 "Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2025: Indian GM Harika Dronavalli wins third prize, Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk finishes first")
Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli secured a podium finish at the Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2025, claiming third place after a hard-fought final round. She played out a draw against Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, who went on to clinch the title on tiebreaks. Harika’s consistent performance throughout the tournament ensured that she remained in the top three, further strengthening her position in the overall Grand Prix standings.
👏 Anna Muzychuk clinches the victory in Leg 4 of the FIDE WGP 2024-2025 in Nicosia, Cyprus!
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) March 24, 2025
After nine rounds, Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner finished tied for first place. However, Muzychuk emerged as the tournament winner thanks to the superior Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak.
🥇… pic.twitter.com/GnBPndF5fT
India’s Divya Deshmukh also competed in the event, finishing with a draw against Germany’s Elisabeth Paehtz in the last round and ending in the seventh spot in the final standings.
The tournament witnessed a thrilling finish as Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner ended up with identical scores after nine rounds. However, Muzychuk emerged victorious due to a superior Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak, securing the first-place finish. This victory propelled her to third place in the overall Grand Prix standings with 189.17 points, keeping her in contention for further honours with two more events to be played. China’s Zhu Jiner took second place.
The final day of the event saw several tense matchups. Zhu Jiner’s draw against Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze, combined with a draw between Austria’s Olga Badelka and Greece’s Stavroula Tsolakidou, worked in Muzychuk’s favour, allowing her to take home the title. Meanwhile, Aleksandra Goryachkina, who drew her final game against Mariya Muzychuk, continues to lead the overall FIDE Women’s Grand Prix standings with 308.34 points.
The total prize fund for the tournament was €80,000 (Rs 74 lakh approx), with the top three finishers receiving €18,000, €13,000, and €10,500, respectively, along with medals and trophies. With this leg now concluded, the next tournament in the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series will be held in Pune, India, from 14 to 25 April 2025.
Nicosia FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2025: Final standings
| Rank | Title | Name | Country | Rating | Score | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM | Anna Muzychuk | Ukraine | 2516 | 6 | €15,500 (Rs 14,38,780) |
| 2 | GM | Zhu Jiner | China | 2514 | 6 | €15,500 (Rs 14,38,780) |
| 3 | GM | Harika Dronavalli | India | 2483 | 5 | €8,666.67 (Rs 8,04,890) |
| 4 | GM | Mariya Muzychuk | Ukraine | 2490 | 5 | €8,666.67 (Rs 8,04,890) |
| 5 | GM | Aleksandra Goryachkina | Russia | 2548 | 5 | €8,666.67 (Rs 8,04,890) |
| 6 | GM | Nana Dzagnidze | Georgia | 2513 | 4.5 | €6,000 (Rs 5,56,560) |
| 7 | IM | Divya Deshmukh | India | 2470 | 4 | €5,000 (Rs 4,63,800) |
| 8 | IM | Olga Badelka | Austria | 2429 | 3.5 | €4,250 (Rs 3,94,230) |
| 9 | IM | Stavroula Tsolakidou | Greece | 2445 | 3.5 | €4,250 (Rs 3,94,230) |
| 10 | GM | Elisabeth Paehtz | Germany | 2424 | 2.5 | €3,500 (Rs 3,24,660) |
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