MOSCOW, Sep 20 Russian Alexandra Goryachkina defeated Poland's Alina Kashlinskaya in the third round of the first stage of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Grand Prix series, which takes place in Astana. The game in which Goryachkina played with black pieces ended after the 97th move. In another game, Russian Ekaterina Lahno defeated compatriot Polina Shuvalova with white pieces, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Chinese player Tan Zhongyi with black pieces. Goryachkina single-handedly topped the tournament table, gaining 2.5 points in three rounds. Lahno shares the second place with two chess players (2 points each), Kosteniuk and three other participants have 1.5 points each, Shuvalova and two other chess players have one point each. The fourth round will take place on Wednesday. The Grand Prix stage in Astana will end on September 29. The two best chess players in the series, which consists of four stages, will ensure their participation in the FIDE Candidates Tournament.
