The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Chess Cup kicked off yesterday in Batumi, Georgia. The event will be played from 6-28 July at the Grand Bellagio Batumi Convention Hotel with the participation of 107 players from 46 different federations.
The event is played as a knock-out tournament, with 7 rounds, and each round comprises two classical games. If the result is tied, the tiebreak match/es will determine the Winner of the match. The FIDE Women’s World Chess Cup 2025 features the total prize fund of $691.250, with $50.000 prize for the Winner of the event. The best-ranked three players will qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
The Opening ceremony of the event took place on Saturday evening at the Batumi Drama Theatre, and the first round started yesterday at 15:00 (local time). The top 21 seeds will start competing in the event from the second round, joining 43 winners of the round 1.
First games of the round 1 brought a few major upsets, but the rating-favourites will have the second game to improve the result. 16-year-old WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (GEO, 2307) defeated IM Ann Matnadze (ESP, 2325) proving that she is still in great form after impressive result at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 in Rhodes, Greece. Her compatriot WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (GEO, 2226) also started the tournament well, defeating IM Le Thao Nguyen Pham (VIE, 2357).
CM Isabelle Yixuan Ning (NZL, 1984) drew against GM Valentina Gunina (FIDE, 2416), WFM Lala Shohradova (TKM) played a draw against IM Vantika Agrawal (IND, 2388), WGM Essa Alserkal (UAE, 2175) drew against GM Irina Krush (USA, 2388), WGM Govhar Beydullayeva (AZE, 2386) didn’t manage to prevail with Whites against WIM Anahita Zahedifar (IRI, 2143), IM Olivia Kiolbasa (POL, 2366) drew with Blacks against WGM Julia Ryjanova (AUS, 2209), IM Sophie Milliet (FRA, 2390) drew against WIM Umida Omonova (UZB, 2211), while IM Marsel Efroimski (ISR, 2372) played a draw against WGM Shrook Wafa (EGY, 2203).
All results, pairings/results bracket and detailed information about the event can be found on the official website.
Photos by FIDE/ Anna Shtourman