Gibraltar GP will decide two spots for the next Women's Candidates

by Shahid Ahmed - 21/05/2021

The final leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix will start at Gibraltar from Saturday 22nd May 2021 which will decide two spots for the next Women's Candidates. Currently Aleksandra Goryachkina is leading the table but she has already qualified as she lost in the Women's World Championship match against Ju Wenjun last year. Humpy is currently at 293 points followed by Kosteniuk at 193 but neither of them are playing this event which makes things interesting as it will depend upon how Lausanne GP winner Nana Dzagnidze, Kateryna Lagno, Anna Muzychuk, Alina Kashlinskaya and Mariya Muzychuk perform. Only top two finishers of FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2019-21 will secure their place in the next Women's Candidates event. Photo: FIDE

FIDE Gibraltar Grand Prix starts tomorrow

The Women’s FIDE Grand Prix Gibraltar postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions in the British Oversea Territory will take place from 22nd May to 2nd June 2021.

Hosting this prestigious event opens a new chapter in Gibraltar’s continued tradition of supporting chess, in general, and the best female chess players, in particular. Since the inception of the Gibraltar Chess Festival in 2003, almost all the world’s top female players have taken part, including the greatest woman player of all time, Judit Polgar, as well as a total of seven Women’s World Champions.

The fourth and final leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix will be hosted by Caleta Hotel. As usual, twelve players will compete in a round-robin tournament. All the rounds (except the final one - TBA) start at 15:00 local time (6:30 p.m. IST).

The event will be very important in regards to two qualifying spots for the FIDE Women Candidates Tournament. They are reserved for the two winners of the Series, but we must keep in mind that the leader after three legs Aleksandra Goryachkina (398 series points) already has a place in the Candidates Tournament as a previous world championship match runner-up. Consequently, the reserved spot will be awarded to the next top-scorer of the Grand Prix which promises a fierce fight.

Standings after Lausanne GP | Photo: Official site

Humpy Koneru (293 points) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (193) follow Goryachkina in the overall standings, but both won’t play in the final leg. Nana Dzagnidze (180), Kateryna Lagno (180), Anna Muzychuk (165), Alina Kashlinskaya (130) and Mariya Muzychuk (120) all have a chance to pick up the needed points in Gibraltar and claim the qualifying spot. Winning an event scores 160 points, second place – 130, and third – 110.

Participants:

1. IM Gunay Mammadzada 2443 (AZE)

2. IM Irina Bulmaga 2440 (ROU)

3. IM Zhansaya Abdumalik 2472 (KAZ)

4. GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 (UKR)

5. GM Nana Dzagnidze 2524 (GEO)

6. IM Alina Kashlinskaya 2494 (RUS)

7. GM Valentina Gunina 2421 (RUS)

8. GM Kateryna Lagno 2546 (RUS)

9. GM Anna Muzychuk 2535 (UKR)

10. IM Dinara Saduakassova 2500 (KAZ)

11. IM Elisabeth Paehtz 2467 (GER)

12. GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2470 (BUL)

Pairings:

Round 1 on Saturday 22nd May

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

Round 2 on Sunday 23rd May

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494)

GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524)

IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544)

IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472)

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Irina Bulmaga (2440)

Round 3 on Monday 24th May

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)

GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

GM Valentina Gunina (2421) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

Round 4 on Tuesday 25th May

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494)

IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524)

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544)

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472)

Round 5 on Wednesday 26th May

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) – IM Irina Bulmaga (2440)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

GM Valentina Gunina (2421) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

Round 6 on Thursday 27th May

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494)

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524)

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544)

Round 7 on Saturday 29th May

GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472)

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – IM Irina Bulmaga (2440)

GM Valentina Gunina (2421) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)

GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

Round 8 on Sunday 30th May

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494)

GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524)

Round 9 on Monday 31st May

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544)

GM Valentina Gunina (2421) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472)

GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Irina Bulmaga (2440)

GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)

IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

Round 10 on Tuesday 1st June

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)

IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)

IM Irina Bulmaga (2440) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)

IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)

GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) – GM Valentina Gunina (2421)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494)

Round 11 on Wednesday 2nd June

IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2470)

GM Valentina Gunina (2421) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524)

GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544)

GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2472)

IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Irina Bulmaga (2440)

IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)

British legend Nigel Short, WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni will do the live commentary and former world champion Veselin Topalov will join the second week as FIDE mentioned in a tweet

Source

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