Chess Base

• World Cup: Esipenko beats Yakubboev

  The final stage of the FIDE World Cup began in Goa on Tuesday, with Wei Yi and Javokhir Sindarov opening their title match and Andrey Esipenko and Nodirbek Yakubboev starting their fight for the last remaining Candidates spot. Both encounters produced entertaining struggles: Wei pressed slightly in a Petroff Defence before the game was drawn, while Esipenko responded to his painful semifinal exit with a confident win to take the lead in the third-place match. | Photo: Michal Walusza

• Simul with Elisabeth Pähtz at the Stavenhagenhaus

  On 15 November, the Stavenhagenhaus, a splendid early 18th-century manor house in Hamburg, Germany, hosted a special event. The local community had invited Germany’s top female player and only woman GM, Elisabeth Pähtz, for a simul. Pähtz offered an engaging chess lesson and then won her simul against 20 opponents. | Photos: Uwe Schröder

• World Women's Team Championship: A convincing victory for FIDE Team

  Russia, competing as the FIDE team, claimed gold at the World Women's Team Championship in Linares, capping an unbeaten run that carried them through both the pool stage and knockout rounds without requiring a single tiebreak. Azerbaijan finished second after an impressive campaign, while China secured bronze by defeating Kazakhstan. The event featured a standout individual performance from Polina Shuvalova, who scored an exceptional 9½/10 on board three for the champions. | Photo: Pavel Dvorkovich