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FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009-11

The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009-11 was a series of six chess tournaments exclusively for women, which formed part of the qualification cycle for the Women's World Chess Championship 2011. The winner of the Grand Prix (the one with most Grand Prix points) was to challenge Hou Yifan - the 2010 world champion in the third quarter of 2011. As Hou Yifan also won the Grand Prix, Koneru Humpy as the runner-up qualified for the championship match.

The final tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Santiago de Chile starting on October 23, 2010. However, due to problems with financing, the host was replaced and the final tournament was then played in Doha, Qatar.

Format

Eighteen of the top female players in the world were to be selected to compete in these tournaments. Each player would contract to participate in exactly 4 of these tournaments. Players must rank their preference of tournaments once the final list of host cities was announced and the dates allocated to each host city.

Each tournament was staged as a 12-player, single round-robin tournament. In each round players scored 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw and 0 for a loss. Grand prix points were then allocated according to each player's standing in the tournament: 160 points for first place, 130 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points for places four to twelve (decreasing by 10 points for each place). Grand Prix points were split between players on equal tournament points.

Players only counted their best three tournament results in the overall standings. The player with the most total grand prix points for those three tournaments was the winner.

Players and qualification

The 18 players qualified were:

The four players who declined to participate were replaced by the following reserves (on rating): Antoaneta Stefanova, Tatiana Kosintseva, Maia Chiburdanidze, and Xu Yuhua. Although Santiago was replaced as host city by Doha, their nominee Fierro was allowed to stay in the series.

Mamedyarova was excluded from the series after the first tournament in Istanbul and replaced by Baira Kovanova due to change of host city to Nalchik. Kosintseva was unable to play in Nanjing and reserve Ju Wenjun took her place in that tournament.

Tie-breaks

With the objective of determining a clear, single winner to play in the championship match in the case that two or more players had equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria (in descending order) would be utilized to decide the overall winner:

  1. The fourth result not already in the top three performances
  2. The number of actual game points scored in the four tournaments
  3. The number of first-place finishes
  4. The number of second-place finishes
  5. The number of won games
  6. Drawing of lots

Prize money and Grand Prix points

The prize fund was €40,000 per Grand Prix event and €60,000 for the overall Grand Prix placement.

Place Single Grand Prix event Overall standings Grand Prix points
1 €6,500 €15,000 160
2 €4,750 €10,000 130
3 €4,000 €8,000 110
4 €3,750 €7,000 90
5 €3,500 €6,000 80
6 €3,250 €5,000 70
7 €3,000 €4,000 60
8 €2,750 €3,000 50
9 €2,500 €2,000 40
10 €2,250 - 30
11 €2,000 - 20
12 €1,750 - 10

Results

The six tournaments were:

  1. Istanbul, Turkey, March 7-19, 2009
  2. Nanjing, China, September 28-October 10, 2009
  3. Nalchik, Russia, April 26-May 7, 2010
  4. Jermuk, Armenia, June 24-July 5, 2010
  5. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, July 30-August 11, 2010
  6. Doha, Qatar, February 23-March 5, 2011

Events crosstables

Istanbul, March 2009
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Koneru Humpy 2621 - 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 8½
2 Elina Danielian 2496 0 - ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 8 40.25
3 Hou Yifan 2571 1 ½ - 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 8 39.75
4 Zhao Xue 2508 ½ 0 1 - 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 7½
5 Marie Sebag 2529 0 0 ½ 1 - ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 6
6 Pia Cramling 2548 0 ½ 0 0 ½ - 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 5½ 22.75
7 Martha Fierro 2403 0 0 0 0 0 1 - ½ 1 1 1 1 5½ 20.00
8 Antoaneta Stefanova 2557 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ - ½ ½ 1 1 5 20.75
9 Maia Chiburdanidze 2516 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ - 1 1 1 5 20.25
10 Shen Yang 2448 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 - 0 0 2½ 17.75
11 Zeinab Mamedyarova 2362 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 - ½ 2½ 10.25
12 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2214 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ - 2
Nanjing, September-October 2009
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Xu Yuhua 2485 - 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 8
2 Nana Dzagnidze 2535 1 - ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 7½
3 Zhao Xue 2542 ½ ½ - 1 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 7
4 Marie Sebag 2519 ½ 1 0 - ½ 1 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 6½ 33.25
5 Lilit Mkrtchian 2468 0 ½ 1 ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6½ 30.75
6 Ju Wenjun 2443 0 0 1 0 ½ - 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 6½ 29.50
7 Shen Yang 2453 0 1 0 1 ½ 0 - ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 6
8 Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2418 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ - ½ 0 1 1 5½ 20.75
9 Baira Kovanova 2408 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ - 0 ½ 1 5
10 Zhu Chen 2488 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 - ½ 1 4½
11 Martha Fierro 2386 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ - 0 2
12 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2224 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ - 1
Nalchik, April 2010
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Tatiana Kosintseva 2536 - 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 9
2 Hou Yifan 2585 0 - 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7½
3 Nana Dzagnidze 2535 0 1 - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 33.25
4 Pia Cramling 2535 0 ½ ½ - ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 32.25
5 Koneru Humpy 2595 ½ ½ ½ ½ - 0 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 5½ 26.75
6 Zhu Chen 2488 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 - 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 5½ 26.75
7 Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2418 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 - 0 1 0 ½ 1 5½ 25.75
8 Zhao Xue 2542 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 - 0 0 0 1 5 26.75
9 Lilit Mkrtchian 2468 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 - 1 1 ½ 5 24.00
10 Baira Kovanova 2408 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 - 1 1 5 20.00
11 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2224 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 - ½ 2½
12 Elina Danielian 2489 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ - 1½
Jermuk, June-July 2010
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Nana Dzagnidze 2535 - 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 9
2 Tatiana Kosintseva 2536 0 - 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7½
3 Elina Danielian 2489 0 1 - ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 6½ 32.25
4 Lilit Mkrtchian 2468 0 ½ ½ - 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 6½ 30.50
5 Antoaneta Stefanova 2527 0 ½ 1 0 - 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 6½ 30.00
6 Hou Yifan 2585 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 - 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 6
7 Pia Cramling 2535 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 - ½ 0 ½ 1 1 5½ 27.25
8 Shen Yang 2453 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ - ½ ½ 1 1 5½ 25.25
9 Maia Chiburdanidze 2506 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ - 1 ½ 1 4½
10 Xu Yuhua 2485 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 - 1 0 4
11 Baira Kovanova 2408 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 - 1 3
12 Martha Fierro 2386 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1½
Ulaanbaatar, July-August 2010
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Hou Yifan 2585 - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 8
2 Antoaneta Stefanova 2527 ½ - 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 7½
3 Koneru Humpy 2595 ½ 1 - 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 ½ 6½ 36.00
4 Zhao Xue 2542 ½ 1 1 - 0 1 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 6½ 34.75
5 Tatiana Kosintseva 2536 ½ 0 ½ 1 - ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 6½ 32.50
6 Maia Chiburdanidze 2506 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ - 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 6
7 Xu Yuhua 2485 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 - ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5½
8 Shen Yang 2453 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 0 1 5 26.00
9 Zhu Chen 2488 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ - 1 1 0 5 25.75
10 Marie Sebag 2519 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 4
11 Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2418 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 3½
12 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2224 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 - 2
Doha, February-March 2011
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Koneru Humpy 2595 - 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 8 41.75
2 Elina Danielian 2489 0 - 1 0 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 8 40.25
3 Marie Sebag 2519 ½ 0 - 1 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 7
4 Pia Cramling 2535 ½ 1 0 - 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 30.50
5 Nana Dzagnidze 2536 1 0 0 0 - ½ 1 1 1 0 1 0 5½ 29.25
6 Maia Chiburdanidze 2506 0 0 ½ ½ ½ - 0 1 1 1 ½ ½ 5½ 26.75
7 Batkhuyag Munguntuul 2418 0 0 1 1 0 1 - 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 5 25.75
8 Xu Yuhua 2485 ½ 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 0 1 1 ½ 5 24.75
9 Lilit Mkrtchian 2468 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 - ½ 0 1 4½ 23.50
10 Martha Fierro 2386 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 1 0 ½ - ½ 1 4½ 21.00
11 Antoaneta Stefanova 2527 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ - 0 4
12 Zhu Chen 2488 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 - 3½

Grand Prix standings

The Grand Prix was won by Hou Yifan, but as she was already qualified for the championship match as title holder, runner-up Koneru Humpy qualified as challenger. Her tied first place in Doha was just enough to overtake Nana Dzagnidze and secure second place in the overall standings.

Player Istanbul Nanjing Nalchik Jermuk Ulaanbaatar Doha Played Best 3
1 Hou Yifan (China) 120 - 130 (70) 160 - 4 410
2 Koneru Humpy (India) 160 - (70) - 93⅓ 145 4 398⅓
3 Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia) - 130 100 160 - (80) 4 390
4 Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia) - - 160 130 93⅓ - 3 383⅓
5 Elina Danielian (Armenia) 120 - (10) 93⅓ - 145 4 358⅓
6 Zhao Xue (China) 90 110 (40) - 93⅓ - 4 293⅓
7 Xu Yuhua (China) - 160 - (30) 60 55 4 275
8 Marie Sebag (France) 80 80 - - (30) 110 4 270
9 Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) 45 - - 93⅓ 130 (20) 4 268⅓
10 Pia Cramling (Sweden) 65 - 100 (55) - 80 4 245
11 Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenia) - 80 40 93⅓ - (35) 4 213⅓
12 Maia Chiburdanidze (Georgia) 45 - - (40) 70 80 4 195
13 Batkhuyag Munguntuul (Mongolia) - 50 70 - (20) 55 4 175
14 Shen Yang (China) (25) 60 - 55 45 - 4 160
15 Zhu Chen (Qatar) - 30 70 - 45 (10) 4 145
16 Martha Fierro (Ecuador) 65 20 - (10) - 35 4 120
17 Baira Kovanova (Russia) - 40 40 20 - - 3 100
18 Ju Wenjun (China) - 80 - - - - 1 80
19 Betul Cemre Yildiz (Turkey) 10 10 20 - (10) - 4 40
20 Zeinab Mamedyarova (Azerbaijan) 25 - - - - - 1 25

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