FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–2011
# FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–2011

The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–2011 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 top four from the World Championship 2008:
   * Alexandra Kosteniuk (declined to participate), Hou Yifan, Pia Cramling, and Koneru Humpy.
* The six highest rated players (average of October 2007 and October 2008 lists) not already qualified:
   * Judit Polgár (declined), Susan Polgar (declined), Xie Jun (declined), Zhao Xue, Marie Sebag, and Zhu Chen.
* Two players nominated by the FIDE president:
   * Nana Dzagnidze and Elina Danielian.
* One nominee from each of the six host cities:
   * Betul Cemre Yildiz (Istanbul), Shen Yang (Nanjing), Zeinab Mamedyarova, Lilit Mkrtchian (Jermuk), Batkhuyag Munguntuul (Ulaanbaataar), and Martha Fierro (Santiago).

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:

* 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

## 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 |

## Schedule and results

| No. | Host city | Date | Winner | Points (Win/draw/loss) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Istanbul, Turkey | 7–19 March 2009 | Koneru Humpy (India) | 8.5/11 (+7=3-1) |
| 2 | Nanjing, China | 28 September – 10 October 2009 | Xu Yuhua (China) | 8/11 (+7=2-2) |
| 3 | Nalchik, Russia | 26 April – 7 May 2010 | Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia) | 9/11 (+7=4-0) |
| 4 | Jermuk, Armenia | 24 June – 5 July 2010 | Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia) | 9/11 (+7=4-0) |
| 5 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | 30 July – 11 August 2010 | Hou Yifan (China) | 8/11 (+5=6-0) |
| 6 | Doha, Qatar | 23 February – 5 March 2011 | Koneru Humpy (India) Elina Danielian (Armenia) | 8/11 (+6=4-1) 8/11 (+7=2-2) |

### Events crosstables

    Istanbul, March 2009 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Koneru Humpy2621-10½11111½1½8½ 2 Elina Danielian24960-½11½111½½1840.25 3 Hou Yifan25711½-0½111½½11839.75 4 Zhao Xue2508½01-011½½1117½ 5 Marie Sebag252900½1-½10½½116 6 Pia Cramling25480½00½-0111½15½22.75 7 Martha Fierro2403000001-½11115½20.00 8 Antoaneta Stefanova2557000½10½-½½11520.75 9 Maia Chiburdanidze251600½½½00½-111520.25 10 Shen Yang2448½½½0½00½0-002½17.75 11 Zeinab Mamedyarova23620½000½0001-½2½10.25 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz2214½000000001½-2
    Nanjing, September–October 2009 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Xu Yuhua2485-0½½111011118 2 Nana Dzagnidze25351-½0½10½11117½ 3 Zhao Xue2542½½-1001½½1117 4 Marie Sebag2519½10-½10101½16½33.25 5 Lilit Mkrtchian24680½1½-½½½½½116½30.75 6 Ju Wenjun24430010½-11½½116½29.50 7 Shen Yang24530101½0-½½1½16 8 Batkhuyag Munguntuul24181½½0½0½-½0115½20.75 9 Baira Kovanova240800½1½½½½-0½15 10 Zhu Chen24880000½½011-½14½ 11 Martha Fierro2386000½00½0½½-02 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz222400000000001-1
    Nalchik, April 2010 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Tatiana Kosintseva2536-111½½1½11½19 2 Hou Yifan25850-0½½111½1117½ 3 Nana Dzagnidze253501-½½½½½½111733.25 4 Pia Cramling25350½½-½1½½½111732.25 5 Koneru Humpy2595½½½½-0001½115½26.75 6 Zhu Chen2488½0½01-0½1½1½5½26.75 7 Batkhuyag Munguntuul241800½½11-010½15½25.75 8 Zhao Xue2542½0½½1½1-0001526.75 9 Lilit Mkrtchian24680½½½0001-11½524.00 10 Baira Kovanova24080000½½110-11520.00 11 Betul Cemre Yildiz2224½00000½100-½2½ 12 Elina Danielian248900000½00½0½-1½
    Jermuk, June–July 2010 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Nana Dzagnidze2535-1111½½½1½119 2 Tatiana Kosintseva25360-0½½1½111117½ 3 Elina Danielian248901-½0½½11½1½6½32.25 4 Lilit Mkrtchian24680½½-10½½11½16½30.50 5 Antoaneta Stefanova25270½10-0½111½16½30.00 6 Hou Yifan2585½0½11-10½0½16 7 Pia Cramling2535½½½½½0-½0½115½27.25 8 Shen Yang2453½00½01½-½½115½25.25 9 Maia Chiburdanidze250600000½1½-1½14½ 10 Xu Yuhua2485½0½001½½0-104 11 Baira Kovanova2408000½½½00½0-13 12 Martha Fierro238600½00000010-1½
    Ulaanbaatar, July–August 2010 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Hou Yifan2585-½½½½½1½11118 2 Antoaneta Stefanova2527½-001½11½1117½ 3 Koneru Humpy2595½1-0½1½1½10½6½36.00 4 Zhao Xue2542½11-01001½½16½34.75 5 Tatiana Kosintseva2536½0½1-½½½10116½32.50 6 Maia Chiburdanidze2506½½00½-1½01116 7 Xu Yuhua248500½1½0-½½½115½ 8 Shen Yang2453½001½½½-½½01526.00 9 Zhu Chen24880½½001½½-110525.75 10 Marie Sebag2519000½10½½0-1½4 11 Batkhuyag Munguntuul2418001½000100-13½ 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz222400½000001½0-2
    Doha, February–March 2011 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Koneru Humpy2595-1½½011½11½1841.75 2 Elina Danielian24890-101111½1½1840.25 3 Marie Sebag2519½0-11½01½1½17 4 Pia Cramling2535½10-1½00½½1½5½30.50 5 Nana Dzagnidze25361000-½1110105½29.25 6 Maia Chiburdanidze250600½½½-0111½½5½26.75 7 Batkhuyag Munguntuul2418001101-0½0½1525.75 8 Xu Yuhua2485½001001-011½524.75 9 Lilit Mkrtchian24680½½½00½1-½014½23.50 10 Martha Fierro2386000½1010½-½14½21.00 11 Antoaneta Stefanova2527½½½00½½01½-04 12 Zhu Chen2488000½1½0½001-3½

### 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 (CHN) | 120 | – | 130 | (70) | 160 | – | 4 | 410 |
| 2 | Koneru Humpy (IND) | 160 | – | (70) | – | 93⅓ | 145 | 4 | 398⅓ |
| 3 | Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) | – | 130 | 100 | 160 | – | (80) | 4 | 390 |
| 4 | Tatiana Kosintseva (RUS) | – | – | 160 | 130 | 93⅓ | – | 3 | 383⅓ |
| 5 | Elina Danielian (ARM) | 120 | – | (10) | 93⅓ | – | 145 | 4 | 358⅓ |
| 6 | Zhao Xue (CHN) | 90 | 110 | (40) | – | 93⅓ | – | 4 | 293⅓ |
| 7 | Xu Yuhua (CHN) | – | 160 | – | (30) | 60 | 55 | 4 | 275 |
| 8 | Marie Sebag (FRA) | 80 | 80 | – | – | (30) | 110 | 4 | 270 |
| 9 | Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) | 45 | – | – | 93⅓ | 130 | (20) | 4 | 268⅓ |
| 10 | Pia Cramling (SWE) | 65 | – | 100 | (55) | – | 80 | 4 | 245 |
| 11 | Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM) | – | 80 | 40 | 93⅓ | – | (35) | 4 | 213⅓ |
| 12 | Maia Chiburdanidze (GEO) | 45 | – | – | (40) | 70 | 80 | 4 | 195 |
| 13 | Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL) | – | 50 | 70 | – | (20) | 55 | 4 | 175 |
| 14 | Shen Yang (CHN) | (25) | 60 | – | 55 | 45 | – | 4 | 160 |
| 15 | Zhu Chen (QAT) | – | 30 | 70 | – | 45 | (10) | 4 | 145 |
| 16 | Martha Fierro (ECU) | 65 | 20 | – | (10) | – | 35 | 4 | 120 |
| 17 | Baira Kovanova (RUS) | – | 40 | 40 | 20 | – | – | 3 | 100 |
| 18 | Ju Wenjun (CHN) | – | 80 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 80 |
| 19 | Betul Cemre Yildiz (TUR) | 10 | 10 | 20 | – | (10) | – | 4 | 40 |
| 20 | Zeinab Mamedyarova (AZE) | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 25 |
