Kashlinskaya & Shuvalova Replace Khademalsharieh & Lagno in FIDE WGP India
Kashlinskaya & Shuvalova Replace Khademalsharieh & Lagno:
IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh and GM Kateryna Lagno have withdrawn from the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix (WGP) India due to personal reasons. Their spots will now be taken by IM Alina Kashlinskaya and IM Polina Shuvalova. These two rising stars will compete in the fifth leg of the series(Kashlinskaya & Shuvalova Replace Khademalsharieh & Lagno).
Alina Kashlinskaya’s Chess Journey
Born on October 28, 1993, Alina Kashlinskaya is a well-known name in women’s chess. She has won multiple medals in national and European Women’s Championships.
Early in her career, she secured silver at the 2003 European Girls Under-10 Championship and the 2011 World Girls Under-18 Championship. In 2013, she claimed the Russian Junior Girls Championship title.
In 2022, Alina made a bold move by switching federations to represent Poland. She quickly adapted and helped the Polish women’s team achieve sixth place in the 44th Chess Olympiad.
Her success continued in May 2024, when she won the National Polish Women’s Championship and played on the first board for Poland in the 45th Chess Olympiad.
In August 2024, she won the first leg of the WGP 2024–2025 series in Tbilisi, earning 130 points. She now holds seventh place in the overall standings.
Polina Shuvalova’s Rise to Success
Polina Shuvalova, born in Orsk in 2001, made a name for herself in junior chess. She won three consecutive gold medals in higher age categories.
After securing silver and bronze in the Under-16 division in 2016 and 2017, she became the World Girls’ Under-18 Champion in 2018.
Her biggest breakthrough came in 2019.
Polina won the World Under-18 Girls’ Championship in Mumbai with 8.5/11 points. Shortly after, she triumphed at the World Girls’ Junior Championship in New Delhi with 9.5/11 points.
This victory earned her the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at just 18 years old.
Polina faced challenges in her WGP debut, finishing last in Astana (2022). However, she bounced back in New Delhi (2023), tying for fourth place. Now, she returns to India, determined to improve her performance.
FIDE WGP India 2025: Key Details
The fifth leg of the FIDE WGP 2024–25 will take place in Pune, India, from April 13 to 24. With Kashlinskaya and Shuvalova stepping in, the tournament promises thrilling battles on the board.
For full pairings and official updates, visit the FIDE WGP website.
Photos: Anna Shtourman, Lennart Ootes, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
