India’s Koneru Humpy in joint-lead at FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix Pune after eighth spherical

Koneru Humpy and Zhu Jiner collectively lead the FIDE Ladies’s Grand Prix 2024-25 (Pune leg) chess meet with 6 factors every after the eighth and penultimate spherical on Tuesday.

Humpy survived a scare to carry Alina Kashlinskaya to a draw, whereas Jiner defeated India’s Divya Deshmukh in a tactical battle. Regardless of the loss, Divya stays in third place with 5 factors.

Polina Shuvalova is fourth with 4.5 factors.

Zhu Jiner beats Divya Deshmukh

The match between Harika Dronavalli and Melia Salome was the primary within the event to cross 100 strikes, finally ending in a draw. Vaishali Rameshbabu additionally drew her sport towards Nurgyul Salimova.

Within the remaining spherical on Wednesday, Humpy will face Salimova, Divya will tackle Kashlinskaya, and Jiner will probably be up towards Shuvalova.

Kashlinskaya, presently on the backside of the standings, had Humpy on the ropes however missed her probability with a mistake on transfer 49.

“I realise I ought to have received right now however the forty ninth transfer took away the victory. It was a lapse in focus,” she stated.

Within the different key sport, Jiner progressively constructed strain towards Divya and took full management after a dangerous change on the twenty eighth transfer. “It was a gradual successful route and might’t pick any single transfer,” Jiner stated after the sport.

Outcomes (Spherical 8): IM Melia Salome (2.5)- drew GM Dronavalli Harika (4); IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag (2.5) drew IM Shuvalova Polina (4.5); GM Zhu Jiner (6) bt IM Divya Deshmukh (5); IM Kashlinskaya Alina (2.5) drew GM Koneru Humpy (6); IM Salimova Nurgyul(3.5) drew GM Vaishali Rameshbabu (3.5).