Danielian March Sees Dzagnidze Home
Elina Danielian's fantastic performance in the Doha Grand Prix continued in round nine with a fine win against Martha Fierro Baquero to maintain her lead of a full point at the top of the standings.
Humpy Koneru's battle to finish first now seems all but over, as she failed to convert a promising position against Xu Yuhua.
That means that Nana Dzagnidze looks set to claim the best finish in the Grand Prix series behind the current world champion, Hou Yifan, thereby earning a shot at the title, despite badly losing her game today.
Elina Danielian has plenty to smile about in Doha
More information is available at the official website.
The standings with two rounds remaining:
| Danielian, Elina | ARM | 2454 | * | 1 | 0 | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 7½ |
| Sebag, Marie | FRA | 2489 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6½ |
| Koneru, Humpy | IND | 2607 | 1 | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | . | 6 |
| Dzagnidze, Nana | GEO | 2550 | 0 | 0 | 1 | * | 0 | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | 5 |
| Cramling, Pia | SWE | 2516 | . | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | ½ | 4½ |
| Chiburdanidze, Maia | GEO | 2502 | 0 | . | 0 | . | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4½ |
| Mkrtchian, Lilit | ARM | 2475 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | . | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Fierro Baquero, Martha |
ECU | 2353 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | . | * | 1 | ½ | . | 1 | 4 |
| Munguntuul, Batkhuyag | MGL | 2410 | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | * | . | 0 | 1 | 3½ |
| Stefanova, Antoaneta | BUL | 2546 | . | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Xu, Yuhua | CHN | 2484 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | . | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | 3 |
| Zhu, Chen | QAT | 2495 | 0 | 0 | . | . | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | * | 2½ |
