Despite losing to Chinese phenomenon Zhu Jiner, former Women’s World Champion and winner of the 2021 World Cup Alexandra Kosteniuk added another tournament victory to her list of achievements by winning the Munich International Tournament this afternoon, the second event of the 2022-2023 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix.

In addition to the €15,000 first prize, Kosteniuk will leave Germany with 160 Grand Prix points.

However, it hasn’t been a bed of roses. Kosteniuk recognized that she was not very happy with her performance in many of the games, despite having scored very well.

Luck has been on her side in several games: for example, she was completely lost yesterday against her immediate pursuer Humpy Koneru. India’s top female had a last chance to catch up with the “Chess Queen” by defeating Tan Zhongyi, but she was unable to overcome her opponent’s solid defensive play. 

The bronze medal goes to top Georgian Grand Master Nana Dzagnidze, after an excellent performance of three wins and only one defeat.

Ullrich Krause, President of the German Chess Federation (pictured above)  and Alojzije Jankovic, Vice President of the European Chess Union (pictured below), performed the ceremonial first moves of the final round in the games Kashlinskaya vs Paehtz and Zhu Jiner vs Kosteniuk, respectively.

GM Dzagnidze, Nana vs GM Harika, Dronavalli (0.5-0.5)

The first game to finish in less than half an hour. Dzagnidze and Harika played a theoretical line of the Semi-Tarrasch Queen’s Gambit and called it a day after a totally unforced threefold move repetition.

With this result, both of them finish in the top half of the standings, gaining a few rating points.

Additionally, Harika has finished the tournament undefeated, albeit with only one win.

GM Muzychuk, Anna vs GM Abdumalik, Zhansaya (0.5-0.5)

A few minutes later, a second game ended. Playing with Black, Abdumalik was content to accept a threefold move repetition in a very quiet Four Knights Opening. She finished the tournament with a solid 50% score, quite a good performance after beginning with 0.5/3. 

After three consecutive defeats, Anna Muzychuk draws the last game for a modest final result of 4/11, losing around 18 rating points. She will return to the board in the third event in Delhi (India) with extra motivation to go for a good result. 

GM Koneru, Humpy vs GM Tan, Zhongyi (0.5-0.5)

In an ultra-solid Neo-Grunfeld Opening, Tan Zhongyi equalized comfortably out of the opening. After breaking up the position with 15…e5, the queens were exchanged and Humpy went into the ending with a passed c-pawn. Things were looking good, but she had used up most of her time.

Nonetheless, the engines were suggesting that Black could happily keep the balance with precise play. Humpy was even able to win the exchange, but in the end, accepted her opponent’s draw offer in an equal position.

With this result, Tan Zhongyi finishes on 50% with a very small rating loss, while Humpy Koneru scores an undefeated +2600 performance for the silver medal. Additionally, she takes home 130 Grand Prix points in her attempt to qualify for the Women’s Candidates.

IM Kashlinskaya, Alina vs GM Paehtz, Elisabeth (0.5-0.5)

Paehtz went for the Schlecter system in the Slav defence, one of Gata Kamsky’s pet lines. She equalized comfortably but then went wrong with the thematic break 14…e5? 

Kashlinskaya could have achieved a clear advantage with 17.axb5 but instead played 17.Bf3 and the position was equal again. After subsequent exchanges, the game petered out into a draw.

Elisabeth Paehtz finishes the event with a decent 50% score and a small rating gain, while Alina Kashlinskaya clocks in a slightly disappointing result of 4.5/11 and a small 8-point rating loss.

GM Muzychuk, Mariya vs WGM Wagner, Dinara (0.5-0.5)

Mariya Muzychuk wanted to finish the tournament with a win after her lackluster performance in the second half. In front of her was an ambitious Dinara Wagner, keen to continue her comeback after yesterday’s win. 

The game was a very solid line in the Bb5 Moscow variation of the Sicilian defence. For the most part, both players kept manoeuvring, with Black exchanging as many pieces as possible. 

Approaching time trouble, with less than ten minutes each for the last ten moves, it was anybody’s game. Suddenly Dinara Wagner offered a draw which was accepted by Muzychuk: the situation is approximately equal, although there is still a lot of play in the position. 

Although finishing last in the event, Dinara Wagner only slightly underperformed with respect to her rating (-5 points), while Mariya Muzychuk will not be completely happy with her performance of 5/11, slightly below expectation.

WGM Zhu, Jiner vs GM Kosteniuk, Alexandra (1-0)

Although a draw would be enough for Zhu Jiner to make her International Master norm, her win against Kosteniuk today could have created a huge last-round upset. 

The game began with a complicated Nimzo-Indian variation. The position remained balanced, very strategic, for most of the game until Kosteniuk blundered with 27…Naxc4? 

Zhu Jiner recaptured with 28.Rxc4! and won two pieces for a rook. From there onwards, it was a matter of technique, and Zhu Jiner took no chances, grinding down her opponent until she forced her to resign on move 64, definitely a fitting moment for a chess game.

The closing ceremony and prizegiving took place right after the final round at 7 PM in the Maximillian III room at the Kempinski Hotel. 

Photos: Mark Livshitz

The participants are: GM Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (FIDE), GM Tan Zhongyi (China), GM Harika Dronavalli (India), GM Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan), GM Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), GM Humpy Koneru (India), WGM Zhu Jiner (China), IM Alina Kashlinskaya (Poland), and WGM Dinara Wagner (Germany).

Round 11 live video broadcast:

Humpy Koneru, India’s number one female player, missed the opportunity of a lifetime this afternoon in the tenth round of the Munich Women’s Grand Prix.

In a must-win situation, Humpy ground down her opponent Alexandra Kosteniuk with the Black pieces in a spectacular performance, only to misplay a queen ending and allow Kosteniuk to escape by the skin of her teeth. 

A very close call indeed for Kosteniuk, who keeps her one-point lead going into the last round, where she will face Zhu Jiner with Black. Tie-breaks still favour Humpy, so only a draw will secure the tournament victory for Alexandra – any other result will also depend on the result of the game between Humpy and Tan Zhongyi.

The ceremonial first move was performed by Lukasz Turlej, FIDE Secretary General and Munich WGP Tournament Supervisor, in the Kosteniuk-Humpy game

GM Kosteniuk, Alexandra vs GM Koneru, Humpy (0.5-0.5)

Undoubtedly, the game of the day. Trailing Kosteniuk by one point, Humpy decided to play for a long battle, keep some tension in the position and see if an opportunity to win came about. Most probably, Alexandra Kosteniuk would be content with a draw, keeping her one-point margin going into the last round.  

In an attempt to surprise her opponent and maybe take her out of her preparation, Humpy played the Open Ruy Lopez with 5…Nxe4 but chose the side-line 6…Be7 (instead of the mainline 6…b5). 

According to my database, Humpy had played 6…b5 at least fifteen times, but 6…Be7 definitely caught Kosteniuk off-guard. For many moves the position remained in balance: bishop pair for Humpy, better pawn structure for Kosteniuk. 

However, Humpy gradually increased her space advantage on the queenside and soon had Kosteniuk against the ropes. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific mistake – Humpy just outplayed her opponent. 

But luck was on Kosteniuk’s side this afternoon. Humpy missed a clear chance to win in a tricky queen endgame, and Kosteniuk managed to escape with a draw, keeping the lead going into the final round. 

“I am feeling very tired but much better than if I’d lost the game” were Kosteniuk’s feelings a few minutes after the game had finished.

GM Tan, Zhongyi vs GM Dzagnidze, Nana (0-1)

According to my database, Dzagnidze and Tan Zhongyi have faced each other multiple times. In a total of 24 games, the former Chinese Women’s World Champion has won nine games while the Georgian player has won seven times, with a total of eight draws. 

“We have played many games together; we know each other very well. I didn’t expect her opening today, so I played on the board,” said Nana Dzagnidze in the postgame interview. 

In this afternoon’s game, Tan Zhongyi started with the English Opening, but soon there was a transposition to the Tarrasch System in the Queen’s Gambit. Coming out of the opening, Tan Zhongyi had a slight advantage, putting pressure on her opponent’s isolated pawn. 

“Maybe she played too ambitiously, and I found the interesting ideas …Qb8 with the idea …Bc7-b6,” said Dzagnidze in a short post-game interview.

But Dzagnidze defended well and took advantage of a small mistake in her opponent’s strategy (19.a4?) to win a pawn and force a superior endgame. With the excellent technique, she took home the full point in a very instructive opposite. 

“I chose the right plan to get the winning position. If the pawns would have been closer, the bishop ending might be a draw,” were Dzagnidze’s final conclusions.  

GM Harika, Dronavalli vs GM Muzychuk, Anna (1-0)

Thirty-eight games together with twenty-five draws shows that this match-up was going to be equal. The opening was a Symmetrical English, and it quickly became clear that both players were in their preparation until move fifteen. 

Harika spent thirty minutes on 16.Rc1 and quickly fell into a bad position, losing a pawn. “I forgot my preparation at some point, I knew the variation, but I couldn’t recall it,” said Harika in her postgame interview. 

With 18…Rxb4, Muzychuk would have enjoyed a small advantage, but instead she blundered 18…e5? and Harika was back into the game, recovering the pawn with superior piece coordination. 

“After her blunder, I had very easy play. The bishop pair and the misplaced rook on b6 should be winning for me,” Harika explained.

GM Paehtz, Elisabeth vs WGM Zhu, Jiner (0.5-0.5)

Paehtz decided to mix things up this afternoon, going for the 2.c3 Alapin Variation side-line against the Sicilian. Displaying excellent opening preparation, both players blitzed out their first sixteen moves following an earlier 2021 game between Gaponenko and Berdnyk. 

In her preparation, Paehtz had obviously gone even further: while Zhu Jiner started to ponder her moves, she continued playing fast. “I prepared it until 20.Nb3, and then according to the super engine, the only move to keep it equal was 20…Rcd8, if I remember correctly. So, after her 20…Rfe8 I was on myself but had a nice position already,” explained Elisabeth Paehtz after the game. 

Her strategy worked out: under heavy pressure in the centre, Zhu Jiner decided to jettison her e5 pawn and go into an inferior ending. Zhu Jiner displayed excellent defensive technique right until the end. Even so, Paehtz missed a clear chance to win the game with 67.Rc7+! instead of 67.b7. 

“After four hours, it’s known that the energy level goes down. I did quite a lot of sports before the event, but apparently, it was not enough. I knew I may lose the grip at some point, and unfortunately, it happened…” Paehtz frankly recognized the importance of being on top form during these elite events. 

GM Abdumalik, Zhansaya vs GM Muzychuk, Mariya (1-0)

Zhansaya Abdumalik and Mariya Muzychuk have played against each other many times in the past, with a more or less equal score.

Facing the Sicilian for the second day in a row, Abdumalik opted for the Rossolimo Attack, transposing a few moves later to the Marozcy structure. With 13.c5, she sacrificed a pawn to damage her opponent’s pawn structure: an interesting positional idea.

“The game was very smooth for me; I had a slightly better position after the opening, and then with the two bishops, I have a very safe and better game,” explained Zhansaya Abdumalik after the game. 

After recovering the pawn, she started grinding down her opponent with her two bishops and slightly better pawn structure and produced a textbook example of how to play with the bishop pair on an open board. 

WGM Wagner, Dinara vs IM Kashlinskaya, Alina (1-0)

After two defeats in a row, Wagner decided on a very solid, albeit less ambitious, b3-e3 system against her opponent’s Semi-Slav. Kashlinskaya traded off her passive minor pieces and reached a very playable middlegame featuring the “Alekhine pawn structure”.

In an equal position, with around twenty minutes each on the clock, both players repeated moves twice, but Wagner deviated on the third, fighting for a win. The position remained equal, but now there were some imbalances in the pawn structure. 

On move thirty-five, Wagner crashed through with the rook sacrifice 35.Rxg7!

However, under huge pressure on the clock, after 35…Kxg7 36. Ne4 Rd5 37. Qxf6+ Kh7 38. Qh4 Qa6 39. Nf6+ Kg7, she missed the sequence with the crushing 40.Ng4!! 

Instead, Dinara regained the material with 40.Nxd5. The subsequent rook ending was better for White, but not a lock. However, Kashlinskaya couldn’t find the best defensive ideas and eventually had to resign, and Wagner chalked up her first win in the event.

“I am feeling great. Very happy that I decided to continue playing on and was rewarded for that. A draw was, in principle good, because I am really tired after ten rounds. But then I thought to myself – it’s a great opportunity to play with the best players in the world, why should I force a draw” explained a very happy Dinara Wagner in her postgame interview. 

The eleventh and final round will be played on Sunday, February 13th at 1 PM at the Kempinski Hotel venue. 

The closing ceremony and prizegiving are scheduled for Monday 13th at 7 PM in the Maximillian III room at the Kempinski Hotel. Approximate duration: One hour

Photos: Mark Livshitz

The participants are: GM Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (FIDE), GM Tan Zhongyi (China), GM Harika Dronavalli (India), GM Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan), GM Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), GM Humpy Koneru (India), WGM Zhu Jiner (China), IM Alina Kashlinskaya (Poland), and WGM Dinara Wagner (Germany).

Round 10 live video broadcast:

The Munich Kempinski hotel witnessed this afternoon one of the most exciting rounds of the 2022-2023 Women’s Grand Prix series. 

The round started with the ceremonial first move, played by the German U-16 female champion, Maja Buchholz, performed in the game between Zhansaya Abdumalik and Dinara Wagner. 

Perhaps the presence of the German Youth team, cheering before the round, positively influenced the combative spirit of the players, or simply that they risk much more than in the open category. 

Either way, time trouble was epic: no fewer than four of the six games were decided around move forty. With today’s results, Kosteniuk leads the tournament with 7/9, only one point ahead of Humpy Koneru. Since they face each other tomorrow, the event is completely open. 

Humpy was quite pragmatic after the game – “I am taking the tournament round by round, and I am not thinking of positions. I am going to relax and start preparing for tomorrow”. 

GM Muzychuk, Mariya vs GM Harika, Dronavalli (0.5-0.5)

A very equal match-up. My database yields a total of 36 games, with 8 wins for Muzychuk and 9 wins for Harika in previous encounters. Standing on 50%, with three rounds to go, both players were clearly interested in improving their tournament position. 

In classical Italian, it didn’t seem that much was happening in the opening until Muzychuk spiced things up with 24.g3. After a more or less forced sequence of exchanges, White ended up with an extra pawn, but Black’s pieces were very active, especially the rook. 

Both players preferred to play it safe, and a draw was agreed on move thirty-nine after a threefold repetition. 

GM Dzagnidze, Nana vs GM Kosteniuk, Alexandra (0.5-0.5)

Trailing Kosteniuk by two points, this afternoon’s game was Dzagnidze’s last chance to make a statement for the tournament: a must-win situation. Additionally, most of their previous games ended with decisive results.

The opening was a Nimzo-Indian Defence, with the so-called “hanging pawns” structure, both strategic and dynamic, ideal for both players’ styles. After a series of exchanges, the pawn structure stabilized, and the position remained equal. 

Going into the ending, Kosteniuk won a pawn. Maybe she could have played for a win, it’s hard to say, but taking into account the tournament situation, she decided to play it safe and agree to a draw after a three-fold move repetition. 

“I considered playing for a win, but in time-trouble, I couldn’t see how to improve my position and decided to agree to a draw,” commented Kosteniuk after the game.

GM Abdumalik, Zhansaya vs WGM Wagner, Dinara (1-0)

Facing Abdumalik’s English Attack in the Sicilian Najdorf, Wagner chose the old 6…Ng4 line, which recently fell out of fashion, substituted for the most part by 6…e5. 

One of the key moments of the opening was Abdumalik’s choice to play 14.Nxc6 instead of the regular 14.Nb3. Transitioning into the middlegame, the top Kazakh player made a crucial strategic decision, parting with her dark-squared bishop after 19.Bxe5: the position was very double-edged. 

She started transferring her pieces to the queenside in an attempt to attack Wagner’s king. Anything could have happened, but Abdumalik was on the winning side today.

“I was a bit lucky because she made some mistakes in time trouble. But in general, the game was fine, we were both fighting, and I am happy that I have managed to win my first game,” a very content Zhansaya Abdumalik explained in her postgame interview. 

GM Muzychuk, Anna vs GM Tan, Zhongyi (0-1)

According to my database, Anna Muzychuk and Tan Zhongyi have played 21 times, with a roughly equal score: 6 wins for Tan Zhongyi and 5 wins for Anna Muzychuk, with a total of 10 draws, so a close fight was expected, especially as both of them are currently standing near the middle of the standings. 

Muzychuk chose the sharp Keres Attack against the opponent’s Sicilian Defence, forcing her on the defensive. Things seemed to be going well when suddenly she decided to sacrifice her h4-pawn, which was certainly a double-edged decision. 

Muzychuk was able to open several lines to Tan Zhongyi’s king, but in exchange, the former Women’s World Champion installed a monster knight on e5, dominating the board. 

Muzychuk began to lose her way and soon found herself in a hopeless situation. Even though she could have decided the game earlier by tactical means, Tan Zhongyi preferred to transition into a double rook ending. “The knight on e5 was the key strategic element of the game,” explained Tan Zhongyi after the game.

GM Koneru, Humpy vs GM Paehtz, Elisabeth (1-0)

According to my database, Humpy has traditionally been a very tough opponent for Paehtz. They have faced each other on 13 occasions, with 9 wins for Humpy and only 3 wins for Paehtz. 

For today’s game, the German number one opted for the King’s Indian Defence, which quickly transposed into one of the sharpest positions of the Benoni. Paehtz blitzed out her opening moves and sacrificed a pawn for the initiative, a typical idea in these positions. 

Paehtz could have achieved full equality with 18…Rxb2, but instead chose 18…f5, falling quickly into a very unpleasant position. 

“Even though I am a pawn up, it’s quite a complicated position. It’s more to do with who is controlling the central squares,” Humpy explained to IM Michael Rahal, FIDE Press Officer for the event. “She has to try …Ng4, …Qh4, and at some moment play …Ne5 with counterplay.”

WGM Zhu, Jiner vs IM Kashlinskaya, Alina (0-1)

The last game to finish was the most exciting. Poland’s number one player opted for the French Defence for the second time in the event. Zhu Jiner had prepared the Advance Variation, one of the most strategic lines against the French. 

“I generally play the line with …Nh6, but today I went for the main line …c4 to play a long game, in which I thought I might understand some nuances better,” Kashlinskaya explained her opening choice.

It’s hard to say when Kashlinskaya went wrong in the opening; possibly 13…g5 wasn’t timed properly. Zhu Jiner rearranged her minor pieces and began to dominate the board, honing in on her opponent’s weaknesses. But approaching time trouble, in a tricky position, Kashlinskaya took over the initiative. 

“I didn’t like my position in the middlegame, too many weak squares. In time trouble, I made some mistakes, but on move 40, I thought that my attack was crushing. I didn’t even consider 41.Rxd5” were Kashlinskaya’s thoughts after the game. 

Standigns after Round 9:

The tenth round will be played on Sunday, February 12th, at 3 PM at the Kempinski Hotel venue. 

The closing ceremony and prizegiving is scheduled for Monday 13th at 7 PM in the Maximillian III room at the Kempinski Hotel. Approximate duration: One hour

Photos: Mark Livshitz

The participants are: GM Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (FIDE), GM Tan Zhongyi (China), GM Harika Dronavalli (India), GM Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan), GM Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), GM Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), GM Humpy Koneru (India), WGM Zhu Jiner (China), IM Alina Kashlinskaya (Poland), and WGM Dinara Wagner (Germany).

Round 9 live video broadcast: