GM Lei Tingjie certified for the ultimate of the 2022-23 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament after beating GM Anna Muzychuk within the fourth recreation of their match in Monaco. Lei, who knocked out Anna’s sister GM Mariya Muzychuk within the quarterfinals, will now play the winner of the second stage of the event, which begins November 28 in Uzbekistan.

After the 2 attracts lined in our earlier report, the third ended peacefully as nicely on Friday. Lei performed the Sicilian once more, like within the first recreation, and this time Muzychuk was able to fight the primary traces.

Against the Taimanov, the Ukrainian GM selected a contemporary means of taking part in which entails a fast commerce of queens, after which White has a slight edge within the endgame. One of her trumps is the open h-file there, and Muzychuk even sacrificed her e-pawn to organize doubling her rooks on that h-file and win again the h7-pawn.

Lei determined to only return the pawn voluntarily and get an energetic rook herself. By pushing her g-pawn, Muzychuk may nonetheless have stored an edge, however as an alternative she determined to commerce some items after which the draw was inevitable. 

Also within the fourth recreation, the opening was repeated from the sooner recreation with the identical colours: Muzychuk once more selected the Grunfeld. This time, Lei went for the 7.Qa4+ sideline, which she had performed twice earlier than in her profession. Muzychuk appeared totally prepared for it as she performed theoretically sound strikes for some time, however her eleventh transfer was inaccurate—she ought to have traded queens there.

As it went, Lei managed to place some strain with a superb rook transfer (19.Re4!) and Muzychuk’s response, which misplaced an necessary tempo, was one other step to her downfall. White obtained a super setup with pawns and items, and shortly received the necessary e7-pawn. A strategically very good recreation by the Chinese participant.

“I’m completely satisfied,” mentioned Lei. “I already drew six video games in a row, and eventually I received a recreation once more.”

The different half of the bracket, which can produce an opponent for Lei, begins November 28 in Uzbekistan with GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Tan Zhongyi. The remaining is scheduled for the primary quarter of 2023, and the eventual winner will play Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun within the subsequent title match.

The 2022-23 Women’s Candidates Tournament is an elite occasion that includes eight prime feminine gamers, who compete in a knockout format for a share of the €250,000 prize fund and the fitting to play within the Women’s World Championship match towards Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. The event’s first quarterfinals started on October 25; the ultimate might be within the first quarter of 2023. The time management is 90 minutes for the primary 40 strikes, adopted by half-hour for the remainder of the sport with an increment of 30 seconds per transfer ranging from transfer one. A draw supply earlier than transfer 40 will not be allowed.