Last women's GP under way

The sixth and final stage of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014 will take place at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, (UAE) from the 24th of August until the 7th of September 2014. Over eleven rounds, twelve of the strongest women players in the world will compete in the round robin tournament with the standard FIDE time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 30 minutes being added at that point and an additional 30 seconds per move through the entire game.

The winner of the Grand Prix series will play a ten-game World Championship match with the Women’s World Champion; which will be determined during Women World Championship in the third quarter of 2015.

Grand Prix Standings

	Player	July 2014 Rating	Geneva	Dilijan	Tashkent	Khanty-Mansiysk	Lopota	Sharjah	Played	Best 3
1	Koneru Humpy (India)	2613		160	160		50	x	3	370
2	Hou Yifan (China)	2629	45			160	160	x	3	365
3	Anna Muzychuk (Slovenia)	2561	130	120		85	50		4	335
4	Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia)	2541	100	120		65	90		4	310
5	Bela Khotenashvili (Georgia)	2518	160	10	120		20		4	300
6	Kateryna Lahno (Russia)	2540	60		120	85			3	265
	Ju Wenjun (China)	2538	75		70		120	x	3	265
8	Dronavalli Harika (India)	2513		60	85		75	x	3	220
9	Olga Girya (Russia)	2493	10	30	55	130			4	215
	Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia)	2533	45		55	110	50		4	215
11	Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia)	2476	100	90		15		x	3	205
12	Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria)	2488		60	30	65	75		4	200
13	Anna Ushenina (Ukraine)	2488	75	80		45		x	3	200
14	Elina Danielian (Armenia)	2458		30	40		120	x	3	190
15	Zhao Xue (China)	2542			85	45	30	x	3	160
16	Batchimeg Tuvshintugs (Mongolia)	2346	20	60		15		x	3	95
17	Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania)	2525	30	30					2	60
	Nafisa Muminova (Uzbekistan)	2332			20	30	10	x	3	60
19	Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (Kazakhstan)	2300			10				1	10
20	Alina L'Ami (Romania)	2446						x	0	0
21	Zhu Chen (Qatar)	2461						x	0	0

As it is there are only two players that can win the Grand Prix series. Both Humpy and Hou Yifan have basically the same chance of winning it as the top three results are counted, and with both of them having one dismal result (Lopota for Humpy and Geneva for Hou Yifan) it is likely that it will be the player that places higher in this tournament that takes the title.

Opening Ceremony

The tournament is being held at the Sharjah Chess Club, estabilshed by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah, and it is currently the biggest chess club in the world with an area of 34,000 cubic feet and a hall that can accommodate over 500 players (though it will only accommodate a dozen this time around).

Ju Wenjun just before the opening ceremony

All the players, from left to right: Kosintseva (Tatiana), Muminova, Harika,
Hou Yifan, l'Ami, Ju Wenjun, Zhu Chen, Zhao Xue and Humpy

The hall is nothing short of beautiful

Local dancers preparing for their performance on stage

The ceremony was glamorous and appropiate for the conclusion of the Grand Prix series

Of course, the FIDE president could not miss this event

Tatiana Kosintseva in the drawing of lots

With the ceremony over, it was time to get into the action

The winner of the Grand Prix will be awarded a very precious trophy, which is crafted in silver and gold, encrusted with diamonds. The original design is developed by Lobortas Classic Jewelry House, the creator of the Large and Small “Caissa” trophies for FIDE.

The big and small cups will be presented during the opening ceremony of the sixth stage of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Sharjah. The Large trophy, presented to the winner at an annual ceremony, will have the winner’s name engraved on it and is to be stored at the FIDE headquarters. The small trophy, a reduced copy, will be handed over to the winner for permanent possession. For all subsequent victories, the years of winning seasons may be additionally engraved on the small trophy.

Round One

Zhu Chen 0-1 Zhao Xue
In an aproximately equal position Zhu Chen decided to sacrifice a pawn for some positional compensation, and she eventually regained the pawn though the game remained equal. However when the time came for Zhu Chen to simplify into a drawn endgame, she missed her chance and instead lost a pawn. Zhao Xue gradually converted her material advantage with superior play.

Ju Wenjun ½-½ Ushenina, Anna
The Chinese player's opening was more than questionable. The players agreed to a repetition on move 30, which suited Ju Wenjun just fine as she was the only one that could be slightly worse. Ushenina might have wanted to try at least a little harder in this position.

Danielian, Elina ½-½ Kosintseva, Tatiana
White did obtain an advantage somehow out of the opening. She converted this positional pressure into an extra pawn in the endgame, but the combination of Danielian's lacking technique and Kosintseva's superb defense made the game end in a draw.

Elina Danielian wasn't quite able to convert her advantage

Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg 1-0 Koneru Humpy
Humpy obtained the better chances when she won the two rooks for a queen. White's activity wasn't quite there to compensate the material deficit. However the Indian player slowly lost her way and in time trouble she blundered horribly, giving the Mongolian player an important round one victory.

Batchimeg "Chimy" Tuvshintugs has good reasons to smile today!

l'Ami, Alina 0-1 Dronavalli Harika
l'Ami's debut at the Grand Prix was less than successful, and this was mainly due to the bad pawn structure she obtained out of the opening. With no queens on the board and no way to create counterplay her hanging pawns were easy pickings for her opponent. Even though the win took some time, it was never in question.

In the big leagues! Everyone's favorite globetrotter
Alina l'Ami plays her first Grand Prix...

However Harika did not make it easy at all...

Muminova, Nafisa 0-1 Hou Yifan
The game followed a recent De la Riva-Giri game from the Olympiad, but once both players were on their own it seemed that Black improved her position with every move while White made it worse. By move 30 Black wasn't up material, but White's position was strategically hopeless.

Round One Games

Select from the dropdown menu to replay the games

Photos of the opening ceremony by A. Karlovich, of round 1 by M. Emelianova

Pairings and Schedule

Links Official tournament site All Games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.