Exciting Start to 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix: Tsolakidou and Zhu Take Early Lead

IM Stavroula Tsolakidou made a strong start in the 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix by capitalizing on a mistake by GM Elisabeth Paehtz to secure a full point. Tsolakidou was joined at the top of the leaderboard by GM Zhu Jiner, who replaced her Chinese compatriot GM Lei Tingjie in the series. Zhu defeated IM Olga Badelka in the opening round of the tournament.

The Nicosia leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix is the fourth of six events scheduled for 2024 and 2025. Each player competes in three legs, accumulating points and aiming for a spot in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.

In the first round of the tournament, Tsolakidou and Zhu emerged as early leaders with decisive victories. Tsolakidou defeated Paehtz, while Zhu overcame Badelka in their respective games. The Muzychuk sisters, Anna and Mariya, played to a draw, as did Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli. Goryachkina and Dzagnidze also settled for a draw in their game.

Tsolakidou’s victory over Paehtz was particularly impressive, as she admitted to some time pressure during the game but managed to find a winning move in the critical moment. Zhu, on the other hand, took advantage of a positional advantage to secure her win over Badelka.

With round two set to begin on Sunday, March 16, the competition is heating up in Nicosia. Goryachkina, the current Grand Prix leader, will face off against Muzychuk in a highly anticipated match. Zhu will take on Paehtz, while Tsolakidou will play against Harika.

The Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix promises to be an exciting event, with players vying for valuable points and a chance to qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament. Stay tuned for more updates and coverage as the tournament progresses.