WGP Tbilisi: Bibisara Assaubayeva emerges as sole leader after Round 7

After seven rounds at the inaugural 2024/2025 Women’s Grand Prix tournament, a sole leader has finally emerged. Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the field with 4.5 points after defeating former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in a complicated game. With just two more rounds to go, Assaubayeva holds a half-point lead over a group of four other players

Almost all games in round seven promised tension and excitement, but all except one ended in a draw.

Assaubayeva’s victory came in the Catalan, where Kosteniuk found herself on the back foot, allowing White to seize the initiative. Both players made mistakes in a very complicated game, but Kosteniuk’s errors in critical moments proved costly. She ended up in a lost knight endgame, which Assaubayeva efficiently converted to secure her win.

ith this victory, Assaubayeva reached 4.5 points, claiming sole first place for the first time in the event, which shows how closely matched the players are. Kosteniuk remains on three points after seven rounds.

One of the leaders from day one, Stavroula Tsolakidou, split the point with Nana Dzagnidze. The Georgian opted for the Caro-Kann, but Tsolakidou emerged with a better position early in the opening, only to lose the advantage in the later stages of the game. This was Tsolakidou’s sixth consecutive draw in the tournament. Both players now have four points.

Sara Khadem drew with Alina Kashlinskaya in a Benko Gambit. Both players surprised each other in the opening, but as the game progressed, Khadem found herself on the defensive. Despite Black being a pawn up, the game transitioned into a rook endgame that Khadem confidently drew. Kashlinskaya, who won her first game in round six against Vaishali, now has four points. Khadem, showing improvement in the second half of the tournament with 2.5 points from her last three games, remains at the bottom of the scoreboard alongside Vaishali.

Vaishali Rameshbabu and Anna Muzychuk played a balanced game in the Italian Opening, with neither side gaining a significant advantage. Muzychuk now has 3.5 points, while Vaishali stands at 2.5 points.

Lela Javakhishvili drew with Mariya Muzychuk in the English Opening. Despite twice gaining a notably better position, Javakhishvili misplayed, allowing Muzychuk to equalize. After 55 moves, the game ended in a draw. Mariya Muzychuk now has four points, while Javakhishvili trails with three.

Standings after Round 7

Here follows a closer look at the games of round seven:

Bibisara Assaubayeva – Alexandra Kosteniuk

Assaubayeva opted for the Catalan, but Kosteniuk knew her drill and nearly equalized. Assaubayeva made a tactical attempt that did not fully work, but Kosteniuk’s imprecise responses kept White’s chances alive. Despite missing several opportunities to secure her advantage, Assaubayeva eventually broke through in an endgame after Alexandra’s serious mistake.

37…Nb4? It was essential for Black to counter on the kingside with either 37…f5! or 37…Ne1+ But now: 38.h5+! Kf6 39.Nc5 Rxa2 40.Ne4+! Ke5 41.Rxa2 Nxa2 42.Ke3 Nb4 43.f4+! Kd5

44.Nf6+!! A wonderful move by Assaubayeva. White gets to the g7-pawn, and it is all over for Black.

44…Kd6 45.Ne8+ Ke7 46.Nxg7, and it was now a question of technique which Bibisara executed precisely.

Stavroula Tsolakidou – Nana Dzagnidze

In the Caro-Kann, Tsolakidou got an early advantage winning exchange and gaining a better position. Nana defended resourcefully and eventually got her chance.

After either 22. Qf4 or 22. Qxf8 White could have continued to pressure Black. Stavroula, however, played 22. Qh4 but after 22…d4! 23. Nf3 d3! Dzagnidze got sufficient counterplay. The game eventually reached a balanced position, where Tsolakidou correctly placed her rook on the back rank, preventing further progress by Black. The game ended in a draw after 51 moves.

Vaishali Rameshbabu – Anna Muzychuk

In the Italian Game, neither player gained a significant edge throughout the game. Following several exchanges in the center, the players entered a drawn queen endgame and agreed to a draw on move 40.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Alina Kashlinskaya

Kashlinskaya played the Benko Gambit, but after Khadem chose the trendy 5.e3 (the first choice of chess engines), she spent significant time in the opening. Eventually, Alina gained the upper hand after several Khadem’s inaccuracies. However, Sarasadat held firm, transitioning into a rook endgame where she successfully defended against Kashlinskaya’s extra pawn to secure a draw.

Lela Javakhishvili – Mariya Muzychuk

In the English Opening, both players had opportunities to take the lead, but neither capitalized on their chances.

Javakhishvili could have got serious winning chances with a subtle 20. Rb1! (suggested by chess engines) followed by 21. Qxc5, although it is tough to see why the immediate capture on c5 (both with the pawn and the queen) is inferior to the intermezzo.

After Lela played natural 20. dxc5, she was slightly better due to her control of the center, but failed to maintain the advantage. Muzychuk later also missed her chance later on.

Instead of playing 25.Qb4, White went for 25.Red1, allowing Black to run through her position with the e-file pawn. But Muzychuk returned the favor to Lela by misplaying: 25…Rc7, and the position was even.

The game transitioned into an even rook endgame. Both players tested each other but ultimately agreed to split the point.

Round eight starts on Friday, August 23, at 3 PM local time in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Round 8 pairings

Alexandra Kosteniuk – Mariya Muzychuk
Alina Kashlinskaya – Lela Javakhishvili
Anna Muzychuk – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
Nana Dzagnidze – Vaishali Rameshbabu
Bibisara Assaubayeva – Stavroula Tsolakidou

For more information about the event, including news, images, regulations, pairings, and games, please visit: womengrandprix.fide.com/

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anna Shtourman