Women's Grand Prix starts in Geneva

World's best women players get together in Geneva
for the Fondation Neva Women's Grand Prix

The Neva Foundation in partnership with the Internation Chess Federation (FIDE) has organised the first leg of the official Women's Grand Prix series for the first time in Geneva. From May 3 to May 15, twelve of the best women players featuring current Women World Champion Anna Ushenina from Ukraine, will confront each other at the N'vY Manotel. The tournament is an eleven-round all-play-all at classical time controls. The participants are:

Average rating: 2511

Opening ceremony

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, sponsor Elena Timtchenko and the sixth Women's World Champion GM Nona Gaprindashvili, who dominated women's chess for a long time in the Soviet era

The Neva Foundation
For over fifteen years, Elena and Gennady Timtchenko have been actively and personally engaged in philanthropic activities. In order to better manage the growing complexity of these projects, they created three foundations, among which the Neva Foundation established in Geneva in 2008. Its core mission is to strengthen historical ties between Switzerland and Russia, two nations which share many common values and the same classical culture. By supporting projects promoting excellence in the field of culture, science and sport, the Neva Foundation is helping to promote the Russian cultural diversity among the Swiss, to multiply exchanges between the two countries and to encourage their connection. Since 2013 the Neva Foundation extends its partnerships to France.

Regarding future Women Grand Prix events Ilyumzhinov said: "This year we will have another two tournaments. The next one is in Dilijan, Armenia. They are excellent hosts and have shown that under the President of the country and the Federation, H.E. Serge Sargissian, they are committed to supporting FIDE and the Women Grand Prix series. After this we will go to Tashkent, Uzbekistan and we will have the second event in a space of twelve months. The Grand Prix in 2012 had excellent organisation and we expect another superlative event this year."

And perhaps more interestingly: "Today I can officially confirm that the next Men's Grand Prix will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece between the 21st of May and 4th of June 2013. The location will be the luxurious five-star Makedonia Palace Hotel in downtown Salonika. This could happen thanks to the active support of the well known philanthropist Ivan Savvidi."

Group photo: Anna Muzychuk, Viktorija Cmilyte, Hou Yifan, Bela Khotenashvili, Anna Ushenina, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Elena Timtchenko, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nana Dzagnidze, Kateryna Lagno, Tuvshintugs Batchimeg, Ju Wenjun, Olga Girya and Tatiana Kosintseva

The drawing of colours – here acutally quite literally – was conducted with Swatch watches

The numbers were on the back: Tatiana Kosintseva got the two

Ukrainian GM Anna Ushenina, current Women's World Champion...

... will be challenged later this year by former Women's World Champion Hou Yifan,
above with her mother Wang Qian (left) and second seed Anna Muzychuk (right)

Round one report

The playing hall, before the start of round one

Elena Timtchenko ceremonially executes the first move of the game Kosinseva-Hou Yifan

Top Chinese female and world number two: GM Hou Yifan

IM Bela Khotenashvili of Georgia scored a fine 37-move win over...

... Chinese WGM Ju Wenjun, rated 40 points above her

Second seed GM Anna Muzychuk defeated WGM Olga Girya in the first round

GM Anna Ushenina, 2491, playing WGM Tuvshintugs Batchimeg: draw

Third seed GM Kateryna Lagno, Ukraine, rated 2548, drew ...

... sixth seed GM Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania, rated 2522

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russia, 2491 vs GM Nana Dzagnidze, Georgia, 2545: ½-½

Former Women's World Champion and "Chess Queen"© Alexandra Kosteniuk

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Information and photos supplied by FIDE Press Officer Anastasiya Karlovich

Schedule and results

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.