Vaishali Rameshbabu Dominates Divya Deshmukh in Cyprus Showdown: A 31-Move Victory!
Vaishali Rameshbabu Dominates Divya Deshmukh in Cyprus Showdown
NAGPUR: In a thrilling display of chess prowess, Vaishali Rameshbabu outmaneuvered reigning women’s World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh with a commanding 31-move victory in Cyprus on Wednesday. This match marked the return leg of their all-India clash, where the 2470 Elo-rated Vaishali showcased her strategic brilliance, denying the 20-year-old Divya any chance to settle into a prolonged battle.
Opting for the English Opening with her white pieces, Vaishali executed a series of bold moves, including two rook sacrifices on the 23rd and 31st turns, to secure a decisive win. Judit Polgar, the only female player to surpass a 2700 Elo rating, praised Vaishali’s audacity in her commentary, noting, “Vaishali came up with three rook sacrifices in one game.”
With this victory, Vaishali notched her third win in nine rounds, bringing her total to 5.5 points and placing her in a tie for the lead with China’s Zhu Jiner, who boasts a 2578 Elo rating. Zhu also enjoyed success on the day, defeating Ukrainian-born Russian GM Kateryna Lagno in a 46-move contest, leveraging her extra knight to secure her third victory.
In a closely watched match, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, a 2017 world championship finalist, missed a golden opportunity to hand Tan Zhongyi a third consecutive loss, settling for a draw after 56 moves. This result keeps Anna in second place with five points, while Divya and Lagno share third with 4.5 points each.
The day also saw Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bibisara Assaubayeva play to a 37-move draw, maintaining their positions at four points each. In the open field, German Candidate Matthias Bluebaum managed to hold leader Javokhir Sindarov to a draw, capitalizing on a misstep from Sindarov on the 24th move.
In other notable matches, Dutch super GM Anish Giri scored an upset against Fabiano Caruana, narrowing the gap with Sindarov to just 1.5 points. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa R failed to convert a mid-game advantage against Wei Yi, resulting in a 56-move draw that leaves his title hopes hanging by a thread at four points.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Vaishali as she continues to rise in the ranks, proving that she is a formidable force in the world of chess.