Tbilisi GP Round 5: Vaishali stumbles at the finish line versus Mariya

by Shahid Ahmed - 20/08/2024

GM R Vaishali blundered in a winning position in Round 5 of FIDE Tbilisi GP 2024. Vaishali had an advantage for the better part of the middlegame. In time trouble, she went for an all-out attack against the former women's world champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR). GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) made a strong comeback. After saving a half point in a lost endgame in the previous round, she defeated GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) convincingly. IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP) scored her first win of the event against IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO). IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL) missed a win against IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE). Today is the sole rest day of the event. Round 6 starts tomorrow Wednesday from 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

An eventful round

The fifth round was the most eventful round of the tournament so far. Although it witnessed three decisive games, there could have been four. Currently, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR), GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) and IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) are at 3/5 each. They are closely followed by three women - GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI), IM Alina Kashlinskaya (SUI) and GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) at 2.5/5 each.

GM Vaishali blundered in a winning position against GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Dzagnidze - Kosteniuk

Position after 31.Qd4+

9.dxe6 is not commonly played at the top level. Levon Aronian played this nearly two decades ago and he won. 9...Ba6 10.exf7+ Kxf7 11.Qb3+ Ke8 12.Ne6 Qd7 13.Nxg7+ Kd8 14.e4 Nc6 15.Be3 Na5 16.Qc2 Bxa3 17.Nf5 Bb4 18.Bg5 Rf8 19.e5 Qe6 20.Ne3 Be7 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Bxf6+ Rxf6 23.b4 Nc4 24.Rxa6 White recovered the bishop Nxe3 25.fxe3 Qxe3+ 26.Ne2 Black never got any compensation for the rest of the game and lost.

GM Nana Dzagnidze made quite a comeback after escaping loss in the previous round | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Anna Muzychuk: "The game is not over until it's over" | Video: FIDE

IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) - GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Stavroula - Kashlinskaya

Position after 48.a4

Black has a winning chance in the above position after 48.a4. Find out what IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL, 2474) should have done instead of playing 48...f3. Even after 49.a5 Black still could have done what she needed to do in the previous move. The game continued 49...Nd3 50.Rxe4+! Kxe4 51.a6 f2 52.a7 f1Q 53.a8Q+ Ke3 54.Qg2 Qxg2+ and it's a draw.

Alina Kashlinskaya: "It would be more painful if I would be winning and wouldn't win" | Video: FIDE

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL) missed a chance to win at the end against IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Vaishali - Mariya: 0-1

GM Vaishali (2506) faced GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR, 2508) only twice in Classical rated games. They were at the last year's World Cup and she lost them both. This time she had a great opportunity to score her first win against the former women's world champion in classical.

Position after 30...Ng6

Both kings are pretty exposed and vulnerable. White needed to consolidate first before going 31.Ne6. Instead, 31.N1h3 is recommended by the computer. The game continued 31...Qe7 32.f5 Bxg1 33.Rxg1 Kd7 34.Rb4 Qxh4 35.Rgb1 Ne7 36.Rb7+?? was a game losing blunder

Position after 36.Rb7+??

36.Qd3 Nc8 37.R4b2 White had to regroup her pieces and wait for her chance. Black seized her opportunity 36...Nxb7 37.Rxb7+ Ke8 38.Rb1 Kf7 39.Rf1 Qg4 40.Rf2 Rab8 41.Qd3 Rb4 and Black won as White does not have much to go on.

Mariya Muzychuk: "If I lose to an Indian player, it will be published everywhere" | Video: ChessBase India

GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) scored an important win to join the four-way lead 3/5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Sarasadat - Lela

Position after 19...Ng4?

19...Ng4? allowed White to gain the upper hand using tactics 20.Bxb8 Raxb8 21.Qg3 Nf6 22.Bxg6 fxg6 23.Qxg6+ Kf8 24.f4 Rd6 25.f5 White not only recovered the piece but also gained in few more moves to win the game.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh: "I was clearly a bit out of shape, so it means a lot that..." | Video: FIDE

IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP) - IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Sara tweeted after losing her third game in Round 4 and then went on to score her first win of the event

Round 5 in progress | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Replay live stream

Replay Round 5 Live Commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili (GEO) and GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili (GEO) | Video: FIDE

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 1-8 starts at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Only the final round on Saturday 24th August will start at 1 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Sole rest day is on Tuesday 20th August.

Replay Round 5 games

Round 5 results

Bo.	No.	FED	Rtg		Name	Result		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	3	GEO	2506	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	1 - 0	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	SUI	2488	10
2	4	KAZ	2470	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	½ - ½	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2525	2
3	5	GRE	2429	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	½ - ½	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	POL	2474	1
4	6	IND	2506	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	0 - 1	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2508	9
5	7	ESP	2489	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	1 - 0	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2451	8

Details

Standings after Round 5

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4
1	9	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2508	3	3	7,75	1	0
2	3	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	GEO	2506	3	2	7,50	1	0
3	4	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2470	3	2	6,50	1	0
	5	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	GRE	2429	3	2	6,50	1	0
5	10	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	SUI	2488	2,5	3	5,00	1	0
6	1	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	POL	2474	2,5	2	7,00	0	0,5
	2	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2525	2,5	2	7,00	0	0,5
8	8	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2451	2	3	5,50	0	0
9	6	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2506	2	3	3,75	1	0
10	7	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	ESP	2489	1,5	3	3,50	1	0

Details

Round 6 pairings

Bo.	No.	FED	Rtg		Name		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	10	SUI	2488	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2451	8
2	9	UKR	2508	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	ESP	2489	7
3	1	POL	2474	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2506	6
4	2	UKR	2525	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	GRE	2429	5
5	3	GEO	2506	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2470	4

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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