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FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship

FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship

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The FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship was an online competition for female players held between June 18 and July 20, 2020. The format consisted of four separate stages. GM Anna Ushenina defeated GM Alexandra Kosteniuk in the Super Final on July 20, 2020.


FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix | Final Standings

# Fed Name Rating Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 4 Score TB1
1 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2521 6 6 12 24 86.5
2 Anna Ushenina 2387 12 8 2 22 69
3 Valentina Gunina 2476 8 12 2 22 68
4 Kateryna Lagno 2608 2 6 12 20 73
5 Hou Yifan 2601 2 8 6 16 69.5
6 S Khademalsharieh 2431 5 5 5 15 64
7 Humpy Koneru 2483 0 2 8 10 37.5
8 Vaishali R 2313 5 2 0 7 33.5
9 Ju Wenjun 2536 2 0 2 4 29
10 Harika Dronavalli 2422 0 2 2 4 27.5
11 Zhansaya Abdumalik 2409 0 2 2 4 21.5
12 Olga Girya 2297 2 0 0 2 21
13 Anna Muzychuk 2505 0 0 2 2 17.5
14 Le Thao Nguyen Pham 2325 2 0 0 2 16.5
15 Munkhzul Turmunkh 2235 2 0 0 2 16.5
16 Deysi Cori 2391 0 0 0 0 12.5
17 Irina Krush 2342 0 0 0 0 12
18 Bibisara Assaubayeva 2232 0 0 0 0 12
19 Tatev Abrahamyan 2352 0 0 0 0 11
20 Ning Kaiyu 2013 0 0 0 0 8.5
21 Gunay Mammadzada 2242 0 0 0 0 6.5
Wildcard Antoaneta Stefanova 2485 0 0 5
Below are the four stages, and in a final paragraph we deal with fair play issues:

1. Titled Swiss Tournaments

The first stage will comprise a total of six Swiss tournaments open to any titled women player (WCM/WFM/WIM/WGM/FM/IM/GM), to be played between June 18 and June 23.

The first three Swiss tournaments will start at 7 a.m. Pacific time / 16:00 Central Europe. The last three will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time / 18:00 Central Europe.

Players can register by navigating to the upcoming tournaments tab located at the top right at Chess.com/live starting from one hour before each qualifier begins. 

Tournament tab Chess.com
How to find upcoming tournaments on Chess.com/live.

All participants must have their full legal name in their profile or will be removed from the competition.

These Swiss tournaments will be played under different time controls:

  • I & IV are 9-round events with a time control of 5 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • II & V are 13-round events with a time control of 3 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • III & VI are 21-round events with a time control of 1 minute + 1 second per move.

The eight first players of each Titled Swiss Tournament will qualify for a Playoff Qualifier held right after. Any player is allowed to play an unlimited number of Titled Swiss Tournaments.

2. Playoff Qualifiers

The eight players qualified from each Titled Swiss (from I to VI) play a two-round knockout Playoff Qualifier held the same day, right after the respective Swiss tournament.

These playoffs will be played under the same time-control as the Swiss tournament that preceded them:

  • I & IV are two-game matches with the time control 5 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • II & V are two-game matches with the time control 3 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • III & VI are two-game matches with the time control 1 minute + 1 second per move.

In the case of a tie, an armageddon game is played with 5 minutes vs. 4 minutes and Black having draw odds. The two finalists of each Playoff Qualifier advance to the next stage.

3. Grand Prix

The Grand Prix will consist of four legs, with a total of 21 participants. Each of the 21 players participates in three out of four Grand Prix legs. 

12 players have qualified through the Swiss events and Playoffs, while nine players are seeded. These nine players were nominated by FIDE and Chess.com. 

The full list of seeded players:

  • Hou Yifan (China)
  • Ju Wenjun (China)
  • Kateryna Lagno (Russia)
  • Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia)
  • Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine)
  • Irina Krush (USA)
  • Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan)
  • Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Iran)
  • Humpy Koneru (India)

The full list of qualified players:

  • Valentina Gunina (Russia)
  • Harika Dronavalli (India)
  • Deysi Cori (Peru)
  • Anna Ushenina (Ukraine)
  • Tatev Abrahamyan (USA)
  • Le Thao Nguyen Pham (Vietnam)
  • Vaishali R (India)
  • Olga Girya (Russia)
  • Munkhzul Turmunkh (Mongolia)
  • Gunay Mammadzada (Azerbaijan)
  • Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan)
  • Ning Kaiyu (China)

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich has selected Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) to be the Women's Speed Chess Championship wild card. She will take part in just one of the Grand Prix legs.

Each Grand Prix leg is a 16-player knockout and will last five days (including one rest day after the semi-finals). The dates will be June 24-28, July 01-05, July 08-12, and July 15-19, with games starting at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time / 14:30 Central Europe.

Allocation of players (X = not playing)

# Fed Name Rating Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 4
1 Kateryna Lagno 2608 X
2 Hou Yifan 2601 X
3 Ju Wenjun 2536 X
4 Alexandra Kosteniuk 2521 X
5 Anna Muzychuk 2505 X
6 Humpy Koneru 2483 X
7 Valentina Gunina 2476 X
8 Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 2431 X
9 Harika Dronavalli 2422 X
10 Zhansaya Abdumalik 2409 X
11 Deysi Cori 2391 X
12 Anna Ushenina 2387 X
13 Tatev Abrahamyan 2352 X
14 Irina Krush 2342 X
15 Le Thao Nguyen Pham 2325 X
16 Vaishali Rameshbabu 2313 X
17 Olga Girya 2297 X
18 Gunay Mammadzada 2242 X
19 Munkhzul Turmunkh 2235 X
20 Bibisara Assaubayeva 2232 X
21 Ning Kaiyu 2013 X
Wildcard Antoaneta Stefanova 2485 X X X

All matches in each Grand Prix leg are divided into three segments:

  • 30-minute segment of matches with the time control 5 minutes + 1 second per move
  • 30-minute segment of matches with the time control 3 minutes + 1 second per move
  • 10-minute segment of matches with the time control 1 minute + 1 second per move

In each Grand Prix leg, every player scores cumulative grand prix points according to her position in the final standings (for details, please the check full tournament regulations). The two players who score the highest number of cumulative grand prix points in all three Grand Prix legs qualify for the Super Final.

Each one of the Grand Prix legs has a total prize fund of $10,300 with $3,000 going to the winner.

Grand Prix Leg 1 Schedule

Date Time (PT) Time (CET) Stage Player Player
June 24 5:30 14:30 Round of 16 Kateryna Lagno Ning Kaiyu
June 24 5:30 14:30 Round of 16 Ju Wenjun Bibisara Assaubayeva
June 24 5:30 14:30 Round of 16 Zhansaya Abdumalik Anna Ushenina
June 24 5:30 14:30 Round of 16 Anna Muzychuk Munkhzul Turmunkh
June 24 7:00 16:00 Round of 16 Antoaneta Stefanova Vaishali R
June 24 7:00 16:00 Round of 16 Humpy Koneru Le Thao Nguyen Pham
June 24 7:00 16:00 Round of 16 Valentina Gunina Tatev Abrahamyan
June 24 7:00 16:00 Round of 16 Alexandra Kosteniuk Gunay Mammadzada
June 25 5:30 14:30 Quarterfinal Kateryna Lagno Anna Ushenina
June 25 5:30 14:30 Quarterfinal Alexandra Kosteniuk Le Thao Nguyen Pham
June 25 7:00 16:30 Quarterfinal Ju Wenjun Valentina Gunina
June 25 7:00 16:00 Quarterfinal Vaishali R Munkhzul Turmunkh
June 26 5:30 14:30 Semifinal Anna Ushenina Vaishali R
June 26 7:00 16:00 Semifinal Alexandra Kosteniuk Valentina Gunina

Grand Prix Leg 2 Schedule

Date Time (PT) Stage Player Player
July 1 5:30 Round of 16 Kateryna Lagno Ning Kaiyu
July 1 5:30 Round of 16 Valentina Gunina Le Thao Nguyen Pham
July 1 5:30 Round of 16 Anna Muzychuk Vaishali R
July 1 5:30 Round of 16 Hou Yifan Gunay Mammadzada
July 1 7:00 Round of 16 Zhansaya Abdumalik Deysi Cori
July 1 7:00 Round of 16 Harika Dronavalli Anna Ushenina
July 1 7:00 Round of 16 Ju Wenjun Olga Girya
July 1 7:00 Round of 16 Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh Irina Krush

Grand Prix Leg 3 Schedule

Date Time (PT) Stage Player Player
July 8 5:30 Round of 16 Kateryna Lagno Bibisara Assaubayeva
July 8 5:30 Round of 16 Humpy Koneru Vaishali R
July 8 5:30 Round of 16 Hou Yifan Munkzhul Turmunkh
July 8 5:30 Round of 16 Ju Wenjun Gunay Mammadzada
July 8 7:00 Round of 16 Deysi Cori Anna Ushenina
July 8 7:00 Round of 16 Alexandra Kosteniuk Olga Girya
July 8 7:00 Round of 16 Harika Dronavalli Tatev Abrahamyan
July 8 7:00 Round of 16 Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh Irina Krush

Grand Prix Leg 4 Schedule

Date Time (PT) Stage Player Player
July 15 5:30 Round of 16 Hou Yifan Ning Kaiyu
July 15 5:30 Round of 16 Alexandra Kosteniuk Bibisara Assaubayeva
July 15 5:30 Round of 16 Valentina Gunina Le Thao Nguyen Pham
July 15 5:30 Round of 16 Anna Muzychuk Munkhzul Turmunkh
July 15 7:00 Round of 16 Zhansaya Abdumalik Deysi Cori
July 15 7:00 Round of 16 Humpy Koneru Olga Girya
July 15 7:00 Round of 16 Harika Dronavalli Tatev Abrahamyan
July 15 7:00 Round of 16 Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh Irina Krush

4. Super Final

The two best players of the Grand Prix will play the Women's Speed Chess Championship Super Final match on the International Chess Day, July 20.

The match will be divided into three segments:

  • 90-minute segment of matches with the time control 5 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • 60-minute segment of matches with the time control 3 minutes + 1 second per move.
  • 30-minute segment of matches with the time control 1 minute + 1 second per move.

Games that start but "run over" the overall countdown clock count towards the final score. The player who accumulates the most points wins the match.

The Super Final has a prize fund of $10,000 with $6,500 going to the winner and $3,500 to the runner-up. These amounts are free of taxes.

Fair Play

Important: All players are subject to random fair play proctoring and therefore must have a webcam and microphone in order to participate. Any player who enters the top-20 in the standings of any Swiss qualifier will be required to join a zoom call with screen share, playing area check, and other fair play measures. This will be a rolling policy for all participants. The zoom link will be sent via Chess.com chat directly in live chess.

Broadcast and streaming:

All FIDE Women's Speed Chess Championship matches will be broadcast live with chess-master commentary onChess.com/TV.

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