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By Milan Dinic, FIDE's Press Officer
The final tournament of the 2024/2025 Women's Grand Prix opened in Grosslobming with polka music, Austrian wine, and players dressed in traditional clothing.
It is not often that an elite chess tournament takes place in the grounds of a small castle and that the opening ceremony starts with a brass band, fine wine and players wearing local traditional dresses. But in Grosslobming, Austria, the final leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix began with exactly that.
Michael Stöttinger, the mastermind of the event and the president of the Austrian Chess Federation, was determined to have an opening that reflected the precision and flair often associated with the German-speaking country: creative, measured, well-planned and meticulously executed.
As guests toasted "Prost!" the Kleinlobming Music Association struck up polkas and Styrian folk songs. The southern state of Styria, often called Austria's "Green Heart", stretches from the Alps to the sunlit hills near the Slovenian border and is famed for its crisp white wines.
Michael Stöttinger said:
This is a great event for Austria and for women's chess, and we are delighted to be the hosts. This is the first major event we're organising as we want to bring chess closer to the Austrian public and do more to promote the game.
He also made a point about the link between promoting chess in general and women's chess in particular:
If you make an advertisement for women's chess, it's like making an advertisement for Coca-Cola Light. You always transport open chess [into it]. This was also one of the reasons why we asked to organise a women's chess event, and I'm very grateful to FIDE for their trust.
A colourful opening ceremony | Photo: Przemysław Nikiel
Speaking on behalf of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the delegate Sava Stoisavljevic welcomed the players and reflected on the 2024/25 Grand Prix season:
As one of several women in senior positions within FIDE, I am pleased to see the organisation recognising the importance of women's chess and offering greater support and visibility to women players. But – speaking also as a woman – I know there is still work to be done. Over the past ten months, the Women's Grand Prix has travelled the world, promoting chess but also highlighting the vital role women play in our sport. From Georgia to Kazakhstan, Monaco, Cyprus and India, the presence and performance of these players have powerfully underscored their impact at the highest levels of chess.
Alexandra Kosteniuk, Pavel Tregubov (Kosteniuk's husband), Sava Stoisavljevic and Lela Javakhishvili | Photo: Przemysław Nikiel
The tournament is being held in the southern Austrian municipality of Grosslobming, on the grounds of a 19th-century manor near the Red Bull Ring Formula One circuit.
The final, sixth leg of the Women's Grand Prix will determine not only the winner of the series but also the top two qualifiers for the 2026 Women’s Candidates.
The first round starts on Tuesday, May 6 at 3 PM local time.
Photo: Przemysław Nikiel
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