Zhu Jiner Regains Sole Lead in 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
GM Zhu Jiner Takes Sole Lead in 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
In a thrilling turn of events, GM Zhu Jiner has regained the sole lead in the 2025 Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix after a brilliant victory over IM Divya Deshmukh. Meanwhile, GM Anna Muzychuk missed a tactical opportunity, allowing IM Olga Badelka to secure her first win in the tournament. GM Nana Dzagdnize also scored a crucial win, bouncing back for the second time against IM Stavroula Tsolakidou.
The results of Round 7 have shaken up the standings, with Zhu now holding a half-point lead over Anna Muzychuk. The same three players are in third place, trailing the leader by a point.
One of the most surprising moments of the round came when GM Aleksandra Goryachkina agreed to a lightning-fast draw by repetition against GM Elisabeth Paehtz. Despite the draw, Goryachkina’s unbeaten run in the Grand Prix events puts her in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
In another solid draw, GMs Harika Dronavalli and Mariya Muzychuk showcased their skills with a 28-move game that ended in a draw with high accuracy scores.
However, the highlight of the day was the dramatic wins by Olga Badelka, Zhu Jiner, and Nana Dzagdnize. Badelka’s victory over Anna Muzychuk was particularly significant, with the tournament leader missing a crucial in-between move that led to her downfall.
Zhu Jiner’s win over Divya Deshmukh was equally impressive, with a spectacular knight maneuver securing her victory. Dzagdnize’s bounce-back win against Tsolakidou added to the excitement of the round.
With two rounds to go, the competition remains fierce. Anna Muzychuk will face Paehtz in round eight, while Zhu will take on Tsolakidou with the black pieces.
The 2025 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 valuable Grand Prix points. The top two players from the series will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Don’t miss the action as the tournament heads into its final rounds, with players vying for a chance to compete for the World Championship title.