“Alexandra Kosteniuk Takes Lead in 2024 Tbilisi FIDE Women’s Grand Prix After Round Four”

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk has joined IMs Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou in the lead of the 2024 Tbilisi FIDE Women’s Grand Prix after a thrilling round four. Kosteniuk capitalized on a mistake by IM Sara Khadem to secure her spot at the top of the leaderboard.

In a day where only one player emerged victorious, Kosteniuk’s win propelled her to the top of the standings. With three leaders in total, Khadem finds herself trailing by more than half a point after suffering three losses in her first four games.

Kosteniuk’s victory was not without drama, as she revealed that she had initially approached the game with caution after watching her husband, GM Pavel Tregubov, get eliminated from the French Championship. However, she managed to secure a clear advantage against Khadem and ultimately found the winning move, forcing her opponent to resign.

While the other games ended in draws, there were plenty of exciting moments throughout. IM Alina Kashlinskaya and Assaubayeva settled for a draw by repetition, while Tsolakidou held her ground against GM Mariya Muzychuk to maintain her co-leader status.

The most captivating draw of the day came from the game between Anna Muzychuk and Nana Dzagnidze, which saw both players fighting till the very end. Despite being a piece down, Anna managed to navigate to a winning position, only to see her advantage slip away in the later stages of the game.

With one more round to go before the rest day, the players are gearing up for more intense battles in the 2024 Tbilisi FIDE Women’s Grand Prix. The tournament, which is the first of six legs in the 2024-2025 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, promises to be a thrilling competition with the top prize of €18,000 up for grabs.

Stay tuned for more updates as the competition heats up in Tbilisi, Georgia.