The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013–14 was a series of six chess tournaments exclusively for women, which formed part of the qualification cycle for the Women's World Chess Championship 2015. The winner of the Grand Prix was decided in the last stage in Sharjah, UAE, when rating favorite and reigning world champion Hou Yifan overtook second seeded Koneru Humpy to win her third straight Grand Prix cycle. For the third time running, Koneru Humpy finished runner-up to Hou Yifan.
With the overall win Hou Yifan earned the right to play the Women's World Chess Championship 2016 in a ten-game match.
Format Eighteen 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 Players invited bases on qualifying criteria were: The four semi-finalists of the Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Anna Ushenina Antoaneta Stefanova Ju Wenjun Dronavalli Harika The six highest ranked players (average of nine FIDE World Rankings lists from March 2012 to January 2013): Judit Polgár (declined) Hou Yifan Koneru Humpy Anna Muzychuk Zhao Xue Nana Dzagnidze Kateryna Lahno Six organizer nominees: Alexandra Kosteniuk (of Geneva) Elina Danielian (of Dilijan) Nafisa Muminova (of Tashkent) Olga Girya (of Khanty-Mansiysk) Bela Khotenashvili (of Tbilisi) Batchimeg Tuvshintugs (of Erdenet) Two FIDE president nominees: Nadezhda Kosintseva (withdrew) Viktorija Čmilytė Replacements: Tatiana Kosintseva
Prize money and Grand Prix points The prize money has been increased from €40,000 to €60,000 per single Grand Prix and from €60,000 to €90,000 for the overall Grand Prix finishes.FIDE: Regulations for the 2013–2014 Women's FIDE Grand-Prix Place Single Grand Prix event Overall standings Grand Prix points 1 €10,000 €25,000 160 2 €8,250 €20,000 130 3 €6,750 €15,000 110 4 €5,750 €10,000 90 5 €5,000 €7,500 80 6 €4,500 €5,500 70 7 €4,250 €4,000 60 8 €4,000 €3,000 50 9 €3,250 – 40 10 €3,000 – 30 11 €2,750 – 20 12 €2,500 – 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: Fourth result not already taken in the top three results. Number of actual game result points scored in the four tournaments. Number of first places (in case of a tie – points given accordingly). Number of second places (in case of a tie – points given accordingly). Number of wins. Drawing of lots.
Schedule The fifth stage was moved from Tbilisi to Lopota. The sixth stage was moved from Erdenet, Mongolia to Sharjah, UAE, the world's largest chess club. A move apparently due to illness in the Mongolian organising committee.http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/sports/68799-jamie-s-mate-2014-sep-04
The six tournaments were:
No. Host city Date Winner Points (Win/draw/loss) 1 Geneva, Switzerland 2–16 May 2013 8/11 (+7=2–2) 2 Dilijan, Armenia 15–29 June 2013 8/11 (+5=6–0) 3 Tashkent, Uzbekistan 17 September – 1 October 2013 8/11 (+6=4–1) 4 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 8–22 April 2014 8.5/11 (+6=5–0) 5 Lopota Resort, Georgia 18 June – 2 July 2014 9/11 (+7=4-0) 6 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 24 August – 7 September 2014 and 8.5/11 (+6=5-0)
Events crosstables
Geneva 2013 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 1st stage, Geneva, Switzerland, 2–16 May 2013 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Pts !! H2H !! Wins !! SB !! TPR !! GP !! Rating change
| 1 || align=left | || 2505 | X || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8.0 || 0 || 7 || 39.75 || 2681 || 160 ||+26 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2585 | ½ || X || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 7.5 || 0 || 4 || 37.75 || 2636 || 130 ||+8 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2517 | 1 || 0 || X || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6.5 || 0.5 || 4 || 33.00 || 2573 || 100 ||+9 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2545 | 0 || ½ || ½ || X || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6.5 || 0.5 || 4 || 31.25 || 2571 || 100 ||+5 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2544 | 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || X || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6.0 || 1 || 4 || 29.25 || 2540 || 75 ||+0
| 6 || align=left | || 2491 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || X || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 6.0 || 0 || 2 || 32.00 || 2543 || 75 ||+8 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2548 | 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || X || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 5.5 || 0 || 3 || 27.25 || 2508 || 60 ||−6 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2617 | 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || X || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 5.0 || 0.5 || 3 || 27.75 || 2470 || 45 ||−22
| 9 || align=left | || 2491 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || X || ½ || 1 || ½ || 5.0 || 0.5 || 2 || 25.50 || 2481 || 45 ||−2
| 10 || align=left | || 2522 | 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || X || ½ || 1 || 4.5 || 0 || 1 || 22.00 || 2446 || 30 ||−12 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2298 | 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || X || ½ || 3.5 || 0 || 1 || 17.25 || 2397 || 20 ||+18 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2463 | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || X || 2.0 || 0 || 0 || 9.75 || 2254 || 10 ||−27 |} Bela Khotenashvili won the first Grand Prix in Geneva and also won her third Grandmaster norm.
Dilijan 2013 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 2nd stage, Dilijan, Armenia, 15–29 June 2013 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Pts !! H2H !! Wins !! SB !! TPR !! GP
| 1 || align=left | || 2597 | X || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 8.0 || 0 || 5 || 42.75 || 2667 || 160 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2593 | 0 || X || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 7.0 || 1 || 4 || 36.75 || 2594 || 120 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2550 | 0 || ½ || X || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 7.0 || 0 || 5 || 34.50 || 2598 || 120 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2526 | 0 || 0 || 1 || X || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6.0 || 0 || 5 || 30.00 || 2534 || 90 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2499 | ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || X || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 5.5 || 0 || 1 || 31.00 || 2505 || 80
| 6 || align=left | || 2531 | 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 5.0 || 1 || 2 || 26.00 || 2471 || 60 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2316 | 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || X || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 5.0 || 1 || 2 || 24.50 || 2490 || 60 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2492 | ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 5.0 || 1 || 1 || 26.25 || 2474 || 60
| 9 || align=left | || 2436 | ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || X || ½ || 1 || ½ || 4.5 || 1.5 || 1 || 24.50 || 2447 || 30
| 10 || align=left | || 2511 | ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || 4.5 || 1 || 2 || 23.50 || 2440 || 30 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2475 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || X || 1 || 4.5 || 0.5 || 1 || 24.00 || 2444 || 30 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2531 | ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || X || 4.0 || 0 || 0 || 22.25 || 2405 || 10
Tashkent 2013 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 3rd stage, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 17 September – 1 October 2013 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Pts !! SB !! TPR !! GP
| 1 || align=left | || 2607 | X || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 8.0 ||39.25 || 2637 || 160 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2514 | 1 || X || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 7.0 || 35.00 || 2572 || 120 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2532 | ½ || ½ || X || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 7.0 || 34.50 || 2571 || 120 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2475 | ½ || 1 || ½ || X || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 6.5 || 34.00 || 2543 || 85 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2533 | 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || X || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 6.5 || 32.75 || 2533 || 85
| 6 || align=left | || 2535 | 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || X || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 6.0 || 33.50 || 2505 || 70 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2495 | 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || X || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 5.5 ||25.75 || 2477 || 55 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2439 | ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || X || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 5.5 || 25.25 || 2482 || 55
| 9 || align=left | || 2470 | 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || 1 || 5.0 ||23.75 || 2448 || 40
| 10 || align=left | || 2496 | ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || X || 1 || 1 || 4.5 || 19.75 || 2413 || 30 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2293 | 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || X || 1 || 3.0 || 13.50 || 2325 || 20 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2307 | 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || X || 1.5 || 9.50 || 2173 || 10
Khanty-Mansiyk 2014 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 4th stage, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 8–22 April 2014 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Pts !! SB !! TPR !! GP
| 1 || align=left | || 2618 | X || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8.5 ||43.00 || 2695 || 160 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2450 | 0 || X || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 7.0 || 35.50 || 2602 || 130 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2527 | ½ || 0 || X || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 6.5 || 34.00 || 2558 || 110 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2543 | ½ || 1 || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 6.0 || 33.50 || 2527 || 85 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2560 | ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || X || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6.0 || 29.50 || 2526 || 85
| 6 || align=left | || 2550 | 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || X || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 5.5 || 25.00 || 2491 || 65 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2489 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || X || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 5.5 ||29.50 || 2496 || 65 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2552 | ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || X || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 5.0 || 28.75 || 2454 || 45
| 9 || align=left | || 2501 | 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || X || 1 || 1 || ½ || 5.0 ||24.25 || 2459 || 40
| 10 || align=left | || 2321 | 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || X || 1 || 1 || 4.0 || 18.50 || 2409 || 30 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2496 | 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || X || ½ || 3.5 || 19.50 || 2363 || 15 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2340 | 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || X || 3.5 || 18.50 || 2377 || 15
Olga Girya achieved a GM norm at the tournament.
Lopota 2014 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 5th stage, Lopota, Georgia, 19 June – July 1, 2014 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Pts !! Direct Encounter|H2H !! Victories !! SB !!TPR !! GP
| 1 || align=left | || 2629 | X ||1 ||½ ||1 ||1 ||½ ||1 ||½ || ½|| 1|| 1|| 1|| 9.0 || 0 ||7 ||45.00 ||2773 ||160 |- | 2 || align=left| || 2532 | 0 || X ||1||½ ||1||½||1||½ ||1||½|||0|||1|| 7.0 || 1|| 5 || 34.75 ||2622 ||120 |- | 3 || align=left| || 2460 | ½ ||0|| X ||½||½||½||1||1||0||1||½||1|| 7.0|| 0 || 4 || 34.00 || 2628 ||120 |- | 4 || align=left | ||2541