Women's World Cup: Kaliakhmet, aged 15, knocks out Batsiashvili

by Michael Rahal
7/10/2025 – Twelve matches at the FIDE Women's World Cup will be decided in Friday's tiebreaks after a tense day of chess saw both solid draws and dramatic turnarounds. While many favourites, including Lei Tingjie, Humpy Koneru and Tan Zhongyi, secured qualification, others must battle again for a place in round three. Meanwhile, 15-year-old WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet caused the day's biggest upset by eliminating Georgian GM Nino Batsiashvili. | Photos: Anna Shtourman, Polina Bovina and Andrei Anosov / FIDE
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Twelve matches go to tiebreaks

Press release by FIDE

Akaki Iashvili is the main man behind the Women's World Cup. President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Chair of the FIDE Events Commission and Special Tasks Director of the FIDE Management Board, Akaki oversees the production and takes care of the day-to-day running of the event, along with FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky.

Both of them were joined this afternoon in the playing hall by Giorgi Murvanidze, Mayor of Batumi, a brilliant person and great supporter of the Georgian Chess Federation.

After congratulating all the players and wishing them the best of luck, Murvanidze played the first move for WGM Candela Francisco on board one.

Women's Chess World Cup 2025

Akaki Iashvili playing the ceremonial first move

In the second game of the round, I expected very solid play from most of the players who had already drawn the first game – no one really wants to be eliminated due to a costly mistake.

Among other reasons, the pay-jumps are already quite important: the 32 qualifiers for round three are guaranteed a €6,750 payday.

Padmini Rout, Alexandra Kosteniuk

Padmini Rout facing Alexandra Kosteniuk

Indian IM Rout Padmini opted for this approach against 2021 World Cup winner GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, after the draw in their first game.

Against Kosteniuk's Petroff Defence, Padmini chose a piece sacrifice that forces a perpetual check in eleven moves – a possibility that side-steps the 30-move no-draw rule.

In this position, theory suggests 6.Nxd7, 6.Nc3 or even 6.0-0 as interesting possibilities for a fight. However, Padmini chose 6.Nxf7 and after 6…Kxf7 there is 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qe2, pinning the knight, which is a well-known theoretical continuation. Black has to return to f7 to avoid falling into a much worse position, and White has a draw with 9.Qh5+.

Of course, it's also possible that Padmini wasn't feeling well or that Kosteniuk had surprised her in the opening!

Other tough matchups that will be decided in Friday's tiebreaks after two draws are:

  • FM Anastasia Avramidou – GM Kateryna Lagno
  • WIM Umida Omonova – IM Alina Kashlinskaya
  • IM Inna Gaponenko – GM Anna Muzychuk
  • WGM Thalia Cervantes – GM Mariya Muzychuk
  • IM Klaudia Kulon – WIM Priyanka K.
  • GM Elina Danielian – GM Antoaneta Stefanova

Qualifiers to the third round

Several top players will enjoy a rest day after cruising through with well-deserved wins.

Although she felt slightly nervous in the second game because her position was not good, IM Polina Shuvalova was finally able to put away IM Gulnar Mammadova with a 100% score. After the game, Charlize van Zyl from FIDE interviewed her and asked about her evolution as a player.

Shuvalova reflected on how she has grown – from playing crazy games in her youth to being wiser now with a more calm and solid approach.

Top seed GM Lei Tingjie had a tough day at the office but eventually ground her young opponent down in a queen ending for her second win, while her teammate and former Women's World Champion, GM Tan Zhongyi, also won both of her games against Georgian prodigy WFM Anastasia Kirtadze, at the same time ending her World Cup dreams.

Local Georgian top GM Nana Dzagnidze also advanced with a nice tactical performance against IM Daria Charochkina.

On a lower board, IM Yuliia Osmak prevailed in a tricky endgame against a dangerous opponent, WIM Wang Chuqiao, thus achieving qualification for round three.

In her post-game interview, she credited the endgame skilss of the best player in the world:

I actually like Magnus Carlsen's endgames and studied them a lot. I learned how to squeeze wins from small advantages.

The four best Indian players all sealed their qualification today. GM Humpy Koneru and IM Divya Deshmukh both won their first game on Wednesday, and a draw was enough to achieve their objective.

GM Vaishali Rameshbabu won both of her games, while GM Harika Dronavalli finished off the job in the second game after being the last match standing yesterday.

Harika happily came to the media centre to show us all how to win a fine attacking game even if the queens are no longer on the board.

GM Irina Krush was in a must-win situation against her young opponent IM Carissa Yip. She did all she could, even rejecting a likely perpetual check, which would have been no use to her, and eventually had to surrender her king to her teammate.

The other young American player, IM Alice Lee, had to say goodbye to Batumi, losing her second game in a row against another adolescent, WGM Anna Shukhman.

Anna Shukhman

Anna Shukhman defeated Alice Lee

Finally, Romanian IM Irina Bulmaga surprised her opponent IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette in the opening and went on to gradually outplay her, finishing off the game with a winning attack.

Comebacks!

Everyone enjoys a good comeback story, and today was no exception. With all of them against the ropes having lost their first game, GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Ushenina, and IMs Song Xuxin, Aleksandra Maltsevskaya and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova were able to grind their way to a win and will return on Friday with a chance to qualify in the tiebreaks.

Aleksandra Goryachkina

Aleksandra Goryachkina taking a stroll

Upsets!

Georgian GM Nino Batsiashvili will no longer be with us, having lost her game today against 15-year-old WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet, representing Kazakhstan.

Nonetheless, Georgia will still be well represented by GMs Nana Dzagnidze, Bella Khotenashvili, Lela Javakhishvili and IM Meri Arabidze, all of whom qualified today.

Elnaz Kaliakhmet

15-year-old WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet

All available games

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Born in England in 1970, Michael Rahal is an International Master and a FIDE trainer. Currently living in Barcelona (Spain), Michael is fluent in English and Spanish and has been coaching chess players of all ages and levels for more than 25 years. More recently he has developed his career as a chess broadcaster, covering both online and on-site many top events on Playchess and the ICC, including a leg of the recent FIDE Grand Prix. You can also follow him on Youtube where more than 10.000 subscribers enjoy his instructive chess videos.