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

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