GM Zhu Jiner received a fourth recreation in six rounds of the 2025 Pune FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix, beating GM Vaishali Rameshbabu to retain the only real lead and climb above GM Tan Zhongyi to world number-five on the Ladies’s FIDE score record. GM Humpy Koneru remains to be solely half some extent behind earlier than the leaders conflict in spherical seven, after a crushing win over IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul. The day’s different winner was IM Polina Shuvalova, who took down IM Salome Melia.
Spherical seven begins on Monday, April 21, at 5:30 a.m. ET / 11:30 CEST / 3:00 p.m. IST.
Pune FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix Spherical 6 Outcomes
We obtained three decisive video games in spherical six, although it might simply have been 4.
Pune FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix Standings After Spherical 6
Humpy has pulled half some extent forward of Divya however could not catch Zhu, who received her fourth recreation in solely six rounds.
The one quiet attract spherical seven noticed GM Harika Dronavalli and IM Divya Deshmukh make a 27-move draw by repetition, whereas the day’s different draw, IM Alina Kashlinskaya vs. IM Nurgyul Salimova, was the longest recreation of the day and an absolute nail-biter. Salimova was on high for big swathes of the sport, however when she missed mate-in-nine on transfer 48 we might even have gotten a win for Kashlinskaya.
Vaishali had been the one winnner in spherical 5, however in spherical six she misplaced in spectacular model to the chief.
Zhu 0-1 Vaishali
The sport was a pointy 3.Bb5 Sicilian which had solely been seen in GM Magnus Carlsen vs. GM Teimour Radjabov from the 2013 FIDE Candidates Match in London, till Vaishali performed 9…0-0 as an alternative of Radjabov’s 9…e5. The Indian star sacrificed a pawn for a kingside assault and, when Zhu did not decide up a free pawn, had sufficient play to power a draw. It was extraordinarily tactical, nonetheless, and with simply 13 seconds on the clock Vaishali blundered with 26…Nxc2?.
Zhu pounced with 27.Nxd5!, however a transfer later moved too quick and missed a knockout blow. It might have proved expensive, however Vaishali failed to seek out the most effective response and fell to defeat.
That win noticed 22-year-old Zhu overtake world championship challenger Tan on the reside score record.
As you’ll be able to see, nonetheless, one other participant who’s climbing is Humpy, along with her third win in 4 video games making certain Zhu solely has a half-point lead with three rounds to go.
Munguntuul 0-1 Humpy
Munguntuul has nonetheless made no attracts in Pune, and her loss in spherical six felt considerably self-inflicted. “I didn’t anticipate her to enter such an advanced line with out preparation!” mentioned Humpy, with 8.Qf3? a transparent mistake after which solely excessive accuracy might maintain issues collectively.
As a substitute Humpy obtained such a strong assault that from 22…Rdh8! onward she might go away a bit en prise on nearly each transfer till the tip of the sport!
The opposite win of the day got here for Shuvalova, who moved right into a plus rating, 1.5 factors behind Zhu.
Melia 0-1 Shuvalova
Shuvalova mentioned she’d executed a bit an excessive amount of sightseeing on the remainder day and that her extra aggressive selection of the Sicilian hadn’t gone effectively, not less than till 19.Nd4? spoiled White’s promising place. Melia slipped into bother on the board and on the clock, and 34.Qxa6?, performed with one second to spare, was the final straw. Shuvalova unleashed the successful blow 34…Rxf2!, although with 15 seconds to spare herself she admitted there wasn’t time to calculate it totally!
Shuvalova mentioned she hadn’t been glad along with her earlier play within the event and is simply hoping to win some video games within the remaining rounds.
Spherical 7 Pairings
Humpy-Zhu might now be the important thing recreation of the event, whereas Divya-Munguntuul is an opportunity for Divya to power her manner into the race and even take the joint lead, relying what occurs within the high conflict.
The way to watch?
You’ll be able to watch the published on Chess.com India’s YouTube channel. The video games will also be checked out on our devoted 2025 Pune FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix occasions web page.
The reside broadcast was hosted by IM Rakesh Kulkarni and Sahil Tickoo.
The 2025 Pune FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix is the fifth of six legs of the 2024-2025 FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix. The ten-player round-robin runs March April 14-23 in Pune, India. Gamers have 90 minutes, plus half-hour from transfer 40, with a 30-second increment per transfer. The highest prize is €18,000 (~$20,000), with gamers additionally incomes Grand Prix factors. Every of the 20+ gamers competes in three occasions; the highest two qualify for the 2026 FIDE Ladies’s Candidates Match that decides the World Championship challenger.
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