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Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi Shine in Round 6 of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
Round 6 of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Austria started quietly, but it soon turned into a day full of drama and exciting chess.
Zhu Jiner’s Brilliant Win
Zhu Jiner won her fourth game in the tournament. She now stands just half a point behind the leader, Anna Muzychuk. This win keeps her in the race for a spot in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Zhu faced Mariya Muzychuk in the most intense game of the round. For most of the game, the position was balanced. But on move 31, Mariya made a mistake with 31.Bg2? instead of the safer 31.Nh4.
Zhu quickly took control with a powerful tactic: 31…Ndf4!!. The knight couldn’t be captured without losing material. After a series of sharp moves, Black gained a strong advantage.
Mariya tried to fight back but missed her only chance to equalize with 42.Nh4. Instead, she played 42.Qc3?, and Zhu didn’t miss her opportunity. She pushed her pawns, gained a better position, and soon forced a resignation on move 51.
This was Zhu’s fourth win in a row – a great performance!
Tan Zhongyi’s Marathon Victory
Tan Zhongyi, a former Women’s World Champion, also had a fantastic win. She beat Nurgyul Salimova in a long rook endgame that lasted five hours and 89 moves.
Salimova played the King’s Indian Attack and reached a drawish rook endgame with a small pawn edge. But time trouble hurt her chances. She had just six minutes left to make ten moves, while Tan had 46 minutes.
Tan kept pushing. Eventually, Salimova cracked under pressure. A mistake on move 81 with Ra2?? allowed Tan to win a second pawn and seal the game.
It was a true masterclass in patience and technique by Tan Zhongyi.
Kosteniuk Finds Her Form
Alexandra Kosteniuk also bounced back. She had a tough start to the tournament but scored a much-needed win against Lela Javakhishvili.
Kosteniuk, playing Black, handled the Colle System well. Her opponent made a key mistake with 23.Bb2?, allowing Black to grab the e4-pawn.
Kosteniuk gained control and broke through on the kingside. She won comfortably, bringing her total to 2.5 points from six games.
Vaishali Bounces Back
Vaishali Rameshbabu also returned to form. After losing to Zhu in round five, she defeated Olga Badelka in round six.
Playing the Four Knights Game, Vaishali gained an edge by move 16 and took advantage of a blunder by Badelka. She soon went up a pawn and pressed her advantage until Badelka resigned on move 39.
This puts Vaishali at 4 points from 6 games. Badelka remains at 2 points.
Anna Muzychuk Holds the Lead
Anna Muzychuk entered round six as the sole leader. She played Black against Nana Dzagnidze in a quiet game.
The two traded pieces and entered a drawn endgame. After 40 moves, they agreed to a draw by repetition. Anna now stands at 4.5/6, still in first place.
Commentary with Legends
Viewers also enjoyed high-level commentary during Round 6. Grandmaster Vishy Anand joined Angelika Valkova in the studio. FIDE CEO and GM Emil Sutovsky also added his insights.
Standings and What’s Next
After six rounds, Anna leads with 4.5 points, followed closely by Zhu with 4.0. Tan and Vaishali are also in strong positions.
May 12 is a rest day. A fun blitz tournament with local Austrian girls will take place, followed by a Michelin-star dinner for the players.
Round 7 pairings:
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Zhu Jiner vs Nana Dzagnidze
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Olga Badelka vs Mariya Muzychuk
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Alexandra Kosteniuk vs Vaishali Rameshbabu
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Tan Zhongyi vs Lela Javakhishvili
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Anna Muzychuk vs Nurgyul Salimova
About the Tournament
This event in Austria is the final stage of the 2024–25 Women’s Grand Prix. Ten top female players compete in a round-robin format. Time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves + 30 minutes with 30-second increment from move 1.
The €120,000 prize fund is shared among the players.
The Women’s Grand Prix Series is a key path to the 2026 Candidates Tournament. The top two from the series qualify. The winner of the Candidates will challenge reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun.
Photos: Przemyslaw Nikiel, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
