Anna Muzychuk Scores First Win: WGP Cyprus
The third round of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Cyprus took place at Hilton Nicosia. His Excellency Liu Yantao, the Chinese Ambassador, made the ceremonial first move for Zhu Jiner. His Excellency Mr. Manish, the Indian Ambassador, did the same for Harika Dronavalli.
With high accuracy scores, most games ended in well-fought draws. The only decisive result was Anna Muzychuk’s win over Nana Dzagnidze. Their game lasted 83 moves, making it the longest match so far.
Game Highlights
Divya Deshmukh 0.5 – Aleksandra Goryachkina 0.5
Goryachkina had won three out of four previous games against Divya. However, Divya has improved significantly. Playing as White, she was eager to challenge her opponent.
Goryachkina used the Berlin Defense in the Ruy Lopez. Both players followed well-known opening theory for twelve moves. Then, Divya took nearly forty minutes for her next move, opting for a safe position with major piece exchanges. The game ended in a balanced rook and bishop endgame, leading to a draw by move 42. Their accuracy scores reached an impressive 99%.
Stavroula Tsolakidou 0.5 – Mariya Muzychuk 0.5
Greek IM Stavroula Tsolakidou is gaining a strong fan following. She previously defeated Mariya Muzychuk once and drew another game.
Stavroula played 1.d4 and surprised Mariya with 9.Rg1 in the Semi-Slav Anti-Moscow Gambit. Mariya took fifteen minutes to respond but played perfectly, following top computer moves. Stavroula admitted in her post-game interview that her coach had warned her about this possibility. Muzychuk achieved a flawless 100% accuracy score, drawing the game in a complex battle.
Zhu Jiner 0.5 – Harika Dronavalli 0.5
This was the seventh encounter between Zhu Jiner and Harika, with all six previous games ending in draws. This time was no different.
Zhu Jiner played aggressively against Harika’s Winawer French, advancing her h-pawn early. Harika countered well, trading light-squared bishops and queens. The endgame featured a bishop vs. knight imbalance, but both played precisely. The game ended in a draw after 41 moves, keeping Zhu Jiner in the lead.
Olga Badelka 0.5 – Elisabeth Paehtz 0.5
IM Olga Badelka and GM Elisabeth Paehtz faced each other for the first time in classical chess. The game began with an English Defense and remained balanced until Badelka launched a kingside pawn storm.
Paehtz responded with an active counterattack, sacrificing pawns for piece activity. At one point, Badelka had three extra pawns, but Paehtz forced a perpetual check to secure a draw. Badelka admitted she was worried about her king’s safety but was happy with the result.
Anna Muzychuk Scores First Win – Anna Muzychuk 1 – Nana Dzagnidze 0
Anna Muzychuk and Nana Dzagnidze have played 26 times before, with Nana leading their head-to-head record. This time, Anna emerged victorious.
Nana avoided her usual Najdorf Sicilian, choosing the rare O’Kelly variation instead.
Anna responded with an uncommon 3.Be2. By move seven, they were in an unfamiliar position with no database references.
As the game progressed, Anna kept pressing. In a queen endgame, Nana had a chance to hold a draw but made a crucial blunder on move 83.
Playing 83…Kg8 allowed Anna to force checkmate with 84.f5! Instead, 83…Kf8 would have saved the game.
With both players under time pressure, the mistake was understandable. Anna Muzychuk Scores First Win of the tournament after five hours of intense play.
Round 4 Pairings
- Nana Dzagnidze vs. Elisabeth Paehtz
- Harika Dronavalli vs. Olga Badelka
- Mariya Muzychuk vs. Zhu Jiner
- Aleksandra Goryachkina vs. Stavroula Tsolakidou
- Anna Muzychuk vs. Divya Deshmukh
Follow the Action
For more details, including pairings, regulations, and live games, visit the official website: womengrandprix.fide.com. Watch the live commentary on YouTube with GM Alik Gershon and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich.
Photos: Mark Livshitz, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
