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The final stage of Women’s Grand Prix starts in few days |
The sixth and final stage of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014 will take place at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, (UAE) from the 24th of August until the 7th of September 2014.
Over eleven rounds, twelve of the strongest women players in the world will compete in the round robin tournament with the standard FIDE time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 30 minutes being added at that point and an additional 30 seconds per move through the entire game.
 The previous five stages of Grand Prix Series were held in Geneva, Dilijan, Tashkent, Khanty-Mansiysk and Lopota.
While Hou Yifan was concentrated in winning World Championship title in the match against Anna Ushenina, Indian player Humpy Koneru took a lead in Grand Prix Series after two convincing victories in Dilijan and Tashkent in 2013.
In 2014 World Champion Hou Yifan responded with victories in Khanty-Mansiysk and Lopota and, as a result, both of the players are on the top (Humpy Koneru leads with the small margin) and have equal chances for the victory in overall series 2013-2014 and qualification to the Women’s World Championship match 2015. 
Amongst the 12 participants there are the current Women World Champion Hou Yifan, two former Women World Champions Anna Ushenina (Ukraine), Zhu Chen (Qatar), top players from India Humpy Koneru and Harika Dronavalli, two-times European champion Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia), top players from China Zhao Xue (China) and Ju Wenjun, Mongolian player Tuvshintugs Batchimeg, Nafisa Muminova (Uzbekistan), Elina Danielian (Armenia), Alina L’Ami (Romania). The average rating of the tournament is 2492.
The prize money which will be offered by host city is 75,000 Euros and is split 60,000 Euros as direct prize money for the tournament and 15,000 Euros towards an accumulated prize fund for the players at the end of the series. The winner of Grand Prix in Sharjah will get 10,000 Euro.
The Classic Jewelry House Lobortas will also award the winner of Grand Prix Series with the special cup. The trophy consists of precious elements and stones of varying size, including silver, gold and diamonds. The Classic Jewelry House Lobortas has experience addressing the FIDE’s needs, having previously created for the FIDE the Large and Small Chess Cups "Caissa". World Champion Hou Yifan was the one who got the award “Caissa” during Istanbul Chess Olympiad in 2012.
The Women Grand Prix Series consists of six tournaments that are being held over a two year period between 2013 and 2014. 18 top players participate in 4 of these 6 tournaments. The winner of the Grand Prix series will play a ten-game World Championship match with the Women’s World Champion; which will be determined during Women World Championship in the third quarter of 2015.
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