Chess tournaments Chess strategy Computer chess Chess players FIDE Chess variants Chess rules and history

FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011-12

The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011-12 was a series of six chess tournaments exclusively for women, which formed part of the qualification cycle for the Women's World Chess Championship 2013. The winner of the Grand Prix, Hou Yifan, will challenge the 2012 Women's World Chess champion.

Format

18 top world women players were to be selected to compete in these tournaments. Each player agrees and will contract to participate in exactly four of these tournaments. Players must rank their preference of tournaments once the final list of host cities is announced and the dates are allocated to each host city.

Each tournament is 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 grand prix points for first place, 130 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points by steps of 10. In case of a tie in points the grand prix points are shared evenly by the tied players. Players only counted their best three tournament results. The player with the most grand prix points is the winner.

Players and qualification

There were several ways to qualify for the Grand Prix series.

Polgár, the highest rated woman in the world, has never competed for the women's title and declined to participate in this cycle as well, so her spot was given to the next player on the average rating list, Viktorija Cmilyte.

At the second tournament in Shenzhen, Tan Zhongyi replaced Alisa Galliamova.

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

Tie breaks

With the objective of determining a clear, single winner to play in the Challenger Match and in the case that two or more players have equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria (in descending order) will 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

Results

The six tournaments were:

Nr Host city Date Winner Points (Win/Draw/Loss)
1 Rostov, Russia 1-15 August 2011 Hou Yifan 8/11 (+6 =4 -1)
2 Shenzhen, China 6-20 September 2011 Hou Yifan 8/11 (+5 =6 -0)
3 Nalchik, Russia 8-23 October 2011 Zhao Xue 9.5/11 (+9 =1 -1)
4 Kazan, Russia 10-21 June 2012 Koneru Humpy and Anna Muzychuk 7.5/11 (+4 =7 -0)
5 Jermuk, Armenia 16-30 July 2012 Hou Yifan 7/11 (+4 =6 -1)
6 Ankara, Turkey 16-28 September 2012 Koneru Humpy 8.5/11 (+7 =3 -1)

Events crosstables

Rostov, August 2011
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Hou Yifan 2575 - 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 8
2 Kateryna Lahno 2536 1 - 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 ½ ½ 7
3 Anna Muzychuk 2538 0 1 - ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 34.25
4 Tatiana Kosintseva 2557 ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 33.50
5 Nadezhda Kosintseva 2560 ½ 0 ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6
6 Koneru Humpy 2614 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 28.25
7 Alisa Galliamova 2492 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ - 1 0 1 1 ½ 26.75
8 Antoaneta Stefanova 2524 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 1 ½ 5 25.25
9 Elina Danielian 2521 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 - 0 1 1 5 24.25
10 Ruan Lufei 2479 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 - ½ ½
11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya 2427 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ - 1
12 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2497 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 - 3
Shenzhen, September 2011
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Hou Yifan 2578 - ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 8
2 Anna Muzychuk 2545 ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 7
3 Ju Wenjun 2536 ½ ½ - ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 33.75
4 Tan Zhongyi 2429 0 ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 31.25
5 Zhao Xue 2497 ½ ½ 0 ½ - 1 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 6 31.25
6 Ruan Lufei 2477 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 - ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 6 28.75
7 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul 2465 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ - 0 1 1 ½ 1
8 Elina Danielian 2517 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 0 1 - 0 0 ½ ½ 5
9 Zhu Chen 2490 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 - 0 ½ ½ 25.00
10 Viktorija Cmilyte 2525 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 - ½ ½ 22.00
11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya 2421 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ 4
12 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2308 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ -
Nalchik, October 2011
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Zhao Xue 2497 - 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 Ju Wenjun 2536 1 - ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ 7
3 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya 2421 ½ ½ - 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 6 33.75
4 Viktorija Cmilyte 2525 0 ½ 0 - 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 6 29.25
5 Kateryna Lahno 2554 0 ½ ½ 0 - ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1
6 Zhu Chen 2490 0 0 ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 5 25.00
7 Tatiana Kosintseva 2536 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5 24.50
8 Nadezhda Kosintseva 2560 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 1 1 5 23.00
9 Antoaneta Stefanova 2528 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ - 1 1 1 5 23.00
10 Alisa Galliamova 2498 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 - 1 0
11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul 2465 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 - 1 4
12 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2469 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 -
Kazan, June 2012
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Koneru Humpy 2589 - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 36.75
2 Anna Muzychuk 2598 ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 36.50
3 Viktorija Cmilyte 2508 ½ ½ - 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 35.00
4 Hou Yifan 2623 ½ ½ 0 - 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 7 37.25
5 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2457 ½ ½ 1 0 - 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 6 31.00
6 Elina Danielian 2484 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 - 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 6 30.75
7 Tatiana Kosintseva 2532 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 - 1 ½ ½ ½ 1
8 Kateryna Lahno 2546 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 - ½ ½ 1 ½ 5
9 Antoaneta Stefanova 2518 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ - 1 ½ ½ 22
10 Nadezhda Kosintseva 2528 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 22.75
11 Alisa Galliamova 2484 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 - 1 3
12 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2333 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 -
Jermuk, July 2012
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Hou Yifan 2617 - ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 7
2 Nadezhda Kosintseva 2516 ½ - ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 0 ½ ½ 36.50
3 Kateryna Lahno 2537 1 ½ - 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 36.00
4 Koneru Humpy 2598 ½ 0 0 - 1 ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 33.00
5 Ju Wenjun 2518 ½ ½ ½ 0 - 1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 6 31.25
6 Ruan Lufei 2483 0 0 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 6 29.25
7 Zhao Xue 2556 ½ 0 1 0 1 0 - ½ 1 0 ½ 1
8 Elina Danielian 2480 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 27.50
9 Lilit Mkrtchian 2450 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ - 1 ½ 1 5 25.25
10 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya 2417 0 1 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 - 1 0
11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul 2447 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 - 0 4
12 Nino Khurtsidze 2456 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 -
Ankara, September 2012
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break
1 Koneru Humpy 2593 - 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 Anna Muzychuk 2606 1 - ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 8
3 Zhao Xue 2549 ½ ½ - 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½
4 Viktorija Cmilyte 2520 ½ ½ 1 - ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 33.50
5 Ruan Lufei 2492 0 ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 29.50
6 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul 2434 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ - ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 6
7 Tatiana Kosintseva 2524 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ - 1 ½ 0 1 ½
8 Ju Wenjun 2528 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 - 1 1 ½ 1 5
9 Antoaneta Stefanova 2502 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 1
10 Betul Cemre Yildiz 2341 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 0 0 - ½ ½
11 Monika Soćko 2463 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ - 1
12 Kübra Öztürk 2294 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 - 2

Grand Prix standings

Hou Yifan won the Grand Prix with a perfect score culminating with her third sole victory at the fifth Grand Prix in Jermuk and thus qualified her to face Anna Ushenina in the Women's World Chess Championship 2013. A score in italics denotes a score not being into account for the total as there are three better results for the player.

Player Rostov Shenzhen Nalchik Kazan Jermuk Ankara Played Best 3
1 Hou Yifan (China) 160 160 100 160 4 480
2 Koneru Humpy (India) 65 145 110 160 4 415
3 Anna Muzychuk (Slovenia) 100 130 145 130 4 405
4 Zhao Xue (China) 75 160 60 110 4 345
5 Kateryna Lahno (Ukraine) 130 80 50 110 4 320
6 Ju Wenjun (China) 100 130 75 50 4 305
7 Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania) 35 100 100 85 4 285
8 Nadezhda Kosintseva (Russia) 80 55 35 110 4 245
9 Ruan Lufei (China) 30 75 75 85 4 235
10 Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia) 100 55 60 60 4 220
11 Elina Danielian (Armenia) 45 50 75 45 4 170
12 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (Russia) 20 20 100 30 4 150
Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul (Mongolia) 60 20 20 70 4 150
14 Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) 45 55 35 40 4 140
15 Alisa Galliamova (Russia) 65 30 20 3 115
16 Tan Zhongyi (China) 100 1 100
17 Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia) 10 10 75 3 95
18 Zhu Chen (Qatar) 35 55 2 90
19 Betul Cemre Yildiz (Turkey) 10 10 30 3 50
20 Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenia) 45 1 45
21 Monika Soćko (Poland) 20 1 20
22 Nino Khurtsidze (Georgia) 10 1 10
Kübra Öztürk (Turkey) 10 1 10

Notes: Tan Zhongyi replaced Alisa Galliamova in Shenzhen. Nino Khurtsidze and Lilit Mkrtchian replaced Alexandra Kosteniuk and Zhu Chen in Jermuk, who had withdrawn their participation.

Read more:

COMMENTS