Chess
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix: Koneru Humpy registers her second win, Divya draws Tan Zhongyi
Koneru Humpy climbed to the tied top position on the leaderboard while Divya Deshmukh dropped to seventh with a draw.
Tan Zhongyi holds Koneru Humpy to a draw. (Photo Credit: Konstantin Chalabov/FIDE)
India no.1 GM Koneru Humpy has moved into a tied top position at the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix’s second leg in Shymkent after her victory over International Master (IM) Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria in the fourth round.
With three points from four games, Humpy is now among the leaders in this second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix event, which is also a qualifying event for the Women's Candidates.
In her fourth-round match, Humpy showcased her skill by defeating Salimova with a strong and calculated approach, capitalizing on opportunities to secure her position at the top.
This win follows her third-round victory against Mongolia's IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul, where Humpy benefited from a misstep by her opponent, who misplaced her queen, allowing Humpy to take control and claim her first win of the event.
Meanwhile, IM Divya Deshmukh played a solid game against Women’s World Championship Challenger GM Tan Zhongyi, holding her to a draw.
This result kept Divya competitive in the tournament, although she missed an opportunity in the previous round against Aleksandra Goryachkina, where she lost due to a kingside weakness after opting not to capture a key pawn.
The fourth round saw other key matches as well with GM Aleksandra Goryachkina defeating GM Stavroula Tsolakidou, and Kateryna Lagno lost to Batkhuyag.
As the tournament progresses, Humpy and Divya will look to continue their strong performances. Humpy's next match will be critical as she aims to maintain her position at the top, while Divya faces tough competition ahead.
