Indian star Humpy Koneru Wins Pune Women’s Grand Prix in Thrilling Final
The Pune Women’s Grand Prix ended in dramatic fashion, with Indian star Humpy Koneru emerging as the winner after a nail-biting final round.
While most games ended quickly, all eyes were on the top boards where Humpy and Chinese prodigy Zhu Jiner battled until the very last move.
Both players won their final games and finished with 7 points each. Humpy took first place thanks to better tiebreaks. Divya Deshmukh secured third place with a draw against Alina Kashlinskaya.
Humpy’s Comeback Victory
After the event, Humpy admitted that luck played a role. She said,
I haven’t been doing very well in classical chess lately, but I recovered my rating here and played quite well.
Both Humpy and Zhu earned 117.5 WGP points. Humpy may fall short of qualifying for the Candidates Tournament, but Zhu still has a shot in the final WGP leg in Großlobming, Austria (May 5–16).
WGP Standings After Pune
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Alexandra Goryachkina – 308.34 points (3 events)
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Humpy Koneru – 279.17 points (3 events)
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Zhu Jiner – 235 points (2 events)
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Anna Muzychuk – 189.17 points (2 events)
Game Highlights
Humpy Koneru vs Nurgyul Salimova: 1–0
Dignitaries made the ceremonial first moves on this board. Humpy played the Exchange Variation in the Slav Defense, a solid and safe choice for the final round.
Salimova made small mistakes, especially her queen maneuver. The critical error came on move 18 with 18…Bd6?. Humpy responded with 19.e4!, seizing control of the position.
Despite her best efforts, Salimova ended up in a losing endgame. Humpy sealed the win after 84 moves.
Polina Shuvalova vs Zhu Jiner: 0–1
Shuvalova needed a win to overtake Divya and chose the classical Giuoco Piano. But Zhu defended strongly.
Shuvalova blundered with 30.Re3?, allowing 31…d5!!. Zhu took the advantage and played the brilliant 42…Nd5!!, threatening checkmate.
After a tactical flurry, Zhu emerged with two passed pawns and converted her advantage after 76 moves.
Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Salome Melia: 0.5–0.5
Vaishali chose the Colle-Zukertort system, aiming for a win. But Melia was well-prepared and equalized.
Melia had the upper hand and more time, but chose to repeat moves, ending in a draw. Vaishali finished with a minus score, losing 10 rating points. Melia gained five points and outperformed expectations.
Harika Dronavalli vs Munguntuul Batkhuyag: 0.5–0.5
With little at stake, both players played a clean game. They reached a double rook ending and agreed to a draw after 40 moves.
Both scored a 97.9% accuracy rate with no mistakes or blunders.
Divya Deshmukh vs Alina Kashlinskaya: 0.5–0.5
A flawless game by both players. Divya used the Tarrasch Variation in the French Defense. She applied pressure, but Alina simplified to an equal endgame.
Divya gained 9 rating points and had a strong event. Alina lost 20 points and struggled throughout the tournament.
Closing Ceremony
The closing ceremony started with a minute of silence for a tragedy in Kashmir. Over 5 million people followed the event online, with a high number of decisive games.
Siddharth Mayur praised Humpy’s inspiring win. Chief arbiter Ivan Syrovy shared his tournament report.
Prizes were awarded:
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3rd place – Divya Deshmukh
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2nd place – Zhu Jiner
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1st place – Humpy Koneru
Humpy thanked the organizers, sponsors, and fans for their support.
Dr. Parinay Fuke, President of the Maharashtra Chess Association, spoke about supporting young chess talents and the state’s commitment to chess in schools.
The event ended with a group photo, speeches by dignitaries, and renditions of the FIDE and Indian national anthems.
For more details, pairings, and live games, visit the official tournament website.
Photos: Abhilash Shinde, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
