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 tied players share grand pix points evenly. 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.[1][2]
- The top four from the Women's World Chess Championship 2010:
- Hou Yifan, Ruan Lufei, Koneru Humpy, and Zhao Xue.
- The winner of the previous Grand Prix
- (As Hou Yifan was already qualified an additional sixth rating entry was given)
- The six highest rated players (average of July 2010 and January 2011 lists) not already qualified:
- Judit Polgár (declined), Tatiana Kosintseva, Antoaneta Stefanova, Nadezhda Kosintseva, Anna Muzychuk, and Kateryna Lahno.
- Two players nominated by the FIDE president:
- One nominee from each of the six host cities:
- Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (Rostov), Ju Wenjun (Shenzhen), Alexandra Kosteniuk (Nalchik), Alisa Galliamova (Kazan), Elina Danielian (Jermuk), and Betul Cemre Yildiz (Istanbul).
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.[3]
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.[4]
| 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:
- The fourth result not already in the top three performances
- The number of actual game points scored in the four tournaments
- The number of first-place finishes
- The number of second-place finishes
- The number of won games
- Drawing of lots
Results
The six tournaments were:[5]
| 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 | 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[6] | 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 Yifan2575 – 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 8 2 
Kateryna Lahno2536 1 – 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 ½ ½ 7 3 
Anna Muzychuk2538 0 1 – ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 6½ 34.25 4 
Tatiana Kosintseva2557 ½ ½ ½ – ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 6½ 33.50 5 Nadezhda Kosintseva2560 ½ 0 ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6 6 
Koneru Humpy2614 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 5½ 28.25 7 Alisa Galliamova2492 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ – 1 0 1 1 ½ 5½ 26.75 8 
Antoaneta Stefanova2524 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 – 1 ½ 1 ½ 5 25.25 9 
Elina Danielian2521 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 – 0 1 1 5 24.25 10 Ruan Lufei2479 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 – ½ ½ 4½ 11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya2427 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ – 1 3½ 12 Alexandra Kosteniuk2497 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 Yifan2578 – ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 8 2 Anna Muzychuk2545 ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 7 3 Ju Wenjun2536 ½ ½ – ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 6½ 33.75 4 Tan Zhongyi2429 0 ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 6½ 31.25 5 Zhao Xue2497 ½ ½ 0 ½ – 1 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 6 31.25 6 Ruan Lufei2477 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 – ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 6 28.75 7 
Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2465 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ – 0 1 1 ½ 1 5½ 8 Elina Danielian2517 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 0 1 – 0 0 ½ ½ 5 9 
Zhu Chen2490 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 – 0 ½ ½ 4½ 25.00 10 
Viktorija Cmilyte2525 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 – ½ ½ 4½ 22.00 11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya2421 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ – ½ 4 12 
Betul Cemre Yildiz2308 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ – 2½
Nalchik, October 2011 Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break 1 Zhao Xue2497 – 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9½ 2 Ju Wenjun2536 1 – ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ 7 3 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya2421 ½ ½ – 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 6 33.75 4 Viktorija Cmilyte2525 0 ½ 0 – 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 6 29.25 5 Kateryna Lahno2554 0 ½ ½ 0 – ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 5½ 6 Zhu Chen2490 0 0 ½ ½ ½ – ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 5 25.00 7 Tatiana Kosintseva2536 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5 24.50 8 Nadezhda Kosintseva2560 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ – ½ ½ 1 1 5 23.00 9 Antoaneta Stefanova2528 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ – 1 1 1 5 23.00 10 Alisa Galliamova2498 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 – 1 0 4½ 11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2465 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 – 1 4 12 Alexandra Kosteniuk2469 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 – 3½
Kazan, June 2012 Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break 1 Koneru Humpy2589 – ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 7½ 36.75 2 Anna Muzychuk2598 ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 7½ 36.50 3 Viktorija Cmilyte2508 ½ ½ – 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7 35.00 4 Hou Yifan2623 ½ ½ 0 – 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 7 37.25 5 Alexandra Kosteniuk2457 ½ ½ 1 0 – 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 6 31.00 6 Elina Danielian2484 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 – 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 6 30.75 7 Tatiana Kosintseva2532 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 – 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5½ 8 Kateryna Lahno2546 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 – ½ ½ 1 ½ 5 9 Antoaneta Stefanova2518 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ – 1 ½ ½ 4½ 22 10 Nadezhda Kosintseva2528 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 – 1 ½ 4½ 22.75 11 Alisa Galliamova2484 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 – 1 3 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz2333 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 – 2½
Jermuk, July 2012 Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break 1 Hou Yifan2617 – ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 7 2 Nadezhda Kosintseva2516 ½ – ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 0 ½ ½ 6½ 36.50 3 Kateryna Lahno2537 1 ½ – 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 6½ 36.00 4 Koneru Humpy2598 ½ 0 0 – 1 ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 6½ 33.00 5 Ju Wenjun2518 ½ ½ ½ 0 – 1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 6 31.25 6 Ruan Lufei2483 0 0 ½ ½ 0 – 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 6 29.25 7 Zhao Xue2556 ½ 0 1 0 1 0 – ½ 1 0 ½ 1 5½ 8 Elina Danielian2480 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 27.50 9 Lilit Mkrtchian2450 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ – 1 ½ 1 5 25.25 10 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya2417 0 1 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 – 1 0 4½ 11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2447 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 – 0 4 12 
Nino Khurtsidze2456 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 – 3½
Ankara, September 2012 Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score Tie break 1 Koneru Humpy2593 – 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 8½ 2 Anna Muzychuk2606 1 – ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 8 3 Zhao Xue2549 ½ ½ – 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 7½ 4 Viktorija Cmilyte2520 ½ ½ 1 – ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 6½ 33.50 5 Ruan Lufei2492 0 ½ ½ ½ – ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 6½ 29.50 6 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2434 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ – ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 6 7 Tatiana Kosintseva2524 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ – 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 5½ 8 Ju Wenjun2528 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 – 1 1 ½ 1 5 9 Antoaneta Stefanova2502 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 – 1 ½ 1 4½ 10 Betul Cemre Yildiz2341 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 0 0 – ½ ½ 3½ 11 
Monika Soćko2463 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ – 1 2½ 12 Kübra Öztürk2294 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 (CHN) | 160 | 160 | 100 | 160 | 4 | 480 | ||
| 2 | Koneru Humpy (IND) | 65 | 145 | 110 | 160 | 4 | 415 | ||
| 3 | Anna Muzychuk (SLO) | 100 | 130 | 145 | 130 | 4 | 405 | ||
| 4 | Zhao Xue (CHN) | 75 | 160 | 60 | 110 | 4 | 345 | ||
| 5 | Kateryna Lahno (UKR) | 130 | 80 | 50 | 110 | 4 | 320 | ||
| 6 | Ju Wenjun (CHN) | 100 | 130 | 75 | 50 | 4 | 305 | ||
| 7 | Viktorija Cmilyte (LTU) | 35 | 100 | 100 | 85 | 4 | 285 | ||
| 8 | Nadezhda Kosintseva (RUS) | 80 | 55 | 35 | 110 | 4 | 245 | ||
| 9 | Ruan Lufei (CHN) | 30 | 75 | 75 | 85 | 4 | 235 | ||
| 10 | Tatiana Kosintseva (RUS) | 100 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 4 | 220 | ||
| 11 | Elina Danielian (ARM) | 45 | 50 | 75 | 45 | 4 | 170 | ||
| 12 | Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (RUS) | 20 | 20 | 100 | 30 | 4 | 150 | ||
| Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul (MGL) | 60 | 20 | 20 | 70 | 4 | 150 | |||
| 14 | Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) | 45 | 55 | 35 | 40 | 4 | 140 | ||
| 15 | Alisa Galliamova (RUS) | 65 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 115 | |||
| 16 | Tan Zhongyi (CHN) | 100 | 1 | 100 | |||||
| 17 | Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) | 10 | 10 | 75 | 3 | 95 | |||
| 18 | Zhu Chen (QAT) | 35 | 55 | 2 | 90 | ||||
| 19 | Betul Cemre Yildiz (TUR) | 10 | 10 | 30 | 3 | 50 | |||
| 20 | Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM) | 45 | 1 | 45 | |||||
| 21 | Monika Soćko (POL) | 20 | 1 | 20 | |||||
| 22 | Nino Khurtsidze (GEO) | 10 | 1 | 10 | |||||
| Kübra Öztürk (TUR) | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Notes: Tan Zhongyi replaced Alisa Galliamova in Shenzhen.[7] Nino Khurtsidze and Lilit Mkrtchian replaced Alexandra Kosteniuk and Zhu Chen in Jermuk, who had withdrawn their participation.[8]
See also
- FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–11, the previous cycle
- FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013–14, the next cycle
References
- ↑ "2011/12 Grand Prix regulations". FIDE. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ↑ "Grand Prix participants". FIDE. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ↑ "Shenzhen Women's Grand Prix 2011". chess.co.uk. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ↑ Regulations for the 2011–2012 Women's FIDE Grand-Prix
- ↑ "Grand Prix Schedule". FIDE. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ↑ "Kazan schedule". kazan2012.fide.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ "Shenzhen Women's Grand Prix 2011". chess.co.uk. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ↑ "Jermuk FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2012". chess.com. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
External links
| Tournament format | |
|---|---|
| Match format | |
| Knock-out format | |
| Alternating format | |
| Match format | |
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