WGP Tbilisi: Kashlinskaya beats Vaishali to join the leading pack

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
8/22/2024 – Returning from the rest day, round 6 of the Tbilisi Women's Grand Prix saw one game ending decisively, with Alina Kashlinskaya beating R Vaishali to join the leading pack, now consisting of five players. Kashlinskaya is tied for first place with Nana Dzagnidze, Mariya Muzychuk, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou. | Photo: FIDE / Anna Shtourman

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Five co-leaders

Half the field is tied for first place at the inaugural event of the 2024/25 Women's Grand Prix, with only 3 rounds to go in Tbilisi. With 2 players standing a half point behind the co-leaders, it is absolutely impossible to predict who will prevail in the single round-robin.

Round 6 saw Alina Kashlinskaya joining the lead by beating R Vaishali with the white pieces. The Indian rising star took a risky approach by playing the King's Indian Defence. Moreover, she entered the most trying lines at different points in the game. The strategy backfired, as her experienced opponent made the most of the weaknesses created in Black's camp until obtaining a crucial 33-move victory.

All the remaining games ended drawn, leaving Kashlinskaya tied atop the standings with Nana Dzagnidze, Mariya Muzychuk, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou.

Thursday's seventh round will see a clash of co-leaders - not surprisingly - as Tsolkidou will play white against Dzagnidze.

Mariya Muzychuk

Mariya Muzychuk survived an inferior position while playing white against Sara Khadem on Wednesday | Photo: FIDE / Anna Shtourman

Kashlinskaya 1 - 0 Vaishali

FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024/25

Round 6 taking place in the very elegant playing hall | Photo: FIDE / Anna Shtourman

Standings after round 6

All games

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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.