Shymkent GP: Goryachkina wins three in a row, grabs the lead

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
11/4/2024 – Aleksandra Goryachkina has taken the lead at the Shymkent Women’s Grand Prix with a stellar performance, securing her third consecutive win by defeating former co-leader Tan Zhongyi in round 5. Goryachkina now holds 4/5 points, a half-point ahead of Kazakhstan's own Bibisara Assaubayeva, who sits in second place after a strong win against Humpy Koneru. Tied for third are Tan, Humpy and Stavroula Tsolakidou, all remaining within striking distance. | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Goryachkina beats Tan in crucial encounter

Aleksandra Goryachkina emerged as the sole leader at the Shymkent Women's Grand Prix, marking a dominant performance with her third consecutive win in round 5. The 26-year-old defeated former co-leader and top seed Tan Zhongyi, pushing her score to an impressive 4/5 points. Goryachkina's victory over Tan puts her half a point ahead of Bibisara Assaubayeva, who sits in sole second place with 3½ points.

Kazakhstani representative Bibisara Assaubayeva climbed to second place after defeating Humpy Koneru in a key round-5 encounter. As the only home-country participant in the tournament, Assaubayeva has drawn considerable support in Shymkent. She previously faced the current leader, Goryachkina, in a 35-move game, holding her to a draw with the black pieces in the second round.

In shared third place with 3/5 points are Tan Zhongyi, Humpy Koneru, and Stavroula Tsolakidou. Tsolakidou has maintained an assertive playing style, winning twice and losing once in the first five rounds. She defeated Batkhuyag Munguntuul in the opening round, experienced a setback against Goryachkina in round 4, and quickly bounced back with a win over Elisabeth Paehtz in Sunday's round 5.

Assaubayeva and Tsolakidou are the only two players who also competed in the series’ first leg in Tbilisi. Each player in the Women's Grand Prix series participates in three of the six tournaments, with points accumulated across events. At the end of the series, the top two players in the final standings will earn spots in the 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament.

Bibisara Assaubayeva

Bibisara Assaubayeva | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov

Stavroula Tsolakidou

Stavroula Tsolakidou | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov

Tan 0 - 1 Goryachkina

Analysis by André Schulz

Tan, Zhongyi25510–1Goryachkina, Aleksandra2533
FIDE Women GP Shimkent 2024
03.11.2024[Schulz,A]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3 The main alternative is 5.c3 5...h6 6.h3 a6 7.Be3 d6 8.Bxc5 dxc5 9.a4 Be6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.0-0?! 11.Nb1 Nd7 12.Nbd2 Qf6 13.c3 0-0 14.a5 b5 15.axb6 cxb6 16.Nc4 Rfd8 17.0-0= 1-0 (45) Van Foreest,J (2687)-Kosteniuk,A (2519) Chess.com INT 2023 11...Qe7
12.Nb1 As the knight has no prospects on the route Nc3-e2-g3, it is regrouped in the direction of c4. However, the manoeuvre costs time, and Black uses these tempi to begin a kingside attack. g5 13.Nbd2 g4 14.hxg4 Nxg4 15.g3 0-0-0 16.Kg2 Rdf8 17.c3 h5 18.Rh1 Qg7 19.Rh3 Ne7
Black has a strong initiative on the kingside. 20.Qb3 More cautious was 20.Qe2 Ng6 21.Rg1 20...Rf6 21.Rf1 Rhf8 21...Ng6!? with the idea 22.Qd1 Nf4+ 23.gxf4 Ne3+ 24.Kh1 Qg2# 22.Kg1? White gives two knights for a rook. 22.Qd1!? and now Ng6 23.Rg1 Nf4+ is insufficient due to 24.gxf4 Ne3+ 25.Kh2+- 22...Rxf3 23.Qxe6+ Kb8 24.Nxf3 Rxf3 25.Rxh5 Rxd3 26.Rh3 Rd6 27.Qc4 Rd2 White is still on the defensive. Black's advantage increases further over the next few moves. 28.Qxc5 Ng6 Threatens Nf4. 29.Rh5 Nf4 30.Rh4 Nxf2 31.Qe3 31.Rxf2 Qxg3+ and mate in two moves. 31...N4h3+ 32.Rxh3 Nxh3+ 33.Kh1 Rd8 34.Rf5 Rh8 34...Rh8 35.Kg2 Nf4+ 36.Kf3 Rg8-+ 0–1

Tan Zhongyi

Tan Zhongyi | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov

Standings after round 5

Loading Table...

All games

Loading...
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
  • 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.

Links

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.
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.