FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011–12 explained

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:
  • Zhu Chen and Batkhuyag Munguntuul.
• 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:

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:^[5]

Nr	Host city	Date	Winner	Points (Win/Draw/Loss)
1		1–15 August 2011		8/11 (+6 =4 –1)
2		6–20 September 2011		8/11 (+5 =6 –0)
3		8–23 October 2011		9.5/11 (+9 =1 –1)
4		10–21 June 2012^[6]		7.5/11 (+4 =7 –0)
5		16–30 July 2012		7/11 (+4 =6 –1)
6		16–28 September 2012		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		2536	1	–	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	0	½	½	7
3		2538	0	1	–	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	6½	34.25
4		2557	½	½	½	–	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	½	6½	33.50
5		2560	½	0	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	6
6		2614	0	½	½	½	½	–	½	½	½	1	0	1	5½	28.25
7		2492	0	0	0	1	½	½	–	1	0	1	1	½	5½	26.75
8		2524	½	0	½	0	½	½	0	–	1	½	1	½	5	25.25
9		2521	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	–	0	1	1	5	24.25
10		2479	½	1	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	–	½	½	4½
11		2427	0	½	½	0	0	1	0	0	0	½	–	1	3½
12		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		2545	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	7
3		2536	½	½	–	½	1	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	6½	33.75
4		2429	0	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	6½	31.25
5		2497	½	½	0	½	–	1	1	0	½	½	½	1	6	31.25
6		2477	0	½	½	½	0	–	½	1	½	½	1	1	6	28.75
7		2465	0	½	½	½	0	½	–	0	1	1	½	1	5½
8		2517	½	0	1	½	1	0	1	–	0	0	½	½	5
9		2490	½	½	0	½	½	½	0	1	–	0	½	½	4½	25.00
10		2525	0	0	½	0	½	½	0	1	1	–	½	½	4½	22.00
11		2421	0	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	–	½	4
12		2308	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 Xue	2497	–	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9½
2		2536	1	–	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	0	½	7
3		2421	½	½	–	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	0	6	33.75
4		2525	0	½	0	–	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	6	29.25
5		2554	0	½	½	0	–	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	5½
6		2490	0	0	½	½	½	–	½	½	1	½	1	0	5	25.00
7		2536	0	½	½	0	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	1	5	24.50
8		2560	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	–	½	½	1	1	5	23.00
9		2528	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	–	1	1	1	5	23.00
10		2498	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	–	1	0	4½
11		2465	0	1	½	½	½	0	½	0	0	0	–	1	4
12		2469	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 Humpy	2589	–	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	7½	36.75
2	Anna Muzychuk	2598	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	7½	36.50
3		2508	½	½	–	1	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	7	35.00
4		2623	½	½	0	–	1	1	1	½	1	½	1	0	7	37.25
5		2457	½	½	1	0	–	1	½	0	½	0	1	1	6	31.00
6		2484	½	½	½	0	0	–	1	1	½	1	0	1	6	30.75
7		2532	½	½	½	0	½	0	–	1	½	½	½	1	5½
8		2546	0	½	½	½	1	0	0	–	½	½	1	½	5
9		2518	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	–	1	½	½	4½	22
10		2528	½	0	0	½	1	0	½	½	0	–	1	½	4½	22.75
11		2484	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	½	0	–	1	3
12		2333	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 Yifan	2617	–	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	7
2		2516	½	–	½	1	½	1	1	1	0	0	½	½	6½	36.50
3		2537	1	½	–	1	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	6½	36.00
4		2598	½	0	0	–	1	½	1	0	1	1	½	1	6½	33.00
5		2518	½	½	½	0	–	1	0	1	½	½	½	1	6	31.25
6		2483	0	0	½	½	0	–	1	½	1	½	1	1	6	29.25
7		2556	½	0	1	0	1	0	–	½	1	0	½	1	5½
8		2480	½	0	½	1	0	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	5	27.50
9		2450	0	1	½	0	½	0	0	½	–	1	½	1	5	25.25
10		2417	0	1	0	0	½	½	1	½	0	–	1	0	4½
11		2447	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	0	–	0	4
12		2456	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 Humpy	2593	–	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	8½
2		2606	1	–	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	8
3		2549	½	½	–	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	7½
4		2520	½	½	1	–	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	1	6½	33.50
5		2492	0	½	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	6½	29.50
6		2434	½	½	0	½	½	–	½	1	½	½	1	½	6
7		2524	0	0	½	1	½	½	–	1	½	0	1	½	5½
8		2528	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	–	1	1	½	1	5
9		2502	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	0	–	1	½	1	4½
10		2341	0	0	0	1	0	½	1	0	0	–	½	½	3½
11		2463	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	–	1	2½
12		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		160	160		100	160		4	480
2		65			145	110	160	4	415
3		100	130		145		130	4	405
4			75	160		60	110	4	345
5		130		80	50	110		4	320
6			100	130		75	50	4	305
7			35	100	100		85	4	285
8		80		55	35	110		4	245
9		30	75			75	85	4	235
10		100		55	60		60	4	220
11		45	50		75	45		4	170
12		20	20	100		30		4	150
			60	20		20	70	4	150
14		45		55	35		40	4	140
15		65		30	20			3	115
16			100					1	100
17		10		10	75			3	95
18			35	55				2	90
19			10		10		30	3	50
20						45		1	45
21							20	1	20
22						10		1	10
							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

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2011/12 Grand Prix regulations. FIDE. 9 August 2011.
2. Web site: Grand Prix participants. FIDE. 9 August 2011.
3. Web site: Shenzhen Women's Grand Prix 2011 . chess.co.uk . 14 September 2011 . 13 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015041336/http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/shenzhen-womens-grand-prix-2011 . 15 October 2012 .
4. http://grandprix.fide.com/regulations.html: Regulations for the 2011–2012 Women's FIDE Grand-Prix
5. Web site: Grand Prix Schedule. FIDE. 8 August 2011.
6. Web site: Kazan schedule. kazan2012.fide.com. 31 May 2012.
7. Web site: Shenzhen Women's Grand Prix 2011 . chess.co.uk . 14 September 2011 . 13 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015041336/http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/shenzhen-womens-grand-prix-2011 . 15 October 2012 .
8. Web site: Jermuk FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2012. chess.com. 17 July 2012. 15 July 2012.