The FIDE women’s Grand Prix chess is set for a fascinating finale. Three players — Indians Koneru Humpy and D. Harika and Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria — will go into the final round on Thursday with hopes of winning the trophy.
To make it even more interesting, top-seeded Humpy and Stefanova, seeded seventh but a former World champion, come face to face. Humpy will play with white. Fifth seed Harika has a much easier task, as she will be meeting Russia’s Olga Girya, the lowest-ranked player among the 12 women competing in the tournament. And she will have white pieces.
Besides, the fifth-seeded Harika is half-a-point ahead of her two rivals. After drawing with China’s Zhao Xue in the 10th round on Wednesday, the Hyderabad player has 6.5 points. So, all she needs is to avoid a loss, to win — or at least share — the top prize.
Harika, thus, is still sitting pretty in this fourth of the five Grand Prix events for 2015-16. She is one of the two unbeaten players in the tournament, Stefanova being the other.
Should she falter at the last hurdle, either Humpy or Stefanova could come first, provided there is a decisive result in their game.
It was her victory with black pieces over 2015 World champion and fourth seed Mariya Muzychuk that has put Humpy back in contention, after suffering two losses in the second half of the tournament.
The results (10th round): Zhoa Xue (Chn) 4.5 drew with Dronavalli Harika (Ind) 6.5; Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul) 6 drew with Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 5; Bela Khotenashvili (Geo) 5.5 bt Pia Cramling (Swe) 3.5.
Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) 5 lost to Koneru Humpy (Ind) 6; Olga Girya (Rus) 4.5 drew with Ju Wenjun (Chn) 5.5; Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 3.5 drew with Lela Javakhishvili (Geo) 4.5. — Sports Bureau
