Nicosia GP Round 6: Harika bounces back, Anna Muzychuk maintains her sole lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 22/03/2025

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) drew with GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) to maintain her sole lead after the sixth round of FIDE Nicosia GP 2025. GM Harika Dronavalli bounced back with a victory over GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), after suffering a loss in the previous round. Harika could have probably finished things much earlier if she had seized her opportunity in the middlegame. In a relatively balanced rook vs bishop and knight with two pawns each endgame, the Georgian trapped her rook which cost her the full point. IM Divya Deshmukh forced a perpetual check to draw with IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE). Round 7 starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Harika reduces the gap

Former Women's World Champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) scored her first win of the event against GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER). GM Harika Dronavalli, Mariya and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina are at 3.5/6 each, a full point behind the sole leader, GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) 4.5/6. Anna drew with her closest chaser, GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) whose score is now 4/6.

GM Harika Dronavalli bounced back with a victory over GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) is still in sole lead 4.5/6 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Nana - Harika: 0-1

It has been just a little over five years since GM Harika Dronavalli (2513) defeated GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO, 2513) in a rated game. The last win was at Lausanne GP in March 2020. Harika could have finished things much earlier.

Position after 19...Nf5?

19...e4 20.Ne7+ Kh8 21.Qc3 e3! 22.dxe3 Ne4 would have probably finished things much earlier. Instead, 19...Nxf5 was played and the game eventually liquidated into a rook vs bishop and knight endgame with two pawns for each side. Ideally it should have ended in a draw. However, White blundered and trapped her rook which cost her the game.

Position after 57.Kg1??

57.Kg1?? is a blunder. Find out the winning continuation for Black which Harika played in the game.

Interview with Harika Dronavalli | Video: FIDE

GM Harika Dronavalli moved her score to 3.5/6 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) - GM Jiner Zhu (CHN): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Interview with GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) | Video: FIDE

GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) scored her first win of the event against GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina - IM Olga Badelka (AUT): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

IM Divya Deshmukh - IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, from the Department of Education of the University of Cyprus in Physical Education, made the ceremonial first move on GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) and GM Jiner Zhu's (CHN) board | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, made the ceremonial first move on IM Divya Deshmukh and IM Stavroula Tsolakidou's (GRE) board | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Free day at Nicosia GP | Video: FIDE

Don't say the same thing as me - Muzychuk sisters | Video: FIDE

Replay live stream

Replay Round 6 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 6 games

Round 6 results

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

Details

Standings after Round 6

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	2	GM	MUZYCHUK, ANNA	UKR	2516	4,5	2	13,00	3
2	5	GM	ZHU, JINER	CHN	2514	4	3	11,00	2
3	8	GM	DRONAVALLI, HARIKA	IND	2483	3,5	4	9,00	2
4	9	GM	MUZYCHUK, MARIYA	UKR	2490	3,5	3	9,25	1
5	1	GM	GORYACHKINA, ALEKSANDRA	FID	2548	3,5	2	10,25	1
6	4	IM	TSOLAKIDOU, STAVROULA	GRE	2445	2,5	3	6,25	1
7	10	GM	DZAGNIDZE, NANA	GEO	2513	2,5	3	5,50	1
8	3	IM	DIVYA, DESHMUKH	IND	2470	2,5	2	7,75	0
9	6	IM	BADELKA, OLGA	AUT	2429	2	4	5,50	0
10	7	GM	PAEHTZ, ELISABETH	GER	2424	1,5	4	4,50	1

Details

Round 7 pairings

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