Heartbreak for Sara Khadem: A costly resignation shocks FIDE WGP
The seventh round of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix delivered a mix of unexpected turns, missed chances, and a heartbreaking moment for Sara Khadem. While four games ended in draws, the biggest shock came in Khadem’s game against Humpy Koneru, where Khadem resigned in a drawn position—an agonizing outcome after five and a half hours of play. As the tournament nears its climax, the competition is intensifying. Kateryna Lagno has held the lead for several rounds, but today’s results have shaken up the standings, making it anyone’s game. Humpy Koneru’s win propelled her to joint second place alongside Aleksandra Goryachkina and Batkhuyag Munguntuul, setting the stage for an unpredictable finish. The day began with a special visit from three basketball players from the Monaco Basketball Association, who made the ceremonial first move. In a show of support for women’s sports, they exchanged one of their team jerseys for a specially designed shirt from the FIDE Women’s Commission. Also in attendance for the ceremonial first move was Inna Bazhenova, founder of TAEX who is a key sponsor in this event. Round 7 results: Elisabeth Paehtz 1/2-1/2 Aleksandra GoryachkinaBatkhuyag Munguntuul 1/2-1/2 Harika DronavalliAlexandra Kosteniuk 1/2-1/2 Bibisara AssaubayevaZhongyi Tan 1/2-1/2 Kateryna LagnoHumpy Koneru 1-0 Sarasadat Khademalsharieh Elisabeth Paehtz – Aleksandra Goryachkina The first game to conclude was between Paehtz and Goryachkina, lasting just 30 minutes. A threefold repetition was reached by move 13—a curious decision by Goryachkina, given that she trails Lagno by just half a point. Whether it was a strategic choice to conserve energy remains unclear. Batkhuyag Munguntuul – Harika Dronavalli Munguntuul has had a strong tournament so far, winning her first game against Kosteniuk and then drawing the rest – escaping in some, and not converting advantages in others, but always demonstrating tenacity and often surprising her opponents. On the other hand, Dronavalli’s event so far has been the opposite making this game not just dependent on skill but also the opponnents’ mental states. Both players were overly cautious, spending a lot of time on their moves – even 20 minutes at some point. White attained a promising position out of a Sicilian Kalashnikov but misplayed on the queenside giving Black a chance to fight for more than just a draw. But Dronavalli understandably remained solid, forcing multiple trades leading to an equal position. Eventually, the game was drawn by a three-fold repetition. For Harika, this result with black pieces is not bad, particularly when it is easy for a player to lose objectivity whilst struggling in an event. Alexandra Kosteniuk – Bibisara Assaubayeva Assaubayeva, leading the overall Grand Prix standings, has not been in her best form in this event, missing opportunities in games which she normally would not have (as she did in her game yesterday). But today her play can be characterized as more passive than usual where White got an early advantage out of a King’s Indian Defense, an opening in which Black could either get an active play or enter something boring, requiring accuracy in defense. Assaubayeva, seeming visibly unenthused in the game (likely due to the nature of the position as well as her ill health), found herself in a tough situation. Luckily for her Kosteniuk did not find the best continuation and ended up in “only” in a better position. Soon the opponents liquidated into an endgame, both sides had the bishop pair and a rook, and five pawns. But White’s pieces were much more active, with her rook on an open file, and a better pawn structure given Black’s isolated e-pawn. After Bibisara’s impetous h7-h5 push on move 29, engines’ evaluation bar indicated White’s decisive advantage. However, it was important for White to take a steady approach and bring the king out with 31.Kf2, which is always useful in the endgame. Perhaps afraid of 31…h4 by Black (to which White can react with 32.Kf3 followed by either Kg4 or Ke4), she played the natural 31.g4? dropping a lion share of her advantage. Black’s best response was to ignore the pawn and bring the rook back into the game with 31…Rd8. But instead, she did capture 31…hxg4, and Kosteniuk responded quickly with the incorrect 32.Bxg4? when capturing with the pawn made much more sense and would also have allowed the white rook activity on the h-file. In the game, White tried lunging the h-pawn forward, but Black was able to completely hold the position and take the game to an eventual draw. Tan Zhongyi – Kateryna Lagno The game to watch this round was most definitely between Tan and Lagno – considering that Lagno is currently leading the standings, and Tan seems to have gotten her mojo back after securing an impressive victory against Sara Khadem. In a version of the King’s Indian Defense, Lagno took the game out of main theory with 6…a5, but Tan, possibly well versed in the line, immediately responded with the accurate 7.0-0. This moment set the expectations for the high level of the game and the psychology too. After a couple of White’s inaccuracies (the Nd5-Ne3 maneuver looks strange) Black came out of the opening comfortably, and soon the opponents entered a very complicated queenless middlegame. As the game progressed, White found herself in trouble and had to navigate the chaos with only 1 minute on her clock, compared to her opponent’s 14 minutes. In an excellent display of skill, Tan not only managed to equalize the position in the time scramble but suddenly turned the tables and got a chance took over the advantage. Here Black should have simply captured the pawn on g5 with an equal position but instead Kateryna played 35…Bd4?? allowing 36.f4! with an absolutely wining position for White. Opposite colored bishops are known for drawish tendencies but in this particular case Black is hopeless as her queenside pawns are too weak. But White missed a golden opportunity and erred with 36.Kd3? and after 36… Bxe5 37.c5 emerged with a superior but far from winning position. After the chaotic mess, the opponents
FIDE Grand Swiss 2025: Prize fund increases to record $855,000, with six new spots for women
The 2025 edition of the Grand Swiss – one of the strongest open chess tournaments in the world – will feature a significant prize fund boost, along with six additional spots in the Women’s. FIDE has introduced key updates to the regulations for the 2025 Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss, which will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 3 to 15 this year. The changes include a significant increase in the prize fund in both competitions, and providing more spots for players in the Women’s event. A substantial rise in prize money In a significant step towards elevating the prestige of the event, both tournaments will see a substantial increase in the prize money, compared to the previous editions. The Open prize fund will rise from $460,000 to $625,000, a 36% increase, while the Women’s fund sees an even bigger leap, from $140,000 to $230,000—up 64%. “A prize fund increase of this scale isn’t just about numbers—it’s a statement. But it is not just about the prizes. Year after year, FIDE is delivering on our promise to provide more opportunities and better conditions for the wider range of players. We are grateful to Uzbekistan for hosting the Grand Swiss in 2025, and we are looking forward to the tournament in Samarkand to become another landmark event,” FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said. More qualification spots for women The Women’s Grand Swiss will expand to 56 players, with six new spots added to the lineup. Of the six new spots – four players will qualify based on the June 2025 FIDE Standard Rating List, while two wild cards will be awarded by the organizers. “I am particularly happy about the new spots in the women’s event – as this increase aims to broaden participation and enhance competition,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “We are exceptionally pleased to have been able to increase the funding for both events, as more players will be able to share prizes. This also gives more chances to emerging talents to further develop their careers, and that has been one of the main goals of FIDE,” Dvorkovich added. Path to the Candidates Apart from being the gathering point for the world’s strongest Grandmasters, the Grand Swiss remains a crucial qualification event, with the top two finishers in both the Open and the Women’s competition securing places in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Full regulations for both the Open and the Women’s event are published here: FIDE Grand Swiss 2025https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/GrandSwiss FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2025https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/WomenGrandSwiss About the FIDE Grand Swiss: Held every two years, the Grand Swiss brings together many of the strongest chess players in the world and is considered to be one of the most difficult chess tournaments to win. The first Grand Swiss was held in 2019 in the Isle of Man and was won by GM Wang Hao, who scored 8/11. The 2021 edition was moved from the Isle of Man to Riga due to Covid restrictions on the island and was won by GM Alireza Firouzja in the Open and Lei Tingjie in the inaugural Women’s event. The 2023 Grand Swiss was won by India’s Vidit Gujrathi in the Open and Vaishali Rameshbabu in the Women’s competition.