Monaco GP: Khadem beats Harika, joins the lead

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
2/19/2025 – Four players share the lead with 1½/2 points after the second round of the Monaco Women's Grand Prix. Sara Khadem secured the only decisive result of the day, capitalising on a blunder to defeat Harika Dronavalli. Meanwhile, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Tan Zhongyi both missed opportunities to join the leaders, with Goryachkina failing to convert her initiative against Alexandra Kosteniuk and Tan allowing Batkhuyag Munguntuul to escape with a draw in a tricky endgame. | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

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A costly blunder in time trouble

Following the second round, four players are tied for first place with 1½/2 scores at the Monaco stage of the Women's Grand Prix. The three players who had claimed victories on Tuesday drew their games in round two, though Batkhuyag Munguntuul barely escaped with a draw against Tan Zhongyi. They were joined by the winner of the one decisive game on Wednesday, Sara Khadem, who got the better of Harika Dronavalli with the white pieces.

In the decisive game, the contenders reached a rook and bishop against rook and knight endgame by move 30. Khadem was a pawn down after 30...Nxh2+, but she also had a passer on the a-file and the more flexible minor piece in an open position.

Khadem v. Harika

Importantly, Khadem also had an advantage on the clock at that point, as she had 11 minutes to Harika's 4 with ten moves to go before reaching the time control.

In the next seven moves, Harika found precise manoeuvres to deal with White's a-passer, which soon reached the seventh rank. However, a single blunder, played with 32 seconds on the clock, decided the game in Khadem's favour: 38...Nxe5 faltered immediately to 39.Rd8+

The pawn will promote after the forcing 39...Rxd8 40.Bxd8 Kxd8 41.a8Q+. None of this appeared on the board, as Harika resigned after seeing the white rook on d8.

In the diagrammed position, Black can keep the balance with the forcing 38...Rxa7, though even the simple 38...g6 or 38...h6 are also enough to keep the game going. It is not easy for White to find a way to break through without a piece capable of controlling the light squares, while Black can begin to push her kingside pawns to create counterplay.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh

Sara Khadem | Photo: Niki Riga

Two other players had strong chances of catching up with the leaders: Aleksandra Goryachkina and Tan Zhongyi.

Goryachkina advanced her h-pawn against Alexandra Kosteniuk's French Defence but failed to find the most accurate continuation at a critical juncture.

Goryachkina v. Kosteniuk

Instead of 26.Re5, Goryachkina could have played 26.c4, where both 26...Qxde6 27.Qxd8+ and 26...dxc4 27.Rxe4 would have allowed White to maintain the pressure.

Kosteniuk capitalised on this inaccuracy, beginning with 26...Qd6, and successfully neutralised her opponent's initiative. The game concluded with a 52-move draw, as Kosteniuk held firm in a slightly inferior rook endgame.

Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk

Aleksandra Goryachkina facing Alexandra Kosteniuk | Photo: Niki Riga

Meanwhile, Tan was unable to convert a two-pawn advantage in a rook and knight endgame against co-leader Munguntuul. On move 43, shortly after gaining 30 extra minutes on the clock, the Chinese GM miscalculated with 43.Ne6+ instead of the stronger 43.Nf5

Tan v. Munguntuul
Of course, figuring out the nuances in such an endgame is no easy task!

Despite this, she continued pressing against her lower-rated opponent until move 68. Eventually, Tan had to settle for a simplified position with a rook and three pawns against a rook and knight, but there was no way to break through in the end.

As demonstrated by the Munguntuul, Black can allow the capture of her knight by playing 66...Rg4+, with a simple drawn position arising after 67.Kf2 Rxg5 68.fxg6 Rxg6

Munguntuul's resilient defence secured her a half point against the tournament's top seed, allowing her to remain among the leaders in the standings.

Batkhuyag Munguntuul

Batkhuyag Munguntuul | Photo: Niki Riga

Round 2 results

Standings

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1.e4 4 e5 15 2.d4 23 exd4 41 3.Bc4 10 Nf6 6:27 4.Nf3 33 Nc6 3:01 5.Ng5 1:05 Ne5 15:27 6.Qxd4 13 Nxc4 1:42 7.Qxc4 1:50 d5 2:21 8.exd5 21 Qxd5 5:24 9.Qe2+ 25 Be6 1:01 10.0-0 43 C56: Two Knights: 4 d4 exd4 5 0-0 Nxe4. 10.Nxe6 simplifies Qxe6 11.Qxe6+ fxe6 12.Nd2 10...0-0-0 3:23 11.Nxe6 43 Qxe6 1:35 12.Qxe6+ 18 The position is equal. fxe6 2 13.Nd2 19 Bc5 1:40 14.Nb3 15:16 Bb6 1:06 15.Bf4N 4:47 15.a4 a6 16.a5 Ba7 17.Ra4 Rhf8 18.g3 Rd5 19.Kg2 Rfd8 20.Re1 Rf5 21.f3 1-0 Tleptsok,R (2212)-Eriksson,K (2058) Politiken Cup 36th 2014 (9) 15...Rhf8 7:59 16.Rae1 5:49 Rde8 3:02 17.Be3 13:15 e5 4:03 18.Bxb6 1:38 axb6 11 19.Re2 20 Rf7 5:48 20.Rfe1 42 Rd7 1:11 21.f3 4:32 Rde7 2:02 22.a4 4:12 Kd8 2:33 23.Nd2 1:08 h6 6:57 24.g3 7:46 g5 2:08 25.Kg2 1:16 Re6 1:35 26.Ne4 4:51 Nxe4 3:41 27.Rxe4 12       Endgame KRR-KRR Kd7 42 28.h4 2:12 gxh4 3:58 29.Rxh4 13 Rg6 58 30.Rh5 3:51 Kd6 2:19 31.f4 3:57 Reg8 2:54 32.fxe5+ 1:01 Ke7 3:52 33.Re3 34 Rc6 51 34.c3 1:40 Rg4 1:10 35.b3 2:27 Rcg6 20 36.Kh3 11:41 Ke6 1:19 37.Rf3! 1:37 Black is on the road to losing. Re4 2:16
38.Rf6+! 41       Rxf6 7 39.exf6 4 Kxf6 37 40.Rxh6+± 0 KR-KR. White is a pawn up. Kg7 0 41.Rh4 40 Re3 8:19 42.Rc4 2:30 c5 3:00 42...Re7± 43.Kg2 Kf6 43.Kg4 2:06 Kf6 7:26 44.b4 10:13 Re5 9:20
45.Kf3! 4:42 Rd5 4:43 46.Rf4+ 3:45 Kg6? 16 46...Ke6 might work better. 47.Ke4+- 2:13 Rg5 1:28 48.g4 44 b5? 1:15 48...Kg7 49.b5 Kg6 49.axb5 5:41 White is clearly winning. cxb4 28
50.c4! 5       Less strong is 50.cxb4 Rxb5 51.Kd3 Kg5± 50...b3 1:50 51.Kd3 9 Re5 18 52.Kc3 41 Re3+ 6 53.Kb2 3 And now c5 would win. Rg3 1:17 54.c5 1:05 Weighted Error Value: White=0.05 (flawless) /Black=0.49 Mistake: --- Black=3 Inaccurate: White=1 Black=3 OK: White=19 Black=9 Best: White=3 Black=2 Strong: White=1 --- Brilliant: White=1 ---
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lagno,K2515Goryachkina,A25461–02025C56FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-251.1
Assaubayeva,B2492Khademalsharieh,S2458½–½2025A13FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-251.2
Dronavalli,H2489Koneru,H25230–12025C48FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-251.3
Paehtz,E2427Tan,Z2561½–½2025C42FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-251.4
Munguntuul,B2331Kosteniuk,A24841–02025C42FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-251.5
Goryachkina,A2546Kosteniuk,A2484½–½2025C18FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-252.1
Tan,Z2561Munguntuul,B2331½–½2025A11FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-252.2
Koneru,H2523Paehtz,E2427½–½2025D25FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-252.3
Khademalsharieh,S2458Dronavalli,H24891–02025A40FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-252.4
Lagno,K2515Assaubayeva,B2492½–½2025E70FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-252.5
Assaubayeva,B2492Goryachkina,A25460–12025A13FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-253.1
Dronavalli,H2489Lagno,K2515½–½2025E67FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-253.2
Paehtz,E2427Khademalsharieh,S2458½–½2025C68FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-253.3
Munguntuul,B2331Koneru,H2523½–½2025C54FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-253.4
Kosteniuk,A2484Tan,Z25611–02025D90FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-253.5
Goryachkina,A2546Tan,Z2561½–½2025C42FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-254.1
Koneru,H2523Kosteniuk,A2484½–½2025D47FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-254.2
Khademalsharieh,S2458Munguntuul,B2331½–½2025D14FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-254.3
Lagno,K2515Paehtz,E24271–02025D31FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-254.4
Assaubayeva,B2492Dronavalli,H2489½–½2025D35FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-254.5
Dronavalli,H2489Goryachkina,A2546½–½2025C67FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-255.1
Paehtz,E2427Assaubayeva,B2492½–½2025B86FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-255.2
Munguntuul,B2331Lagno,K2515½–½2025B11FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-255.3
Kosteniuk,A2484Khademalsharieh,S2458½–½2025D35FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-255.4
Tan,Z2561Koneru,H2523½–½2025A14FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-255.5
Goryachkina,A2546Koneru,H25231–02025C82FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-256.1
Khademalsharieh,S2458Tan,Z25610–12025E51FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-256.2
Lagno,K2515Kosteniuk,A2484½–½2025C47FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-256.3
Assaubayeva,B2492Munguntuul,B2331½–½2025B48FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-256.4
Dronavalli,H2489Paehtz,E2427½–½2025B38FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-256.5
Paehtz,E2427Goryachkina,A2546½–½2025A32FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-257.1
Munguntuul,B2331Dronavalli,H2489½–½2025B32FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-257.2
Kosteniuk,A2484Assaubayeva,B2492½–½2025E94FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-257.3
Tan,Z2561Lagno,K2515½–½2025E62FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-257.4
Koneru,H2523Khademalsharieh,S24581–02025E00FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-257.5
Goryachkina,A2546Khademalsharieh,S24581–02025C88FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-258.1
Lagno,K2515Koneru,H2523½–½2025C82FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-258.2
Assaubayeva,B2492Tan,Z25610–12025C84FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-258.3
Dronavalli,H2489Kosteniuk,A24841–02025A08FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-258.4
Paehtz,E2427Munguntuul,B23310–12025D43FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-258.5
Munguntuul,B2331Goryachkina,A2546½–½2025C65FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-259.1
Kosteniuk,A2484Paehtz,E24271–02025E97FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-259.2
Tan,Z2561Dronavalli,H2489½–½2025B30FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-259.3
Koneru,H2523Assaubayeva,B24921–02025E62FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-259.4
Khademalsharieh,S2458Lagno,K25151–02025E62FIDE Women GP Monaco 2024-259.5

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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