Hou Yifan Finishes Two Points Ahead in Lopota, Ju Wenjun & Danielian Second
Hou Yifan won the Women's Grand Prix tournament in Lopota, Georgia on Tuesday after dominating the event from start to finish. The 20-year-old Chinese grandmaster eventually scored 9.0/11 (a 2772 performance), and that was 2 points more than Ju Wenjun of China and Elina Danielian Armenia. Hou won €10,000 with her victory.
After the second rest day the last three rounds were played on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Hou Yifan was enjoying a commanding lead, being 1.5 points ahead of Ju Wenjun and Nana Dzagnidze. In the 9th round she immediately increased that lead to a full two points.
Third seeded Anna Muzychuk, who recently changed federations back to Ukraine, had an off-day:
In the same round, the game between Danielian and Koneru saw a dramatic finish.
A 3000+ performance was theoretically possible, but the next day the women's world champion decided to secure her first place in the tournament with a quick (but entertaining!) draw against ex-world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Hou Yifan finished with another draw, against Danielian, to set her final score at a splendid 9.0/11. She won 18.1 rating points in Lopota to reach 2647.1 in the live ratings - only 28.9 points behind Judit Polgar.
Khotenashvili made her home crowd happy with a crushing victory over Koneru:
Lopota GP 2014 | Final Standings
| # | Name | Rtg | Perf | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Pts | SB |
| 1 | Hou Yifan | 2629 | 2772 |  |
1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9.0/11 | |
| 2 | Ju Wenjun | 2532 | 2616 | 0 | |
1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7.0/11 | 34.75 |
| 3 | Danielian,E | 2460 | 2623 | ½ | 0 | |
½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 7.0/11 | 34.00 |
| 4 | Dzagnidze,N | 2541 | 2582 | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.5/11 | |
| 5 | Harika,D | 2503 | 2553 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6.0/11 | 30.75 |
| 6 | Stefanova,A | 2488 | 2555 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6.0/11 | 27.75 |
| 7 | Koneru,H | 2613 | 2513 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 5.5/11 | 28.75 |
| 8 | Kosteniuk,A | 2532 | 2520 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5.5/11 | 27.25 |
| 9 | Muzychuk,A | 2561 | 2517 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
½ | 1 | 1 | 5.5/11 | 23.75 |
| 10 | Zhao Xue | 2538 | 2387 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
½ | 1 | 3.5/11 | |
| 11 | Khotenashvili,B | 2518 | 2351 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
0 | 3.0/11 | |
| 12 | Muminova,N | 2332 | 2218 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
1.5/11 |
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The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013–2014 is a series of six chess tournaments with all players playing four. Bela Khotenashvili won the first, in 2013 in Geneva. Also in 2013, Humpy Koneru won both the Grand Prixs in Dilijan and in Tashkent and Hou Yifan has now won both 2014 events, in Khanty-Mansiysk and Lopota.
The GP winner will challenge the 2014 women's world champion in a ten-game match. Should the Grand Prix winner be the 2014 World Champion, the Grand Prix runner-up will play the 2015 championship. These are the standings with one more leg to go (24 August – 7 September 2014 in Erdenet, Mongolia):
Women's Grand Prix 2013-2014 | Standings
| # | Player | July Rtg | Geneva | Dilijan | Tashkent | Khanty-Mansiysk | Lopota | Erdenet | Played | Best 3 |
| 1 | Koneru | 2613 | 160 | 160 | 50 | x | 3 | 370 | ||
| 2 | Hou | 2629 | 45 | 160 | 160 | x | 3 | 365 | ||
| 3 | Muzychuk | 2561 | 130 | 120 | 85 | 50 | 4 | 335 | ||
| 4 | Dzagnidze | 2541 | 100 | 120 | 65 | 90 | 4 | 310 | ||
| 5 | Khotenashvili | 2518 | 160 | 10 | 120 | 20 | 4 | 300 | ||
| 6-7 | Lahno | 2540 | 60 | 120 | 85 | x | 3 | 265 | ||
| 6-7 | Ju | 2538 | 75 | 70 | 120 | x | 3 | 265 | ||
| 8-9 | Harika | 2513 | 60 | 85 | 75 | x | 3 | 220 | ||
| 8-9 | Girya | 2493 | 10 | 30 | 55 | 130 | 4 | 215 | ||
| 10 | Kosteniuk | 2533 | 45 | 55 | 110 | 50 | 4 | 215 | ||
| 11 | T.Kosintseva | 2476 | 100 | 90 | 15 | x | 3 | 205 | ||
| 12 | Stefanova | 2488 | 60 | 30 | 65 | 75 | 4 | 200 | ||
| 13 | Ushenina | 2488 | 75 | 80 | 45 | x | 3 | 200 | ||
| 14 | Danielian | 2458 | 30 | 40 | 120 | ? | 3 | 190 | ||
| 15 | Zhao | 2542 | 85 | 45 | 30 | x | 3 | 160 | ||
| 16 | Tuvshintugs | 2346 | 20 | 60 | 15 | x | 3 | 95 | ||
| 17-18 | Cmilyte | 2525 | 30 | 30 | x | 2 | 60 | |||
| 17-18 | Muminova | 2332 | 20 | 30 | 10 | x | 3 | 60 | ||
| 19 | Nakhbayeva | 2300 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Source: Wikipedia
The Women Grand Prix took place 19 June - 1 July in Lopota, Georgia. Thanks to press officer in Lopota, Alina l'Ami. All photos courtesy of the official website | Games via TWIC
Earlier reports
- Rounds 5-8: Lopota GP: Hou Yifan Closing in on Polgar
- Rounds 1-4: Hou Yifan Leads Lopota Grand Prix After Round 4
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