Hou Yifan or Humpy Koneru? Final Women's GP Under Way in Sharjah

PeterDoggers
on 26.08.14 02:06.
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The final stage of the 2013-2014 Women Grand Prix Series, under way in Sharjah, UAE will answer the question whether Hou Yifan or Humpy Koneru will emerge as the overall winner. That player will challenge the 2014 Women's World Chess champion in a ten-game match.
Each women GP tournament is a 12-player, single round-robin with a 60,000 EUR prize fund. Eighteen players all play four of the six tournaments, in which they accumulate Grand Prix points: 160 grand prix points for first place, 130 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points by steps of 10. Only the best three tournament results are counted.
The 2013-2014 Grand Prix series started with a surprising victory for Bela Khotenashvili (Georgia) in Geneva, Switzerland. The next two GPs were won by Humpy Koneru (India), in Dilijan, Armenia and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The following two were also won by one player: Hou Yifan (China) was victorious in both Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia and Lopota, Georgia.
The sixth and final Grand Prix was opened last Sunday in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The games will be played at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club. The tournament will mostly be about the fight between Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru, who are number 2 and 1 in the overall standings. Will the reigning world champion gain 5 points or more than her rival, win her third GP in a row and take the trophy?

Women GP 2013-2014 | Standings After 5 Tournaments

#	Player	Rtg	Geneva	Dilijan	Tashkent	Khanty-Mansiysk	Lopota	Sharjah	Played	Best 3
1	Koneru,H	2598		160	160		50	x	3	370
2	Hou,Y	2661	45			160	160	x	3	365
3	Muzychuk,A	2555	130	120		85	50		4	335
4	Dzagnidze,N	2550	100	120		65	90		4	310
5	Khotenashvili,B	2494	160	10	120		20		4	300
6	Lagno,K	2540	60		120	85			3	265
6	Ju,W	2559	75		70		120	x	3	265
8	Dronavalli,H	2521		60	85		75	x	3	220
9	Girya,O	2484	10	30	55	130			4	215
9	Kosteniuk,A	2531	45		55	110	50		4	215
11	Kosintseva,T	2494	100	90		15		x	3	205
12	Stefanova,A	2505		60	30	65	75		4	200
13	Ushenina,A	2487	75	80		45		x	3	200
14	Danielian,E	2490		30	40		120	x	3	190
15	Zhao,X	2508			85	45	30	x	3	160
16	Batchimeg,T	2346	20	60		15		x	3	95
17	Cmilyte,V	2525	30	30					2	60
17	Muminova,N	2315			20	30	10	x	3	60
19	Nakhbayeva,G	2336			10				1	10
20	L'Ami,A	2446						x	0	0
21	Zhu,C	2461						x	0	0

The first round definitely went her way, as Hou Yifan started with a win, while Humpy Koneru lost her first game. Nafisa Muminova of Uzbekistan was hanging on for a long time, but as soon as Hou Yifan's attack started there was no chance for survival.