Hou Yifan Wins Rostov Grand Prix
Women's World Champion Hou Yifan finished on a score of 8/11 to claim victory in the first Women's Grand Prix of the 2011/12 series in Rostov.
After a tremendous 5½/6 start to the competition, Hou never looked likely to be caught.
Second place goes to Kateryna Lahno, the only player to beat Hou in their individual game.
Humpy Koneru, who will challenge Hou Yifan for the world title in Nov/Dec could only finish in the middle of the 12-strong field.
Former champion Alexandra Kosteniuk had a nightmare time throughout, capped by losing in the final round to finish last.
The final cross-table:
| Hou, Yifan | CHN | 2575 | * | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Lahno, Kateryna | UKR | 2536 | 1 | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| Muzychuk, Anna | SLO | 2538 | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 6½ |
| Kosintseva, Tatiana | RUS | 2557 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 6½ |
| Kosintseva, Nadezhda | RUS | 2560 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Koneru, Humpy | IND | 2614 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5½ |
| Galliamova, Alisa | RUS | 2492 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5½ |
| Stefanova, Antoaneta | BUL | 2524 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5 |
| Danielian, Elina | ARM | 2521 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Ruan, Lufei | CHN | 2479 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 4½ |
| Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina | RUS | 2427 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 3½ |
| Kosteniuk, Alexandra | RUS | 2497 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | 3 |
Hou Yifan receives her prize from FIDE president Kirsan Illyumzhinov
The winner of each of the six Grand Prix tournaments in the series will win 6,500 euros out of a prize fund of 40,000 euros, and the overall winner will win a further 15,000 euros.
The regulations for the 2011/12 Grand Prix can be found here.
Pictures from the official website.
