The 2025 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship has a pair of leaders after three rounds, with IM Nazi Paikidze and IM Anna Sargsyan both finishing the day with 2.5/3 points.
The race for the national title intensified with a blend of brilliant finishes and marathon draws, shifting the dynamic at the top of the standings.
Two-time U.S. Women’s Champion IM Nazi Paikidze secured the decisive victory of the day, earning a full point against veteran IM Tatev Abrahamyan. Paikidze, playing with the White pieces, systematically built a crushing attack.
The game concluded after just 32 moves in a display of tactical efficiency. Paikidze had secured a position leading to a forced checkmate in five moves. Recognising the inevitable loss, Abrahamyan played a continuation that immediately allowed Paikidze to deliver the spectacular final blow: Qh8#. The stunning victory propelled Paikidze into the shared lead. It is interesting to note that Abrahamyan did not attempt to delay the checkmate and took the fall gracefully,
Sharing the top spot is IM Anna Sargsyan, though her path to 2.5/3 was a different kind of epic. She drew her game with WGM Jennifer Yu in a marathon that lasted a whopping 97 moves.
The game was a brutal, extended duel where neither player gave an inch. According to the engine analysis, both Sargsyan and Yu achieved an identical and exceptionally high accuracy of 92.8%, a truly rare event at the elite level. This 97-move, razor-sharp draw stands as a powerful testament to the defensive and offensive capabilities of both players.
