Vaishali Rameshbabu is the only winner in Round 3 of WGP Tbilisi
Indian star Vaishali Rameshbabu defeated Sara Khadem with the white pieces in a game she dominated from the very start. With all other games ending in draws, Stavroula Tsolakidou and Bibisara Assaubayeva lead with 2/3, followed by seven players at 50%, and Sara Khadem in last place with half a point. After blundering in round one and then letting a winning position slip away in round two against Alexandra Kosteniuk, Vaishali Rameshbabu secured a victory against Sara Khadem. In a well-executed performance in the Italian Game, Vaishali quickly gained the upper hand and gradually increased the pressure until Black had no choice but to resign. With this victory, Vaishali is on 1.5 points, back in the tournament in style. The first game to finish was between Anna Muzychuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk. In the Morphy Defense of Ruy Lopez both players castled on opposite sides, setting the stage for a potential battle. Muzychuk seemed to have a slight initiative, with Black’s queen stuck on the a7 square and potentially at risk. However, at the critical stage of the game, Muzychuk opted to exchange queens, leading to an even rook endgame. Playing the King’s Indian against Bibisara Assaubayeva, Mariya Muzychuk made a premature pawn advance on the queenside, weakening her position. Fortunately for her, Bibisara made a few inaccuracies, handing the advantage back to Black. After a tactical sequence, White ended up with a queen against two rooks, and the game was drawn. Bibisara is on 2/3, while Mariya Muzychuk has 1.5 points. Stavroula Tsolakidou drew with Lela Javakhishvili in the English Opening. The Greek player shares the lead with Assaubayeva, both on 2/3. The last game of the day to finish was between Nana Dzagnidze and Alina Kashlinskaya. In the English Defense, Kashlinskaya found herself in time trouble but managed to reach the time control and secure a draw. After failing to win significantly better positions in the first two rounds and playing another long game, the pressure is on for Nana Dzagnidze. Standings after Round 3 Here follows a closer look at the games Anna Muzychuk – Alexandra Kosteniuk This game was a clash between two experienced top-class players who have faced each other many times before. Heading into this match, the classical game score between them was 6:5 in favor of Anna Muzychuk, while they were even in Rapid, and Kosteniuk held the edge in the Blitz. In the Morphy Defense of Ruy Lopez, both players castled on opposite sides of the board, setting the stage for a potential sharp showdown. Kosteniuk initiated her attack first, launching a g5-g4 pawn push on move 12, directly challenging the safety of the white king. Muzychuk responded by reinforcing the center and preparing her own counterplay on the queenside. White just played 19.b4, exerting pressure on Black, whose queen was forced to a7. Then, something unusual happened: after 19…Bxe3, White recaptured with the queen on e3, allowing Black to exchange queens, which led to a more central position for Kosteniuk’s remaining pieces. Kosteniuk seized the opportunity and after 20.Qxe3 Qxe3 21.fxe3 Nb6 22.Nxb6 cxb6, the game transitioned into an even rook endgame, effectively defusing the tension on the board. Shortly afterward, the two players agreed to split the point. In the post-game interview, Kosteniuk mentioned that she was unsure about the strength of her position and was relieved when White opted to exchange queens. She added, “I felt I could have played better in the rook endgame,” but overall, she seemed content with her performance. Nana Dzagnidze – Alina Kashlinskaya Kashlinskaya played the English Defense against Nana Dzagnidze. The position after the opening was relatively balanced, with both sides having clear plans. White had slightly more space on the queenside and a strong central pawn on d5, while Black maintained solid central control and active pieces. Eventually, White’s d5-pawn was exchanged for Black’s pawn. Despite Kashlinskaya having an extra pawn, White’s pieces were more active. Black soon returned the extra pawn to activate her pieces. After several exchanges, the game transitioned into a queen and rook endgame. Dzagnidze, significantly better on time, sought to create threats against the Black king. Despite her time trouble, Kashlinskaya defended well and posed counter-threats, ultimately securing a draw. Bibisara Assaubayeva – Mariya Muzychuk Despite both being top players in women’s chess, this was their first classical game against each other, as noted by commentator Keti Tsatsalashvili during the coverage in Tbilisi. Muzychuk opted for the Gruenfeld Defense. The position remained balanced until Bibisara’s premature a-pawn advance weakened her queenside. 17.a4? This was a mistake. 17.Nf3 or 17. dxc5 would have been better, according to the engines. 17…Bc6 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.Bxg7 Bxg2! 20.Nxg2? Again, White missed the better move 20. Kxg2, which would have kept the game more balanced. After 20…Kxg7, Black was clearly in a better position. Black’s pawns were better protected, and the knights were well-centralized, while White had exposed pawns on the queenside and less piece activity. Additionally, Assaubayeva was under time pressure. However, after 21. Qd4+, Black made a critical error by weakening her pawn structure and light squares with 21…f6. Following 22.Ngf4 Nde4? the position began turning in White’s favor. 23.Qc4 e5 24. b4 exf4 25. bxc5 Nxc5 26. Nxf4 It was White now who had a slightly better position. After move 33, the opponents reached the following position: The best move, according to the engines, was 34.Qb2, maintaining the tension. Instead, Bibisara opted for a tactical sequence. 34.Rxc5 bxc5 35.Ne6! Qxe6 36.cxd4, resulting in Black having two rooks for a queen. Bibisara made these moves under severe time pressure. After a few more moves, it became clear to both players that neither side could make progress, and they agreed to a draw. Stavroula Tsolakidou – Lela Javakhishvili In the English Opening, Tsolakidou, playing White, gained slightly more space on the queenside and established better control over the center, but Black countered effectively. In the middlegame, both players had one weakness each, and the position remained largely even. However, Tsolakidou was
Brazilian Chess Federation advances with bid to host 2030 Chess Olympiad in Brazil
On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Minister of Sports André Fufuca met with the President of the Brazilian Chess Confederation (CBX), Máximo Igor Macedo, the Advisor to the President of FIDE (International Chess Federation), GM Darcy Lima, and the President of the North Rio Grande do Norte Chess Federation, Máximo Valério Macedo. The group discussed Brazil’s bid to host the Chess Olympiad in 2030, an event of immense importance on the global sports scene. The CBX announced a letter of intent highlighting interested Brazilian states and a possible shared host with Paraguay, which is already in advanced negotiations. The schedule of actions was presented to ensure a solid bid at the correspondent FIDE Congress. Minister André Fufuca acknowledged the event’s great significance and expressed his willingness to analyze the detailed CBX project, taking into account FIDE specifications. He highlighted the need for financial viability but reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the initiative. It will be the first time since 1978 that the Chess Olympiads will return to the American continent, making the Brazilian bid even more meaningful.