Sharjah: China’s Ju Wenjun beat compatriot Hou Yifan in a tie-break to win the final leg of the six-stage FIDE Women’s Grand Prix at Sharjah Chess Club on Saturday.
Yifan caught up with Wenjun in the last round to tie for first with 8.5 points apiece after beating Romania’s Alina L’Almi, following Wenjun’s draw against Russia’s Tatiana Kosintseva. But it was Wenjun who had the last say in the decider.
India’s Harika Dronavalli also beat Mongolia’s Batchimeg Tuvshintugs, and took third position thanks to a tiebreak, despite being level in a four-way draw on 6.5 points apiece with Tuvshintugs, China’s Zhao Xue and the Ukraine’s Ana Ushenina.
Yifan had already clinched the €25,000 (Dh118,937) overall series prize and took a further €9000 along with Wenjun for her top two tournament finish.
India’s Koneru Humpy won €20,000 for her overall second-place series finish, after finishing seventh in Sharjah on 5.5 points.
Should Yifan, who is the reigning women’s world champion, successfully defend her title later this year, Humpy will be the challenger to play a 10-game match against Yifan next year.
Earlier, Hou Yifan had clinched the Grand Prix and the top prize of €25,000. Koneru Humpy of India finished second for €20,000 out of the total €90,000 in cash prizes for the Grand Prix. Should Hou Yifan, who is the reigning women’s world champion, also win the coming Women’s World Championship later this year, then Koneru shall be the Challenger to play a 10-game match with Hou Yifan next year.
In the Sharjah leg, Koneru placed seventh with 5½ points. She smashed the Modern Benoni defence of Elina Danielan of Armenia in 38 moves by checkmate. Danielan finished with 5 points followed by Kosintseva with 4½ points and Zhu Chen with 3½ points, Muminova with 3 points and winless Alina L’Ami with 1½ points.
