In Chess, Indian Grandmaster Humpy Koneru seized the lead at the Women’s Grand Prix in Pune with a crucial victory over Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Jiner in the seventh round yesterday. Humpy surprised Zhu in the opening, gradually increasing her positional advantage in the mid-game. Under pressure, Zhu blundered a piece in a long tactical sequence, ultimately leading to her defeat. Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh kept herself in contention for the top spot with a dominant win over Mongolian International Master Batkhuyag Munguntuul. If Divya manages to defeat Zhu Jiner in today’s game, she will have a strong chance at claiming the tournament lead. Round eight is set to begin today at 3 PM IST.

The Pune Grand Prix 2025, the fifth leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series, plays a crucial role in the qualification process for the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.