In Friday's round 3 of the Shymkent Women's Grand Prix, top-seeded Tan Zhongyi claimed sole leadership by scoring her second win in the tournament. Playing with the white pieces, Tan defeated Kateryna Lagno in a determined effort, much like her first-round win over Elisabeth Paehtz. Having secured 2½/3 points, Tan sits in the lead, following a round-2 draw against Humpy Koneru, where she played with the black pieces.
Humpy is among four players trailing Tan with 2/3 points, holding a shared second place. The Indian star achieved her first victory of the event by defeating Bathkuyag Munguntuul with the black pieces. Aleksandra Goryachkina also joined the pursuing group after a win with black over Divya Deshmuk. Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou complete the second-place pack, both players having secured victories in the opening round.
Interestingly, no player holds a fifty-percent score after the third round. Four players currently stand at 1/3 points, while Paehtz, following her losses to Tan and Munguntuul in the first two rounds, finds herself at the bottom of the standings with ½/3 points, marking a challenging start for the German grandmaster.
Rounds 4 and 5 will take place over the weekend, leading up to the tournament's only rest day on Monday. Leader Tan Zhongyi is scheduled to face Divya Deshmuk and Aleksandra Goryachkina in these weekend rounds, key games that could further cement her lead or shake up the standings as the event nears its midway point.
Humpy Koneru is sharing second place after winning in round 3 | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov
Aleksandra Goryachkina also belongs to the chasing pack | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov
Analysis by André Schulz
Bathkuyag Munguntuul during round 3 | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov
