Georgian chess player Bela Khotenashvili (2505) has a good chance of winning the first tournament of Grand Prix first series. Khotenashvili has 7.5 points before the last round of the prestigious tournament which is underway in the city of Switzerland, Geneva. The Georgian is a leader.
The previous round turned out successful for the Georgian participants. Khotenashvili and Nana Dzagnidze (2545) celebrated victories. Bela defeated Kateryna Lahno of Ukraine (2548) with white pieces. Nana beat Wenjun Ju of China (2544) with white pieces too.
Khotenashvili earned 7.5 points and is 0.5 point ahead of Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia (2585) who played draw with Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania (2522). In the last round Bela will play against current world champion Anna Ushenina (Ukraine, 2491) and Muzychuk – against Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia (2491) with white pieces.
Dzagnidze will play against Yifan Hou of China (2617). The Georgian has 5.5 points and is in the 4th place. Nana earned 3 wins. Khotenashvili won 7 (!) from 10 games. Muzychuk and Russian Tatiana Kosintseva (2517) have 4-4 points and are in the second-third places.
Each chess player must participate in four-four tournaments of Grand Prix. Tbilisi will host V stage. The next tournament will be held from June 18 to July 2 in 2014.
Grand Prix consists of six stages. 60 000 EUR is for each stage: I place – 10 000 EUR (+160 ქულა), II – 8 250 (+130), III – 6 750 (+120), IV – 5 750 (+90), V – 5 000 (+80), VI – 4 500 (+70), VII – 4 250 (+60), VIII – 4 000 (+50), IX – 3 250 (+40), X – 3 000 (+30), XI – 2 750 (+20), XII – 2 500 (+10).
Winner of Grand Prix will play against champion of the planet in 2015. The champion of the planet is Anna Ushenina who won the championship by knockdown system. This year Ushenina will play against Yifan Hou (China), two-time world champion and winner of Grand Prix 2011-12.
Dato Manjavidze
