It’s all about the endgame! Four more victories in Pune
The Women’s Grand Prix Pune leg is gradually becoming one of the most interesting events of 2025. Not a day goes by without a few amazing games, interviews and highlights. This afternoon’s fourth round produced none less than four decisive outcomes. The fifth one, that ended in a draw, could also easily have had a winner. And what about the endgames? Both Divya and Humpy finished-off their opponents by pushing their connected passed pawns in rook endgames while Salimova took down Munguntuul in a bishop + knight vs rook finale! With these results, Zhu Jiner still leads the event with 3.5/4, just half a point ahead of Divya and Humpy. With five rounds still to go it’s anyone’s guess to who will come out on top at the end. The ceremonial first moves were performed by Ms. Shakuntala Khatavkar, an International Kabaddi playerwho opened the game for Polina Shuvalova and both Mr. Sunil Phulari,Special Inspector General of Police and Mr. Amit Sharma, General Manager Fern Hotel, opening for Humpy. Let’s take a closer look at this afternoon’s games. Polina Shuvalova 0 – 1 Humpy Koneru Based on her recent results in this opening, I was definitely surprised to see Humpy choosing the closed Italian game, even more when she went for the sharp 8…g5 line. She must have noticed something in Shuvalova’s playing style and decided to take advantage. Possibly afraid of a direct attack on her king, Polina opted for the exchange of queen’s, a sequence that the engine doesn’t approve. The ending was comfortable for India’s number one, moreover after yesterday’s display of technique against Divya – Humpy was going for the win. First, she invaded the second rank with her rook, and then started to push her passed pawns, which finally became too much for Shuvalova, who decided to resign on move thirty-three. Humpy clocked in an amazing 99.7 accuracy score: a perfect game! Don’t miss her game analysis on the live stream, starting minute 3.41.00 Harika Dronavalli 0.5 – 0.5 Vaishali Rameshbabu With four Indian players in the event, there will be a durby every day. In addition, all four of them know each other very well – they are the backbone of the national Olympic team. It is therefore understandable that they try to surprise their opponents with lesser-known ideas, or positions that they have never faced before. Although she has a broad repertoire with Black, Vaishali has always been an enthusiastic follower of the Grunfeld defence, and has played it at the highest level, even against Harika! But this time Harika had prepared a relatively new and fashionable idea, 9.Rb1 instead of 9.0-0 followed by 12.Qd2 – elite GM Le Quang Liemhas tried this out in the past. She achieved a strong passed pawn on d6, a typical feature in these lines and obviously very dangerous. Of course, her plan was not without risk: two pawns were the price to get her d-pawn to the seventh. In this position, three pawns down and apparently without a clear plan to win, Harika understandably forced a three-fold move repetition with 30.Qh5+ Kg7 31.Qe5+ Kh6 and the game ended in a draw. However, the computer finds a win by means of 30.Re1!, a move which is not obvious at all – can you really just stop everything to protect your bishop three pawns down? The main idea is to play 31.g4 and 32.g5 mate and it’s not at all easy to stop without further material loss. Of course, 30.g4 straight away would drop the bishop, allowing the black king to escape via h5. One of the most entertaining games of day, even though it ended in a draw. Zhu Jiner 1 – 0 Alina Kashlinskaya The second win of the afternoon confirmed the lead for Zhu Jiner, on a mission in Pune to achieve her second straight WGP first place. Her opponent this afternoon, Alina Kashlinskaya, is struggling to find her form. “It was a very complicated opening, and there were a lot of lines that I did not check too much, so I just tried to play in a logical way. After 23.d4 I took over the initiative and then she fell into time-trouble and wasn’t able to find the best defensive moves,” Zhu Jiner explained after the game. Kashlinskaya’s position collapsed after 26…g6, weakening her king position in an attempt to find counterplay, and Zhu Jiner mopped up effortlessly. Check out her postgame interview with IM Michael Rahal, Press Officer of the event, in which she explains her thoughts on the game and why she enjoys playing chess. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odvQTjqhgR4 Munguntuul Batkhuyag 0 –1 Nurgyul Salimova Another Caro-Kann Defence on the board! Salimova has been playing this solid opening for most of her career so it was no surprise to see it appear this afternoon. However, in an attempt to avoid home preparation, Munguntuul shelved her usual 2.Nc3 + 3.Nf3 setup and brought back the Advance variation, which she actually stopped playing in 2018. As usual, the Mongolian number one opted for the trendy Nd2-b3 and a quick a4 plan, but Salimova hit back fast with 10…g5 and after a few inaccuracies by both players the position was a mess. With both players in heavy time trouble, the key moment came after 31…Rc7? Salimova had transferred her rook to e4, and now it was about to be captured. Munguntuul played 32.Nxe4? losing all of her advantage, whereas the correct 32.Qxh6! with mating ideas on the back rank would have led to a decisive advantage. Another mistake a couple of moves later left her in a very bad ending with a rook against two pieces and this time Salimova didn’t give her a second chance. Salimova joined IM Michael Rahal after the game for a postgame interview, in which she also went into detail on her confidence levels and how tough it is to be a professional player on the circuit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFvh2kXwTSk Salome Melia 0 – 1 Divya Deshmukh The final game of the afternoon ended
FIDE Women’s World Championship in numbers
As the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Championship Match comes to a close, the numbers tell a compelling story of fighting chess. Spanning two cities and nine gripping games, the match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi was a battle of precision, stamina, and nerves, reflected not just in the score – but in the statistics. Total moves played: 517A total of 517 moves were played throughout the match, with both players navigating sharp opening preparation, complex middlegames, and tense endgames. Minutes spent at the board: 2,246The games were all lengthy battles spanning over a total of 2,246 minutes – that’s nearly 38 hours of focus and mental exertion! Longest game:Game 3 – 87 moves, 326 minutesThe longest game of the match was Game 3, lasting 87 moves and 326 minutes. It was a critical turning point in the match, with Ju converting a small advantage into a full point after a marathon struggle. After more than five hours, it ultimately tilted the momentum of the match as Ju bounced back from her game 2 loss, regaining her confidence. Shortest decisive game:Game 7 – 47 moves, 242 minutesIn contrast, the shortest victory came in Game 7. It lasted 47 moves and 242 minutes, and ended in a decisive win for Ju Wenjun. Interestingly, this was Tan Zhongyi’s favorite game. Tan, playing with the black pieces, held a slight advantage, which Ju first equalized and then transitioned into a winning endgame. Highest accuracy decisive game:Game 8 – Ju Wenjun: 98%The highest accuracy in a victory was recorded in Game 8, where Ju Wenjun scored an exceptional 98% accuracy with the black pieces. After Tan erred in the middlegame, Ju capitalized with great precision, leaving her opponent no room to come back. Average accuracy across the match: Ju Wenjun: 96.4% Tan Zhongyi: 94.6% The consistency and precision of both players speak volumes about the world-class level of the match, with Ju holding a slight but significant edge. Most popular opening:Sicilian DefenseThere were many repeat openings, particularly by Tan, and it was her consistent choice of employing the Sicilian Defense as Black that makes this the most popular opening of the match. The Sicilian, known for its dynamic and unbalanced nature, its constant use reflected both players’ combative spirit and unwillingness to settle for quiet draws. In the end, Ju Wenjun held her nerve and claimed the title for a fifth consecutive time—an incredible achievement that speaks to her consistency, strength, and experience at the very highest level. But this match was never one-sided. Tan Zhongyi pushed her all the way, creating chances and keeping the tension alive until the very end. It was a hard-fought battle, rich in content and drama, and one that will be remembered as a true showcase of elite women’s chess.
FIDE World Cup 2025 Under 8, 10, 12: Registration deadline approaching
Only five days remain until the registration deadline for the second edition of the FIDE World Cup for young chess players, taking place in Batumi, Georgia. The competition will run from June 22 to July 3, 2025, and will feature three age groups – under 8, under 10 and under 12 – in two categories, Open and Girls. The registration deadline is April 22, 2025. In order to ensure proper tournament standards, FIDE member federations must fully complete the Excel registration form and send it back to the contact person before the registration deadline April 22, 2025. Incomplete registrations will not be accepted. FIDE World Cup U 8,10,12 will be played in two stages. Stage 1 will be a 7-round Swiss system tournament. In Stage 2, players who finish in the same position in each group will play against each other. Prizes: 6 Playing categories X 3 Players each category = 18 players (Open 8, 10, 12 + Girls 8, 10, 12) I Cup, Medal, Diploma, MacBook Air 2023/24 II Cup, Medal, Diploma, iPhone 16 III Medal, Diploma, IPAD The top three finishers in each age category/any gender will get free FB (in twin share rooms with bath and/or shower) for the World Cadets championship of the same year. Each participant will receive an appropriate certificate. Contact Information E-mail: wcc@fide.com Official website – wcc2025.fide.com/