European Women Chess Championship Round 3

European Women Chess Championship 2025 – Round 3 Recap After three intense rounds, we have three players maintaining a perfect score of 3/3. The battles on the top boards produced some fascinating encounters, with upsets and dominant performances shaping the standings.

Key Results from Round 3:

Board 4: IM Mai Narva defeated WGM Josefine Heinemann.
Board 6: IM Eline Roebers outplayed WGM Yao Lan.
Board 8: In the biggest surprise of the round, WFM Anastasia Kirtadze triumphed over her higher-rated compatriot, IM Lela Javakhishvili.

Notable Games

Board 1: Bela Khotenashvili vs. Marina Brunello

It appears to be an equal position, with Black focusing on the h1-a8 diagonal and all the pieces optimally positioned.

Black has a way to gain an advantage—can you spot it?

Khotenashvili, Bella2411

Brunello, Marina2325

Round 3: Khotenashvili, Bella - Brunello, Marina3.1

April 2, 2025

21.Kh2Rc421…d4!22.Bxd4Rg523.Bxf623.hxg5Ng4+24.Kg1Qh1#23…Rxg624.Bxe7Rf7−+22.f3Bc823.Qd3Nd724.Bd4Bf625.Bxf6Nxf626.Qe3Re827.Qe5Nd728.Qh5Nf629.Qe5Nd730.Qh5Nf631.Qe5½–½

WFM Anastasia Kirtadze vs. IM Lela Javakhishvili

Kirtadze, Anastasia2153

Javakhishvili, Lela2426

Round 3: Kirtadze, Anastasia - Javakhishvili, Lela3.8

April 2, 2025 –

18.bxa6O-O?18…Qxg219.Qa4+Kd820.Rf1Bh421.a7Ke722.a8=QRxa823.Qxa8e319.O-OQxd520.Qxd5Rxd521.b4Rd422.Rab1d523.Rfd1Rxb424.Rxb4Bxb425.Nb5f526.a7Ba527.Rxd5f428.Kf1Rc829.Rc5Rd830.Nd6Bb631.Rc81–0

The game that stole the show was Kirtadze’s victory over Javakhishvili. The young WFM played fearlessly, handling the complexities of the middlegame brilliantly before converting her advantage in style. With this win, she maintains a perfect score, having already defeated two IMs and a WGM. Her tournament performance rating currently stands at an astonishing 3203!

Looking ahead, Kirtadze will now take on IM Mai Narva on board one. It will be fascinating to see if she can continue her dream run against another strong opponent.

Interesting Endgames from Round 3

Bulmaga – Zherebtsova

Endgames can be tricky, often leaving you with only a single winning move.

White has two seemingly winning options: Kg6 and g4. Which one is the correct move?

Bulmaga, Irina2377

Zherebtsova, Alexandra2234

Round 3: Bulmaga, Irina - Zherebtsova, Alexandra3.7

April 2, 2025

67…Kc368.g4?68.Kg6Kd469.Kxh5Ke570.Kg6+−68…Kd4!69.Kg5hxg470.fxg4Ke571.Kg6Bc2+72.Kh6Kf673.h5Kf774.g5Kg875.g6Bd376.Kg5Bc277.h6Bxg6½–½

Savina – Gaboyan

Here’s another interesting endgame—White has two passed pawns, and promotion seems straightforward. However, only one move secures the win.

What is White’s only winning move?

Savina, Anastasia2331

Gaboyan, Susanna2200

Round 3: Savina, Anastasia - Gaboyan, Susanna3.21

April 2, 2025

58…Bc459.Kxc659.e7+Ke860.Kc7!White doesn't take the pawn on c6 and goes to help the a-pawn promote.60.Kxc6Kxe761.Kb6Kd7=60…Kxe761.Kb6Kd762.a6Bxa663.Kxa6Ke664.Kb7Kd565.Kb6Ke666.Kxc6+−59…Bxe6??Black missed a chance to make a draw59…Ke7!60.Kb6Kxe661.c6Kd662.c7Kd7=60.a6Bg461.Kb61–0

The fourth round promises more thrilling matchups, with Kirtadze vs. Narva headlining the action. Stay tuned for more coverage as the European Women Championship continues to unfold!

You can follow the games here: live

Find the updates of the previous rounds of European Women Chess Championship here