Four players entered the third round of the Women's Grand Prix in Monaco tied for first place, having each scored a win and a draw in the previous rounds. All four co-leaders remained at the top of the standings after drawing their games on Thursday.
In the only direct encounter between frontrunners, Batkhuyag Munguntuul and Humpy Koneru agreed to a 40-move draw in a Giuoco Piano. Meanwhile, Sara Khadem and Kateryna Lagno, also among the leaders, comfortably held draws with the black pieces against Elisabeth Paehtz and Harika Dronavalli, respectively.
The two remaining games ended decisively, as Aleksandra Goryachkina and Alexandra Kosteniuk both returned to a fifty-percent score by defeating Bibisara Assaubayeva and Tan Zhongyi. The two winners had suffered defeats in the opening round but bounced back with strong performances. Kosteniuk successfully defended against Tan's sacrificial attack in the middlegame, emerging with a winning position, while Goryachkina prevailed in a prolonged strategic struggle featuring a mostly closed pawn structure.
With all four co-leaders drawing their games, the standings remain tightly contested. Khadem and Munguntuul will face each other in the fourth round, with Khadem playing the white pieces. Meanwhile, Lagno and Humpy, the other two frontrunners, will also have the advantage of the white pieces as they look to break the deadlock at the top of the table.
Elisabeth Paehtz is the only player who started the event with three draws in a row - on Thursday, she drew Sara Khadem with the white pieces | Photo: Niki Riga
Tan Zhongyi's attacking plan backfired | Photo: Niki Riga
The beginning of a very long struggle - Bibisara Assaubayeva v. Aleksandra Goryachkina | Photo: Niki Riga
