Nurgyul Salimova Secures Draw Against Leader Tan Zhongyi in Candidates Tournament

During the match at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Nurgyul Salimova, the 20-year-old Bulgarian chess player secured a draw against former world champion Tan Zhongyi of China in the fifth round. With the black pieces, Salimova displayed remarkable composure, earning her third draw of the competition and accumulating 2.5 points overall.

In a strategic move, Salimova deviated from her previous gameplay with the Russian defense and opted for the Caro-Kann Defense against Tan. This tactical decision paid dividends, as the Chinese grandmaster struggled to capitalize on her advantage with the white pieces. The game quickly reached an equilibrium as both players exchanged pieces, leading to a rook endgame with an equal number of pawns by the 37th move.

Despite Tan's efforts, the match ultimately ended in a draw on the 58th move, demonstrating Salimova's resilience and tactical prowess.

Meanwhile, the remaining three games in the women's round also ended without a decisive outcome.

As the tournament progresses, Tan maintains her lead in the standings with 3.5 points after five rounds, closely followed by Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia with 3 points. Salimova shares the third position with Katerina Lagno of Russia and Vaishali Rameshbabu of India, each accumulating 2.5 points. Humpy Koneru of India, Lei Tingjie of China, and Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine trail behind with 2 points each.

In the upcoming sixth round, Salimova is set to face off against Goryachkina, marking a rematch of their encounter in the World Cup final last year, which Goryachkina won after a tiebreak.

The ultimate victor of the Candidates Tournament will earn the opportunity to compete for the world title against reigning champion Ju Wenjun of China.

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