Valentina Gunina takes lead in Grand Prix

by André Schulz

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5/3/2016 – Valentina Gunina won the Women's Grand Prix tournament in Batumi and now is first in the overall Grand Prix 2015-2016 standings. Gunina has the same number of points as Nana Dzagnidze but has played one tournament less. Women's World Champion Hou Yifan withdrew from the Grand Prix because she is dissatisfied with the current World Championship format.

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Things were quiet during the last round of the Women's Grand Prix in Batumi

With a strong finish and a streak of wins Valentina Gunina won the Women's Grand Prix in Batumi with one round to go. Maybe that was one reason why most of the games of the eleventh and last round ended with a draw. The only decisive game was the encounter between Alexandra Kosteniuk and Zhao Xue. Kosteniuk won to finish second in the tournament and gain additional Grand Prix points.

Tournament winner Valentina Gunina

Alexandra Kosteniuk won silver

Results of the 11. and last round

Round 11 on 2016/05/02 at 11:00
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	0-1	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	½-½	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	½-½	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	½-½	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	½-½	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	½-½	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1

All Games

Final standings

After three of the five Grand Prix tournaments in the 2015/2016 series are over, Valentina Gunina, who won 160 points in Batumi, caught up to Nana Dzagnidze. Alexandra Kosteniuk pulled ahead of Humpy Koneru. Women's World Champion Hou Yifan, who convincingly won the first Grand Prix, withdrew from the series.

Standings of the Grand Prix series 2015/2016

Source: Wikipedia

Impressions from Batumi

Eteri Kublashvili found time between the rounds to catch impressions from Batumi. The weather was rainy but the place remained beautiful.

Rain in Batumi

Magnificent buildings...

... with colorful roofs

Georgian churches

The slightly faded grandeur of the "Gründerzeit"

Fashionable hotels

Reminiscences to ancient times

The boats are waiting to get to water

The harbor

Pictures: Eteri Kublashvili

Schedule and results

Round 1 on 2016/04/20 at 15:00
Sd	Title	Name	Rtg	Res.	Title	Name	Rtg	Sd
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1-0	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	½-½	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	½-½	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	0-1	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	½-½	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
Round 2 on 2016/04/21 at 15:00
12	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	½-½	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	1-0	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	6
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	0-1	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	0-1	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	½-½	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1-0	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
Round 3 on 2016/04/22 at 15:00
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	1-0	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	½-½	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	1-0	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	½-½	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	1-0	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
Round 4 on 2016/04/23 at 15:00
12	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	1-0	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	1-0	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	½-½	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	6
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	1-0	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	½-½	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
Round 5 on 2016/04/25 at 15:00
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	½-½	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	1-0	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	1-0	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	1-0	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	½-½	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	1-0	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
Round 6 on 2016/04/26 at 15:00
12	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	1-0	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	1-0	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	1-0	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	0-1	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	6
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	1-0	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
Round 7 on 2016/04/27 at 15:00
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	½-½	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	1-0	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	1-0	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	1-0	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	0-1	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	1-0	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
Round 8 on 2016/04/28 at 15:00
12	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	½-½	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	½-½	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	½-½	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	1-0	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	6
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	½-½	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
Round 9 on 2016/04/30 at 15:00
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	1-0	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	1-0	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	1-0	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	½-½	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	0-1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	1-0	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
Round 10 on 2016/05/01 at 15:00
12	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	1-0	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	11
1	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	½-½	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	10
2	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	½-½	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	9
3	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	½-½	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	8
4	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	½-½	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	7
5	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	1-0	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	6
Round 11 on 2016/05/02 at 11:00
6	GM	Zhao Xue	2504	0-1	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	2557	12
7	IM	Batsiashvili Nino	2476	½-½	GM	Gunina Valentina	2497	5
8	WGM	Girya Olga	2442	½-½	IM	Skripchenko Almira	2453	4
9	GM	Danielian Elina	2445	½-½	GM	Muzychyk Anna	2555	3
10	GM	Muzychuk Mariya	2561	½-½	GM	Khotenashvili Bela	2493	2
11	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	2535	½-½	IM	Javakhishvili Lela	2489	1

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Topics: Batumi, Women's Grand Prix

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Rules for reader comments

ff2017 5/5/2016 08:10

@danilo botoy The Women's World Championship title, unlike the men's, has an expiration date. Hou Yifan will lose the title when the next women's world champion is crowned on the winner of the World Championship Knockout tournament. To qualify for the match against the winner of the knockout championship, you need to win the Grand prix.

thirteen 5/5/2016 10:25

Yes, like so many others on here, I think that Hou Yifan deserves more than one sentence to explain her absence. Her withdrawal and indeed her opinion, as World Champion should be counting for something.

danilo botoy 5/4/2016 02:15

why hou,yifan need to win grand prix? so that if she win it, she fight for herself? she's the current world champ, she should exclude the tournament because she's the defending champion. please explain

thlai80 5/4/2016 07:17

Finally, Hou Yifan did the right thing by excusing herself from the joke of Women's GP. Judit had already seen through this many years ago, just follow her path to the top.

ff2017 5/4/2016 04:17

Now that Hou Yifan has withdrawn, it seems to me Ju Wenjun is by far the clear favorite to win the overall Grand Prix!

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Valentina Gunina takes lead in Grand Prix

Results of the 11. and last round

All Games

Final standings

Standings of the Grand Prix series 2015/2016

Impressions from Batumi

Schedule and results

Links

See also

Dvorkovich curries favour with the players

See also

Olympic highlights: a brilliancy in round 4

Video

Play the Exchange Variation against the Caro-Kann

Discuss

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