Nicosia GP Round 5: Anna Muzychuk scores a hat-trick, emerges sole leader

by Shahid Ahmed - 20/03/2025

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) scored a hat-trick of wins to gain sole lead after the fifth round of FIDE Nicosia GP 2025. In the opening, Anna sacrificed a pawn. She was not sure if it was good. However, she had enough compensation for it. Eventually in time trouble, her opponent, IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) made a one-move blunder and paid a heavy price for it. IM Divya Deshmukh drew with GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO). GM Harika Dronavalli misplayed in the opening and could not recover for the rest of the game against GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER). GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) is the sole pursuer at 3.5/5, followed by GM Aleksandra Goryachkina at 3/5. Today is the sole rest day. Round 6 starts tomorrow Friday from 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Anna gains a huge momentum

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) won three games in-a-row to emerge sole leader 4/5. GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) drew with GM Aleksandra Goryachkina which means Jiner is at 3.5/5, followed by Goryachkina at 3/5. GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR), GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) are at 2.5/5 each.

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) won her third game in-a-row to gain sole lead 4/5 | Photo: FIDE/Mark Livshitz

Stavroula - Anna: 0-1

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR, 2516) defeated IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2445) once and drew the remaining two Classical games. Anna decided to sacrifice a pawn in the opening when she played 9...Bb7.

Position after 9...Bb7

During the game Black wasn't sure if the pawn sacrifice was good. After the game she found that the computer approves it. 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Nxb5 Bb6 12.Nc3 Rc8 and Black is doing fine.

Position after 24.Rad1

After 24.Rad1 Black was considering e5 and she calculated a myriad of variations which she mentioned in the post-game interview. Eventually, White made a one move blunder in time trouble and lost the game.

Interview with Anna Muzychuk | Video: FIDE

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) seized her opportunity in time trouble | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

IM Divya Deshmukh - GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) - GM Aleksandra Goryachkina: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

IM Olga Badelka (AUT) - GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Interview with GM Elisabeth Paehtz | Video: FIDE

GM Harika Dronavalli went wrong in the opening and could not recover for the rest of the game against GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Vishy Anand on Gukesh and publicity | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Vishy Anand joined WGM Anastasiya Karlovich (UKR) on commentary | Photo: FIDE

IA AO Sabrina de San Vicente (URU) doing the fairplay checks during Round 5 | Photo: FIDE/Mark Livshitz

Round 5 in progress | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Replay live stream

Replay Round 5 live commentary by GM Alik Gershon (ISR) and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich (UKR) | Video: FIDE

GP Standings

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is the new sole leader of the GP with 236.67 points, followed by IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) 197.5 and GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) 170 points. Bibisara has played all three of her GP events of the season. So, she has none left.

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is at the top of the standings with 236.67 points | Source: Official site

Prizes

Total prize fund is €80000. The top three prizes are €18000, €13000 and €10500 each. The top three GP points are - 130, 105 and 85. For more details, check out the regulations below.

Schedule

Round 1 starts on 15th March at 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. The tournament will go on till 24th March 2025. Sole rest day is on Thursday 20th March.

Replay Round 5 games

Round 5 results

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.	PGN
1	3	2470	IM	DIVYA, DESHMUKH	½ - ½	GM	DZAGNIDZE, NANA	2513	10
2	4	2445	IM	TSOLAKIDOU, STAVROULA	0 - 1	GM	MUZYCHUK, ANNA	2516	2
3	5	2514	GM	ZHU, JINER	½ - ½	GM	GORYACHKINA, ALEKSANDRA	2548	1
4	6	2429	IM	BADELKA, OLGA	½ - ½	GM	MUZYCHUK, MARIYA	2490	9
5	7	2424	GM	PAEHTZ, ELISABETH	1 - 0	GM	DRONAVALLI, HARIKA	2483	8

Details

Standings after Round 5

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	2	GM	MUZYCHUK, ANNA	UKR	2516	4	2	9,25	3
2	5	GM	ZHU, JINER	CHN	2514	3,5	2	7,00	2
3	1	GM	GORYACHKINA, ALEKSANDRA	FID	2548	3	2	8,00	1
4	9	GM	MUZYCHUK, MARIYA	UKR	2490	2,5	3	6,50	0
5	8	GM	DRONAVALLI, HARIKA	IND	2483	2,5	3	5,25	1
6	10	GM	DZAGNIDZE, NANA	GEO	2513	2,5	3	4,75	1
7	3	IM	DIVYA, DESHMUKH	IND	2470	2	2	5,25	0
8	4	IM	TSOLAKIDOU, STAVROULA	GRE	2445	2	2	4,00	1
9	7	GM	PAEHTZ, ELISABETH	GER	2424	1,5	3	3,25	1
10	6	IM	BADELKA, OLGA	AUT	2429	1,5	3	3,25	0

Details

Round 6 pairings

Bo.	No.	Rtg		White	Result		Black	Rtg	No.	PGN
1	10	2513	GM	DZAGNIDZE, NANA		GM	DRONAVALLI, HARIKA	2483	8
2	9	2490	GM	MUZYCHUK, MARIYA		GM	PAEHTZ, ELISABETH	2424	7
3	1	2548	GM	GORYACHKINA, ALEKSANDRA		IM	BADELKA, OLGA	2429	6
4	2	2516	GM	MUZYCHUK, ANNA		GM	ZHU, JINER	2514	5
5	3	2470	IM	DIVYA, DESHMUKH		IM	TSOLAKIDOU, STAVROULA	2445	4