Anna Muzychuk Leads 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix After Round 5 Rest Day

GM Anna Muzychuk takes the lead in the 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix after a time-trouble blunder by IM Stavroula Tsolakidou led to her third consecutive win. GM Elisabeth Paehtz also secured a victory on the rest day, with GM Harika Dronavalli suffering a loss due to a blunder in the opening.

Muzychuk now stands as the sole leader of the tournament, while Harika’s hopes took a hit. In the fifth round, three draws were recorded, with the game between IM Divya Deshmukh and GM Nana Dzagnidze being the least eventful. The clash between GM Zhu Jiner and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina ended in a draw by repetition, keeping Zhu in the lead.

In another draw, IM Olga Badelka faced GM Mariya Muzychuk in the longest game of the day, with Mariya missing a clear chance to gain an advantage. The highlight of the day was Muzychuk’s impressive win against Tsolakidou, who made a critical blunder in time trouble. Paehtz also secured a victory after Harika’s mistake in the opening.

With round six starting on Friday, all eyes will be on the crucial game between Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner. The Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix is part of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series, with players competing for a top prize of €18,000 and Grand Prix points. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting tournament!