The ballroom of Tbilisi's iconic Biltmore Hotel, typically a venue for balls and conferences, will transform into a battlefield where women's and world chess history will be made. All but one of the players was present on stage at the opening – Alexandra Kosteniuk was absent as her flight was delayed and she could not make it in time.

“Chess, Friends, and Love”

The night before, the grandees of the Georgian chess world gathered at the same venue for the official opening ceremony. Among the 70 distinguished guests were many notable figures from Georgian chess, as well as prominent public figures, officials from the Georgian government and FIDE officials, including five-time Women's World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, FIDE Secretary General Lukasz Turlej, FIDE Continental President for Europe Zurab Azmaiparashvili and FIDE Special Tasks Director Akaki Iashvili.

As the FIDE Official and Chair of the Appeal Committee Sava Stoisavljevic put it – “Georgia can be described in three words: chess, friends and love”, and the opening ceremony showed all three.

The hospitality extended by the Georgians was second to none. From the moment the players, officials, and special guests arrived in Georgia, they were treated like Hollywood stars—whisked into limousines straight from the airplane, with their passports and luggage handled for them, receiving true VIP treatment.

The opening ceremony continued in the same grand fashion. It was hosted by Giorgi Chanishvili, one of Georgia’s most famous sports journalists, also known as “the voice of Judo” in a country where the sport is incredibly popular. In fact, the ceremony began with the Georgian Chess Federation congratulating the Georgian Olympic squad, who—despite numbering only 28 athletes—achieved an outstanding feat at the Paris Olympics by winning three golds, three silvers, and one bronze medal, surpassing many larger nations and marking one of the greatest sporting successes in Georgia’s history.

Akaki Iashvili opened the ceremony and greeted all the participants.

"We all know that Georgian chess is rich in tradition. I believe the Georgian Chess Federation and FIDE will implement the highest level of the event. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the foreign participants who arrived in our beautiful city, the capital of Georgia," he said.

Nona Gapridashvili and Zurab Azmaiparashvili expressed similar sentiments in their short speeches.

Then FIDE Secretary General Lukas Turey took the stage: "It is a wonderful opportunity to be here in Georgia. The Georgian Chess Federation is one of the strongest partners of FIDE. It has an amazing history of many successful events, and I am sure this one will be no exception."

After the performance of the Georgian national anthem, the participants were invited to the stage to receive memorable gifts.

There is no better place than Georgia to launch the new season of the Women's Grand Prix. As the birthplace of chess legends like former Women's World Champions Nona Gaprindashvili (the first woman to be awarded the title of Grandmaster) and Maia Chiburdanidze, as well as three-time Soviet Women's Champion Nana Alexandria, Georgia holds a revered place in chess history. The country continues to produce world-class talent, including Nana Dzagnidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Lela Javakhishvili, and Bella Khotenashvili, making it a fitting host for this landmark event.

The tournament in Tbilisi, a ten-player round-robin, is taking place at the luxurious Biltmore Tbilisi Hotel 2 the first glass skyscraper in Georgia and the highest hotel in the Caucasus Region. This inaugural event is a good mix of local players, talented youngsters and experienced GMs, including two former Women's World Champions — Alexandra Kosteniuk, winner of the Munich leg in the 2022/23 series, and Mariya Muzychuk.

The first round started on Thursday, 3 PM local time. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

Round 1 pairings:

Kashlinskaya, Alina - Kosteniuk, Alexandra
Muzychuk, Anna - Muzychuk, Mariya
Dzagnidze, Nana - Javakhishvili, Lela
Assaubayeva, Bibisara - Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat
Tsolakidou, Stavroula - Vaishali, Rameshbabu

Photos: Anna Shtourman

Official website: womengrandprix.fide.com