Zhu Jiner Takes the Lead After Two Rounds: FIDE WGP Cyprus
The second round of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Cyprus started on time at 15:00 at the Hilton Nicosia. The ceremonial first move was made by Valeriya Avksenteva, Deputy Executive Director of the main sponsor, Freedom24. She played the first move for Mariya Muzychuk, who was up against Divya Deshmukh.
Only one game had a decisive result, with Zhu Jiner taking the lead. However, all five matches were exciting. Let’s take a look at the action.
Mariya Muzychuk 0.5 – Divya Deshmukh 0.5
The first game to finish was between former Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk and young Indian star Divya Deshmukh. Despite having a cold, Divya played precisely, equalizing in the Steinitz variation of the French Defense.
Both players followed a 2023 game between Caruana and Carlsen until move nine. At this point, Divya deviated with 9…cxd4 instead of the usual 9…Be7. Her strong preparation was evident, as she quickly found the best follow-up moves.
After an exchange of queens and rooks, the game reached an equal bishop endgame. A draw was agreed on move 40. Divya later shared, “Most of the game was prepared beforehand, but in the end, I had to calculate carefully.”
Nana Dzagnidze 0.5 – Olga Badelka 0.5
This was Olga Badelka’s first Grand Prix cycle. Unfortunately, she had to play two games in a row with the Black pieces.
Against experienced Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze, she chose the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Dzagnidze surprised her with 9.Bg5, forcing Badelka to think for more than 20 minutes.
Although Dzagnidze had an advantage with better-placed pieces and pawn structure, time pressure led her to lose control. Badelka defended well and secured a draw on move 43.
Elisabeth Paehtz 0 – Zhu Jiner 1
After losing in round one, Paehtz tried the 5.Qb3 line in the Ragozin Defense. Zhu Jiner played 5…a5 instead of the usual 5…c5 and had to think for 15 minutes after 7.Bg5.
The game revolved around the weakness of an isolated d-pawn. Zhu sacrificed it for White’s a2-pawn, leading to an equal endgame.
Paehtz had drawing chances, but Zhu kept setting traps. Eventually, Paehtz made a mistake, allowing Zhu to create a passed pawn. She fought for 24 more moves but had to resign. In her post-game interview, Zhu Jiner explained some of her key ideas.
Aleksandra Goryachkina 0.5 – Anna Muzychuk 0.5
Goryachkina played 1.e4 instead of 1.d4, which had failed her in round one. Anna Muzychuk responded with the Two Knights variation of the Sicilian Defense.
Goryachkina played a trendy secondary line, trading knights on c6. Muzychuk reacted well, developing comfortably.
Goryachkina had a small edge, with a slightly better bishop and a big time advantage. On move 20, Muzychuk had only 30 minutes left, while Goryachkina still had an hour.
Despite the pressure, Muzychuk defended well and exchanged into a balanced bishop endgame. The game ended in a draw on move 42.
Harika Dronavalli 0.5 – Stavroula Tsolakidou 0.5
This was the most exciting game of the round!
Harika played the Rossolimo Attack, the same opening that Stavroula used to win in round one.
She chose the sharp 6.Qxd4 line, forcing Black to weaken her kingside. However, theory suggests that Black’s solid pawn structure and bishop pair provide good compensation. Even Magnus Carlsen had used this line to defeat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in 2019.
Out of her preparation, Harika played the bold 11.b4. Stavroula offered a draw by repetition on move 21, but Harika played on.
With both players under 10 minutes, anything could happen. Harika had strong knights and a safe king, but instead of trading rooks, she played 28.Nb6. Stavroula, with only a minute left, sacrificed her queen with 28…Rxb8! creating a fortress.
Although White still had an edge, it was too hard to convert. A draw was agreed. After the game, Harika admitted she should have played differently.
Women’s Chess Discussion
During the round, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky discussed key topics in women’s chess, such as:
- Do we need women-only titles and tournaments?
- Why have top female players lost rating points in recent years?
- Should we focus on supporting current players or dreaming big for the future?
Round Three Pairings
The third round of the Women’s Grand Prix continues on Monday, March 17, at 15:00 CET in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Round 3 Matches:
- Anna Muzychuk vs. Nana Dzagnidze
- Divya Deshmukh vs. Aleksandra Goryachkina
- Stavroula Tsolakidou vs. Mariya Muzychuk
- Zhu Jiner vs. Harika Dronavalli
- Olga Badelka vs. Elisabeth Paehtz
For more details, live games, and tournament regulations, visit the official website: womengrandprix.fide.com
Watch live commentary from GM Alik Gershon and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich on YouTube.
Photos: Mark Livshitz, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
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