Women's Grand Prix in Shymkent: First impressions

by Josefine Heinemann
10/30/2024 – The Kazakh city of Shymkent is the venue for the second Women's Grand Prix Tournament of the current Grand Prix series 2024-25. FIDE has changed the format of this series and involved more female players. The top two players in the series qualify for the next Women's Candidates Tournament. Josefine Heinemann reports from the venue.

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The second stage of this year's Women's Grand Prix will be played in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from 30 October to 8 November. But the FIDE changed the format of the Grand Prix series: Unlike previous years, 20 players will play three of the six tournaments instead of 16 players playing three of four tournaments. Ten players will compete in each tournament in a round robin format. Depending on their placing in the tournament, players receive Grand Prix points, which are added up at the end of the Grand Prix season. The two players with the most points qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

The first Grand Prix tournament in Tbilisi took place in August and was won by substitute player Alina Kashlinskaya. She will not play in any further tournaments and therefore has little chance of qualifying. However, the silver and bronze medallists of the first Grand Prix – Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou – have a better chance. They are also competing in Shymkent and will certainly want to confirm their good position.

Elisabeth Pähtz received the wild card for Monaco because she has been loyal to the Cercle d'Échecs de Monte Carlo for many years. This is the second consecutive Grand Prix cycle in which she has competed.

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The tournament is being held at the Rixos Hotel in the centre of Shymkent. Even before the start of the tournament, it is clear that the organisation is excellent. All the players were met directly upon arrival and given priority at passport control. The rooms are well equipped and the food in the hotel is delicious. There is also a large swimming pool and a gym where the players can let off steam after their rounds or just do some exercise.

The opening ceremony took place on Tuesday evening, when FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich officially opened the tournament.

The guests were treated to a lavish three-course meal and free drinks.

The first round starts on Wednesday at 15.00 (11.00 CET, 6.00 EDT).

Schedule and pairings

Round 1 on 2024/10/30 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 1 FID 2527
GM Lagno, Kateryna GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra
FID 2533 10
2 2 IND 2501
IM Divya, Deshmukh GM Koneru, Humpy
IND 2530 9
3 3 CHN 2551
GM Tan, Zhongyi GM Paehtz, Elisabeth
GER 2458 8
4 4 MGL 2344
IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE 2439 7
5 5 BUL 2405
IM Salimova, Nurgyul IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara
KAZ 2487 6
Round 2 on 2024/10/31 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 10 FID 2533
GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara
KAZ 2487 6
2 7 GRE 2439
IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula IM Salimova, Nurgyul
BUL 2405 5
3 8 GER 2458
GM Paehtz, Elisabeth IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag
MGL 2344 4
4 9 IND 2530
GM Koneru, Humpy GM Tan, Zhongyi
CHN 2551 3
5 1 FID 2527
GM Lagno, Kateryna IM Divya, Deshmukh
IND 2501 2
Round 3 on 2024/11/01 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 2 IND 2501
IM Divya, Deshmukh GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra
FID 2533 10
2 3 CHN 2551
GM Tan, Zhongyi GM Lagno, Kateryna
FID 2527 1
3 4 MGL 2344
IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag GM Koneru, Humpy
IND 2530 9
4 5 BUL 2405
IM Salimova, Nurgyul GM Paehtz, Elisabeth
GER 2458 8
5 6 KAZ 2487
IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE 2439 7
Round 4 on 2024/11/02 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 10 FID 2533
GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE 2439 7
2 8 GER 2458
GM Paehtz, Elisabeth IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara
KAZ 2487 6
3 9 IND 2530
GM Koneru, Humpy IM Salimova, Nurgyul
BUL 2405 5
4 1 FID 2527
GM Lagno, Kateryna IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag
MGL 2344 4
5 2 IND 2501
IM Divya, Deshmukh GM Tan, Zhongyi
CHN 2551 3
Round 5 on 2024/11/03 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 3 CHN 2551
GM Tan, Zhongyi GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra
FID 2533 10
2 4 MGL 2344
IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag IM Divya, Deshmukh
IND 2501 2
3 5 BUL 2405
IM Salimova, Nurgyul GM Lagno, Kateryna
FID 2527 1
4 6 KAZ 2487
IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara GM Koneru, Humpy
IND 2530 9
5 7 GRE 2439
IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula GM Paehtz, Elisabeth
GER 2458 8
Round 6 on 2024/11/05 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 10 FID 2533
GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra GM Paehtz, Elisabeth
GER 2458 8
2 9 IND 2530
GM Koneru, Humpy IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE 2439 7
3 1 FID 2527
GM Lagno, Kateryna IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara
KAZ 2487 6
4 2 IND 2501
IM Divya, Deshmukh IM Salimova, Nurgyul
BUL 2405 5
5 3 CHN 2551
GM Tan, Zhongyi IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag
MGL 2344 4
Round 7 on 2024/11/06 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 4 MGL 2344
IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra
FID 2533 10
2 5 BUL 2405
IM Salimova, Nurgyul GM Tan, Zhongyi
CHN 2551 3
3 6 KAZ 2487
IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM Divya, Deshmukh
IND 2501 2
4 7 GRE 2439
IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula GM Lagno, Kateryna
FID 2527 1
5 8 GER 2458
GM Paehtz, Elisabeth GM Koneru, Humpy
IND 2530 9
Round 8 on 2024/11/07 at 15:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 10 FID 2533
GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra GM Koneru, Humpy
IND 2530 9
2 1 FID 2527
GM Lagno, Kateryna GM Paehtz, Elisabeth
GER 2458 8
3 2 IND 2501
IM Divya, Deshmukh IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula
GRE 2439 7
4 3 CHN 2551
GM Tan, Zhongyi IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara
KAZ 2487 6
5 4 MGL 2344
IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag IM Salimova, Nurgyul
BUL 2405 5
Round 9 on 2024/11/08 at 13:00
Bo. No. FED Rtg White Result Black FED Rtg No.
1 5 BUL 2405
IM Salimova, Nurgyul GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra
FID 2533 10
2 6 KAZ 2487
IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM Munguntuul, Batkhuyag
MGL 2344 4
3 7 GRE 2439
IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula GM Tan, Zhongyi
CHN 2551 3
4 8 GER 2458
GM Paehtz, Elisabeth IM Divya, Deshmukh
IND 2501 2
5 9 IND 2530
GM Koneru, Humpy GM Lagno, Kateryna
FID 2527 1

Links

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Topics: FIDE Women's Grand Prix, Women's Grand Prix Shymkent
Josefine Heinemann is one of the best German chess players and a multiple national player. In 2015, she became German U18 champion and came 5th at the Girls' World Championship. In 2016, she came tenth at the U18 Girls' World Championship. She plays in several leagues. In the women's national league, Josefine Heinemann won the championship title with Baden-Baden in 2018. She won the Mitropa Cup with the German women's national team in 2016. In 2021, she was the best German player at the European Women's Team Championship. Josefine Heinemann is a student of business mathematics at the University of Mannheim. | Photo: Gerhard Hund
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