Tbilisi GP Round 1: Stavroula upsets Vaishali

by Shahid Ahmed - 16/08/2024

The first round of FIDE Tbilisi GP 2024 witnessed an upset. The lowest rated player of the field, IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) stunned GM Vaishali R. Vaishali made an incorrect exchange which dropped her exchange. The Greece no.1 woman had no trouble seizing her opportunity and converting it into a full point. IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) scored the only other win of the round. She defeated IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP). Sara did not manage to thwart her opponent's attack on the kingside. Vaishali will face the former women's world champion, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) in the second round. Round 2 starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Bibisara subdues Sara

IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) scored an upset victory over GM R Vaishali | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Bibisara - Sarasadat: 1-0

IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ, 2470) faced IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP, 2489) for the first time in a Classical rated game.

Position after 19.Rf6

19.Rf6 not only attacks the knight on c6 but also asserts dominance on the kingside Ne7 20.a5 b5 21.Qe1 Ng6 22.R6f5 Qc6 23.Qf2 f6 24.g4 White starts improving her position.

Position after 31...Rd5?

31...Rd5? was the final mistake. 32.Raf1 b4 33.g5 hxg5 34.Nxg5 fxg5 35.Rxf8+ Qxf8 36.Rxf8+ Nxf8 37.hxg5 and it's over.

IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) scored a comfortable win over IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP) | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Stavroula - Vaishali

Position after 25.d4

Black needed to play 25...c4 and everything would have been fine. Instead, GM Vaishali R (2506) blundered 25...Nxe5?? 26.dxc5+- gained an exchange for White. 26...Nd3 27.cxb6 axb6 28.Bc6! Qxc6 29.Rxd3 White just quickly got rid of the strong knight on d3.

IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE) seized her opportunity | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL) - GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) - GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Lukasz Turlej (POL), General Secretary, FIDE Management Board, made the inaugural first move on GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) and IM Lela Javakhishvili's (GEO) board. The game ended in a draw | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Round 1 in progress | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Tournament hall | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Spectators following the game at the venue | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Tbilisi GP Opening Ceremony | Video: FIDE

Replay live stream

Replay Round 1 Live Commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili (GEO) and GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili (GEO) | Video: FIDE

Prizes

Total prize fund is €80000. The top three prizes are €18000, €13000 and €10500 each. The top three GP points are - 130, 105 and 85. For more details, check out the regulations below.

Schedule

Round 1-8 starts at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Only the final round on Saturday 24th August will start at 1 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Sole rest day is on Tuesday 20th August.

Replay Round 1 games

Round 1 results

Bo.	No.	FED	Rtg		Name	Result		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	1	POL	2474	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	½ - ½	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	SUI	2488	10
2	2	UKR	2525	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	½ - ½	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2508	9
3	3	GEO	2506	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	½ - ½	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2451	8
4	4	KAZ	2470	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	1 - 0	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	ESP	2489	7
5	5	GRE	2429	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	1 - 0	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2506	6

Details

Standings after Round 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	4	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2470	1	0	0,00	1
	5	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	GRE	2429	1	0	0,00	1
3	8	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	GEO	2451	0,5	1	0,25	0
	9	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2508	0,5	1	0,25	0
	10	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	SUI	2488	0,5	1	0,25	0
6	1	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	POL	2474	0,5	0	0,25	0
	2	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2525	0,5	0	0,25	0
	3	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	GEO	2506	0,5	0	0,25	0
9	6	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2506	0	1	0,00	0
	7	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	ESP	2489	0	1	0,00	0

Details

Round 2 pairings

Bo.	No.	FED	Rtg		Name		Name	FED	Rtg	No.
1	10	SUI	2488	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	GM	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	IND	2506	6
2	7	ESP	2489	IM	Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat	IM	Tsolakidou, Stavroula	GRE	2429	5
3	8	GEO	2451	IM	Javakhishvili, Lela	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2470	4
4	9	UKR	2508	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	GM	Dzagnidze, Nana	GEO	2506	3
5	1	POL	2474	IM	Kashlinskaya, Alina	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2525	2

Details

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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