Nino Batsiashvili claims third Georgian Women's Chess Championship title

Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili claimed her third title in the 77th edition of the Georgian Women's Chess Championship, the first post-lockdown competition of the local chess scene.

Batsiashvili earned the champion's honours after finishing the contest with 7,0 points, half a point ahead of Meri Arabidze and Bella Khotenashvili.

The new champion, who took the ultimate prize among women in the European Online Chess Championship in June, scored a draw with Khotenashvili in round nine of the championship after taking six wins in previous rounds, along with a draw and a loss.

We had not played [in a live environment] for a long time, and this tournament proved a challenge for everyone. I spent a long time preparing for this event, and this showed in fixtures where I played with advantage," the new champion told reporters.

The first post-lockdown chess competition saw 10 women enter for the ultimate prize. Photo via Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.

The title for Batsiashvili came with a 10,000 GEL money prize, with podium finishers also awarded. In her reaction to the win the Grandmaster said the competition proved a challenge in the post-lockdown reality.

The championship saw 10 women involved in matches at the Nona Gaprindashvili Chess Palace in Tbilisi's Vere Park recreational area.

The nine-round event was one of the first sporting competitions held following the lockdown in Georgia, with games broadcast live online, with accompanying commentary from chess fans.

Matches and their results of the 77th competition are now available for viewing at chessbase.com website.