Humpy beats Khadem in classical chess

Round three of the Norway Chess Women tournament saw one classical game decided and two matchups resolved in Armageddon.

Humpy Koneru scored a convincing win over Sara Khadem with the white pieces, allowing her to catch Anna Muzychuk at the top of the standings with 6 points each. Muzychuk, who defeated Humpy in classical play the previous day, added 1½ points to her tally by overcoming Lei Tingjie in a tiebreak after drawing their classical game.

Ju Wenjun also collected 1½ points, defeating Vaishali Rameshbabu in Armageddon following a drawn classical encounter. With three rounds completed, Ju and Lei, the highest-rated players in the field, are tied for third place on 4 points each.

Standings after round 3

King's Indian Attack - Simple. Flexible. Dynamic.

The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

Ju Wenjun playing white against Vaishali Rameshbabu | Photo: Michal Walusza

Humpy Koneru secured the only classical win of the day with a well-executed victory over Sara Khadem. Playing with white, the Indian grandmaster obtained a clear initiative on the kingside straight out of the opening, as her opponent struggled with an exposed king and uncoordinated pieces.

The positional pressure steadily built in Humpy's favour, culminating in a good-looking exchange sacrifice. With 37.Re6, she invited her opponent to open the centre, which led to her exploiting the central pawns.

After 37...Bxe6 (37...Qa4 was a worse alternative due to 38.Ne4), the game continued 38.fxe6 Ng5 39.Bg2 Ba5 40.Qe3 Bb6. At this stage, White’s position was dominant, with connected central passers ready to march.

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This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Overview
Free video sample: Chigorin: 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7/cxd4

Humpy completed her breakthrough with 41.e7 Rfe8 42.d6, creating unstoppable threats. The connected e- and d-pawns, supported by the pieces, were too strong, and Khadem resigned. With this win, Humpy moves into joint first place with Anna Muzychuk.

Sara Khadem | Photo: Michal Walusza

Anna Muzychuk and Lei Tingjie drew their classical game in just 21 moves, but their Armageddon decider provided a lengthy and tense battle. The tiebreak featured a queenless middlegame in which Lei, with the white pieces, had more active forces and a passed pawn on the queenside.

However, the Chinese grandmaster missed a chance to increase the pressure on the kingside. On move 23, she played the natural-looking 23.c4, but a more probing plan with 23.Bc4, targeting f7, would have given her better prospects.

The structure created by c4 and the bishop on b5 allowed Black, despite having less space, to consolidate and defend effectively.

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As the game progressed, the position simplified into a rook endgame with three pawns per side. Lei continued probing until move 74, but Muzychuk defended with precision throughout. By securing the draw with the black pieces, Muzychuk won the mini-match and added 1½ points to her total, maintaining her position at the top of the standings.

Co-leader Anna Muzychuk | Photo: Michal Walusza

All games - Classical

All games - Armageddon

Links

• Official site
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