second games tomorrow will decide who moves closer to the World Cup title and earns a spot in the Candidates Tournament.
Humpy Koneru vs Song Yuxin: Confident Attack
After a long tiebreak win over former World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, Humpy looked fresh and focused. In the opening, Song played quickly and confidently, sticking to her preparation. Humpy took her time and on move 13 found the bold idea 13.e4, surprising her opponent.
By move 17, Humpy sacrificed a pawn to get active pieces. Song accepted the pawn but soon came under pressure.
At a key moment, Humpy played 23.Rxf6?!, which kept a small advantage. A better move was 23.Qf5!, which could have led to a winning attack. Even though she missed this chance, Humpy kept control and converted her advantage into a win.
After the game, she shared her thoughts with IM Michael Rahal at the media center.
Nana Dzagnidze vs Lei Tingjie: Dramatic Finish
Top seed Lei Tingjie continued her winning run with a victory over Nana Dzagnidze. Dzagnidze played the Reti Opening and got a solid position. Lei countered by fighting for the center, leading to a complex “hanging pawns” position.
Both players spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best plans. For much of the game, Dzagnidze seemed slightly better. But as she ran low on time, mistakes appeared.
In a shocking twist, Dzagnidze overstepped the time control at move 39. Both players thought they had reached move 40, but it turned out they hadn’t.
“It was a dramatic ending,” Lei said. “I feel sorry for her, but the final position was winning for me anyway.”
With this win, Lei is now just one draw away from the semifinals.
Divya Deshmukh vs Harika Dronavalli: Solid Draw
When two strong players prepare well, a draw is often the result. Divya tried a rare sideline in the Ruy Lopez, while Harika chose the solid Berlin Defence.
Divya got a slight edge thanks to better piece activity, but Harika calmly defended. She traded off pieces and reached an equal endgame.
The game ended in a draw after 31 moves. This result may help Harika, who will play with the White pieces in the next game.
Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Tan Zhongyi: Long Battle
The longest game of the day featured Vaishali missing a chance to keep an extra pawn with 22.Ra3. Instead, after 22.Qe2, Tan Zhongyi took over the initiative.
Later, Tan won the exchange for a pawn and pushed for a win. But Vaishali defended carefully and held a draw after 73 moves.
Watch and Follow
You can follow the games live with expert commentary by GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili and IM Almira Skripchenko on the FIDE YouTube channel.
About the Tournament
The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup runs from July 6 to July 28 in Batumi, Georgia. It features 107 players from 46 countries, including many of the world’s best female chess players.
They compete for a $50,000 first prize and three places in the Candidates Tournament.
For full pairings and results, visit the Women’s World Cup official website.
Photos: Anna Shtourman, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
