FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Chess

Divya Deshmukh and second seed Zhu Jiner of China took an early joint lead in the FIDE women’s Grand Prix chess at Amanora-The Fern, Pune, on Tuesday.

Seventh seed Divya defeated fellow-Indian R. Vaishali, seeded sixth, in the second round. Zhu had to wait longer for her victory against Mongolia’s Mungutuul Batkhuyag.

Russia’s Polina Shuvalova, who drew with Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria, is in second place with 1.5 points. Top seed Koneru Humpy, who was held by Salome Milia of Georgia, is on one point.

Vaishali and D. Harika are on half-a-point. Seven rounds remain.

The results: Second round: Salome Milia (Geo) 0.5 drew with Koneru Humpy 1; Divya Deshmukh 2 bt R. Vaishali 0.5; Polina Shuvalova (Rus) 1.5 drew with Nurgyul Salimova (Bul) 0.5; D. Harika 0.5 drew with Alina Kashlinskaya (Pol) 0.5; Mungutuul Batkhuyag (Mng) 1 lost to Zhu Jiner (Chn) 1.

Third-round pairing: Zhu v Melia; Kashlinskaya v Batkhuyag; Salimova v Harika; Vaishali v Shuvalova; Humpy v Divya.