Women's World Cup 2025 Round 1.2: Vantika, Padmini and Nandhidhaa advance to Round 2

by Shahid Ahmed - 08/07/2025

IM Vantika Agrawal, IM Padmini Rout and WGM Nandhidhaa P V won their respective games to advance the second round of FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. Vantika and Nandhidhaa scored comfortable wins after their respective opponents, WFM Lala Shohradova (TKM) and WIM Anahi Ortiz Verdezoto (ECU) made one-move blunders. Padmini made a thematic sacrifice in the Sicilian Najdorf for the second consecutive game. This time she made it work with correct play. WIM Priyanka K won her must-win game against WGM Gaal Zsoka (HUN) to force tie-breaks. WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty is the sole Indian to get eliminated in the first round. Round 1 Tie-break games start today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Priyanka wins on demand, forces tie-breaks, Kiran gets eliminated

WGM Nandhidhaa P V will face GM Harika Dronavalli in Round 2. It means that one of the Indians are bound to be eliminated in Round 2. The remaining second round matches are: GM Koneru Humpy vs WIM FI Afruza Khamdamova (UZB), GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) vs IM Padmini Rout, IM Divya Deshmukh vs WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (GEO) and GM Anna Ushenina (UKR) vs IM Vantika Agrawal. One more match for the second round can get added if WIM Priyanka K manages to win her tie-breaks against WGM Gaal Zsoka today.

Lanlin - Padmini: 0-1

For the second consecutive game, IM Padmini Rout (2352) made a thematic sacrifice in the Sicilian Najdorf against Lanlin Zhang (CHN, 2230). This time it was an exchange sacrifice.

Position after 13.a3?

13.a3? allowed Black to sacrifice an exchange Rxc3 14.bxc3 Qc7 unlike the first game, Padmini went on to convert her advantage into a win comfortably.

IM Padmini Rout defeated Lanlin Zhang (CHN) comfortably | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Nandhidhaa - Anahi

Position after 23...Rd8?

WIM Anahi Ortiz Verdezoto (ECU, 2248) first gave up her c5-pawn 23...Rd8? Her opponent, WGM Nandhidhaa P V (2330) first blocked the d4-pawn 24.Bd3 a4 25.Nh5 Nxh5 26.Rxh5 g6 finally she took the pawn 27.Rxc5 axb3 28.axb3 Rb6 Black found enough compensation and eventually the position liquidated into a rook endgame with three vs two pawns. Ideally it should end in a draw. However, Black made a one move blunder which either causes her to lose the rook or get checkmated. She resigned immediately.

Priyanka - Zsoka: 1-0

WGM Gaal Zsoka (HUN, 2383) needed a draw to secure herself a spot in Round 2. However, she played aggressively and it backfired against WIM Priyanka K (2090).

Position after 23.Bb4

After running her pawn down the g-file, Black's attack fizzled out quickly. It was time for White to launch her own attack on the queenside. The queen itself was preventing from breaking the queenside wide open. So White offered a queen trade 21.Qb5 Ng8 22.Nxd7 Kxd7 23.Bb4 it seems like Black is forced to play Qxb5 which is mistake. Black needed to find 23...a6 24.Bxa5 axb5 25.Bxb6 bxa4 26.Rxa4 Rh7 and Black is doing fine. However, 23...Qxb5?? invited trouble 24.axb5+- Na5 25.Bxa5 bxa5 26.Rxa5 Rh7 27.Rxa7+ Kc8 28.Rf3 Rgg7 29.b6 Kb8 30.Kxf2 Kc8 31.Kg1 Kb8 32.Rf1 Kc8 33.b7+ Kb8 34.Rb1 and White won. Black's rooks and knight virtually did not participate in the game at all.

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (2006) drew against IM Yuxin Song (CHN, 2410) as a draw was enough for her to advance to the next round. So the IM forced repetition.

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty's Women's World Cup debut ends in the first round as IM Yuxin Song won the match 0.5-1.5 in her favor | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

WFM Lala Shohradova (TKM, 2135) made a one-move piece blunder which did not go unnoticed by IM Vantika Agrawal (2388), prompting an immediate resignation.

IM Vantika Agrawal defeated WFM Lala Shohradova (TKM) easily to set up a clash against the 14th Women's World Champion - GM Anna Ushenina (UKR) | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Round 1 game 2 in progress | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

The official commentators - WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili (GEO) and GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili (GEO) | Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman

Round 1 Game 2 results

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty - IM Yuxin Song (CHN): 0-1

WIM Priyanka K - WGM Zsoka Gaal (HUN): 1-0

IM Vantika Agrawal🇮🇳 - WFM Lala Shohradova (TKM): 1-0

Lanlin Zhang (CHN) - IM Padmini Rout: 0-1

WGM Nandhidhaa P V - WIM Anahi Ortiz Verdezoto (ECU): 1-0

Details

Round 1 Tie-breaks

WIM Priyanka K - WGM Zsoka Gaal (HUN)

Round 2 pairings

GM Koneru Humpy - WIM FI Afruza Khamdamova (UZB)

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) - IM Padmini Rout

IM Divya Deshmukh - WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (GEO)

GM Anna Ushenina (UKR) - IM Vantika Agrawal

GM Harika Dronavalli - WGM Nandhidhaa P V

Watch Round 1 Game 2 live stream

Watch Round 1 Game 2 live commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili (GEO) and GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili (GEO) | Video: FIDE

Replay all Round 1 Game 2 battles

Prizes

The total prize fund is US$ 691250 which will be distributed among 107 players. The top three prizes are $50000, 35000 and 25000.

Links

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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