Two winners
Since yesterday, the capital of Kazakhstan is called Astana again. The short phase in which the city was called Nur-Sultan is already over. The tough, long-lived ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev probably wanted to underline his family’s claim to rule over the country with this action, but after Nazarbayev’s time as ruler expired in 2019, this clan seems to have lost influence. So now it’s back to Astana.
Learn to master the right exchange! Let the German WGM Elisabeth Pähtz show you how to gain a strategic winning position by exchanging pieces of equal value or to safely convert material advantage into a win.
The vast, sparsely populated Kazakhstan, sandwiched between Russia and China, may be thought by most readers to be a purely Asian country, but in fact the westernmost tip of Kazakhstan lies west of the Urals and north of the Caucasus — in other words, in Europe. Astana, however, is deep in Asia.

Strong local representatives: Bibisara Assaubayeva and Zhansaya Abdumalik (draw)

There was also a draw between Russian-born Alina Kashlinskaya (representing Poland since 2022) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (playing under the FIDE flag since May 2022)

Two strong players from China: Tan Zhongyi and Zhu Jiner

Kateryna Lagno and Vaishali Rameshbabu
The game between Dinara Wagner and Elisabeth Paehtz was not a straightforward affair. When Wagner had just recovered from a bad position, she made a simple oversight that allowed Paehtz to claim the win in a few moves.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
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In this video course, twenty-nine examples with multiple questions are presented in the interactive format, which is ideal for a range of playing strengths. Step by step you will be taken through the complex positions.

The tournament is about to start!
Polina Shuvalova had probably relied on activating her c and d-pawn duo in her game against Aleksandra Goryachkina, but this idea did not bear fruits during the game.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.

Aleksandra Goryachkina and Polina Shuvalova
Round 1 results
Standings after round 1
All games
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
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