Gunina Wins Batumi Grand Prix

Valentina Gunina convincingly won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Batumi, Georgia. The Russian player secured victory with a round to spare and finished on 7.5/11, a full point more than her compatriot Alexandra Kosteniuk.

All photos courtesy of FIDE.

The third leg of the 2015-2016 Women's Grand Prix series was held at the 5-star Intourist Palace Hotel in Georgia's Batumi along the Black Sea.  This 12-player round robin was organized by the Georgian Chess Federation in partnership with FIDE and took place 19 April - 2 May 2016.

Besides two former world champions, Maria Muzychuk of Ukraine and Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia, there were four local players: Nana Dzagnidze, Nino Batshiashvili, Bela Khotenashvili and Lela Javakishvili. The total field for this rather strong women-only tournament included eight GMs, three IMs and one WGM.

It doesn't happen often, but the winner actually started with a loss. Gunina went down against her compatriot Olga Girya in a very shaky game.

Girya as black vs Gunina. | Photo Anastasiya Karlovich.

Gunina recovered quickly with two wins in a row. Her encounter with ex-world champion Mariya Muzychuk was a sharp affair in a popular line these days: the 3.f3 Grünfeld. It was a great example of an attack that was winning because it was in fifth gear from the start.

Gunina going for the attack. | Photo Anastasiya Karlovich.

The next round Gunina lost again to drop back to 50 percent but then she went in old Soviet style mode, winning her remaining four white games and drawing her three black games. 

In round seven another Muzychuk sister got to try it against that 3.f3 line, but Anna, who would finish a point ahead of her younger sister, also failed.

Gunina vs the Muzychuk sisters: 2-0

Gunina's ninth round win over Kosteniuk was crucial, and a big fight:

Batumi Women's Grand Prix | Final Standings

#	Name	Rtg	Perf	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	Pts	SB
1	Gunina	2497	2633		1	½	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	½	7.5/11
2	Kosteniuk	2557	2559	0		½	½	1	½	1	1	½	0	1	½	6.5/11
3	Batsiashvili	2476	2534	½	½		1	0	½	½	1	½	1	0	½	6.0/11	33.00
4	A.Muzychuk	2555	2528	0	½	0		½	1	1	½	½	1	½	½	6.0/11	31.25
5	Dzagnidze	2535	2498	1	0	1	½		½	0	1	0	½	½	½	5.5/11	31.00
6	Skripchenko	2453	2504	½	½	½	0	½		0	½	1	½	½	1	5.5/11	29.00
7	Zhao Xue	2504	2501	0	0	½	0	1	1		0	½	1	½	1	5.5/11	27.75
8	Girya	2442	2474	1	0	0	½	0	½	1		0	½	1	½	5.0/11	27.75
9	M.Muzychuk	2561	2464	0	½	½	½	1	0	½	1		½	0	½	5.0/11	27.00
10	Javakhishvili	2489	2470	0	1	0	0	½	½	0	½	½		1	1	5.0/11	25.50
11	Danielian	2445	2442	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	0		½	4.5/11
12	Khotenashvili	2493	2405	½	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	½		4.0/11

The total prize fund for the Batumi Grand Prix was 60,000 euros, with 10.000 euros going to Gunina, who is now also leading the overall standings. Unlike the 'general' Grand Prix there's an accumulated fund for the overall best placed women of the series.

2015-2016 Women's GP | Standings

During the last Presidential Board meeting, held in Moscow alongside the Candidates' Tournament in March of this year, it was decided to have five instead of four tournaments in this Grand Prix series. Each of the twenty participants series has the right to play in three of the five events. The player accumulating the highest number of points in this Grand Prix series earns the right to play a match with against the 2017 women's world champion.

Reigning World Champion Hou Yifan of China withdrew from the Grand Prix cycle. This means that the only way for Hou Yifan to qualify for the next world title match is to win the knockout world championship; in women's chess the world championship alternates as a match and a knockout each time.