Round 6 of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Monaco saw players return from their rest day with renewed energy as Tan Zhongyi and Aleksandra Goryachkina secured important victories whilst all other games were drawn.
After a well-deserved rest day, the players were back for Round 6 of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Monaco with a mix of refreshed determination and strategic focus. While some participants joined an organized excursion to explore Monaco, others opted for rest and quiet preparation. The impact of these choices varied, as some players returned reinvigorated, while others struggled to find their rhythm.
The round delivered a mix of decisive results and hard-fought draws, with Aleksandra Goryachkina and Tan Zhongyi scoring crucial wins to keep their tournament alive. Meanwhile, Kateryna Lagno held her lead despite drawing her game, setting the stage for an intense second half of the tournament.
Results
Aleksandra Goryachkina 1-0 Humpy Koneru
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 0-1 Zhongyi Tan
Kateryna Lagno 1/2-1/2 Alexandra Kosteniuk
Bibisara Assaubayeva 1/2-1/2 Batkhuyag Munguntuul
Harika Dronavalli 1/2-1/2 Elisabeth Paehtz
Aleksandra Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru
The Ruy Lopez is arguably one of, if not the top, most-played openings in the world which is why it is quite interesting that by move 10, Koneru took the game into a position not played before by introducing a novelty 10…Rd8.
However, it was White who had an edge in subsequent play. Our commentators noted that Humpy played perfect chess, essentially completely equalizing. The opponents eventually reached a dry four-rook endgame that seemed to be heading to a draw (although it was always guaranteed to be a long grind – typical of both players) when Black, playing with only a minute, massively erred on move 39:
Here, Humpy played 39…Ra8? instead of 39…Re8 (39…Ra4). White quickly capitalized on this mistake by doubling rooks on the h-file, which along with the threat of e6, spelled big danger for Black.
After 40.Rh3 Ree8 41.Reh1 Kf8 42.e6 Ra4? 43.exf7 White eventually got to f7-pawn, created two advanced passers to score a full point.
With this victory, Goryachkina has clawed her way back into the race, sitting just half a point behind leader Kateryna Lagno.
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Tan Zhongyi
Tan Zhongyi, the Women’s World Championship Challenger, had struggled in Monaco before the rest day, with four draws and a loss in her first five games. However, as is often the case at the elite level, a break proved invaluable—Tan came back rejuvenated and delivered a strong performance.
Playing with Black in Queen’s Gambit Declined, Tan quickly gained a superior position, but White still have defensive resources. In the critical phase around move 40, both players entered time trouble, leading to mutual inaccuracies.
The engine evaluated this as -0.4, indicating a slight edge for Black. However, Tan’s position was much easier to play in a real game, with an active queen and bishop, as well as White’s exposed king.
Khadem soon bulked under pressure, attempting to trade queens when she desperately needed to find a defensive move with her knight.
Instead of 42.Nd2! with a holdable position, Sara played 42.Qb2? but after 42… Qe4+ 43. Kd2 Qg2+ 44. Kc3 Qf3+ 45. Kd2 Be4! it was all over for White.
Tan systematically picked up White’s weak pawns, eventually forcing resignation by move 60. This victory is a much-needed boost for Tan as she seeks to build momentum in the tournament’s second half.
Kateryna Lagno – Alexandra Kosteniuk
At 99% accuracy for both players, this was an exceptionally precise game. A well-known line of the Four Knights Scotch, lead to a fascinating sequence of desperado trades. The resulting endgame left both players with a rook, bishop, and a few pawns, with Lagno holding an extra pawn. However, opposite-colored bishops ensured complete equality, making a draw the logical conclusion. A threefold repetition sealed the result.
Lagno remains the sole tournament leader, albeit with a shrinking margin.
Bibisara Assaubayeva – Batkhuyag Munguntuul
A Sicilian Taimanov quickly became an exciting affair, with Black pushing on the queenside, and White pressuring in the center and kingside. Then, at move 13, Black – already down in time by 30 minutes – made a serious mistake by castling Kingside onto a semi-open g-file.
After castling, Black’s king fell out of the frying pan into from the fire. White had a golden opportunity to lauch a dangerous kingside attack with 14.Qh5 f5 15.Rg1 (followed by pushing g4). Given Assaubayeva’s aggressive style, this move was right up her alley—yet she hesitated, spending 13 minutes before choosing 14.h4 instead.
Munguntuul defended resourcefully, gradually reaching a balanced position hold a draw.
After the game, Assaubayeva admitted that she missed the key attacking idea of Rg1 followed by g2-g4. She also revealed that she has been struggling with health issues, affecting her form. Despite this, she remains determined to finish strong and is aiming for at least one victory before the tournament ends.
Harika Dronavalli – Elisabeth Paehtz
The game began with 1.c4, transposing into a Sicilian Accelerated Dragon with a Maroczy Bind. Paehtz demonstrated good preparation, employing the thematic idea of advancing her a-pawn, quickly gaining a time advantage on the clock.
Both players invested a significant amount of time in subsequent maneuvering and by move 27 Harika was down to less than 5 minutes. However, in a wise practical decision, she opted to simplify the position, trading into an opposite-colored bishop endgame, which offered complete equality. A draw was agreed soon after.
With just three rounds remaining, the battle for first place is heating up. Kateryna Lagno continues to lead, but Goryachkina’s win has put her within striking distance, joined by tournament underdog Batkhuyag Munguntuul.
Standings after Round 6:
Round seven pairings and dates
The seventh round of the third leg in the 2024/25 Women’s Grand Prix series starts on Tuesday, February 25th at 15:00 CET local time in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Round 7 pairings:
Elisabeth Paehtz – Aleksandra Goryachkina
Batkhuyag Munguntuul – Harika Dronavalli
Alexandra Kosteniuk – Bibisara Assaubayeva
Zhongyi Tan – Kateryna Lagno
Humpy Koneru – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
More information about the event, including the regulations and details of the pairings, as well as live games can be found on the official website: womengrandprix.fide.com.
You can follow the games live and watch the action with our wonderful commentators GM Alojzije Jankovic & IM Almira Skripchenko on YouTube.
Written by Charlize van Zyl
Photos: Niki Riga
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