# FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011–12

The FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011–12 was a series of six chess tournaments exclusively for women, which formed part of the qualification cycle for the Women's World Chess Championship 2013. The winner of the Grand Prix, Hou Yifan, will challenge the 2012 Women's World Chess champion.

## Format

18 top world women players were to be selected to compete in these tournaments. Each player agrees and will contract to participate in exactly four of these tournaments. Players must rank their preference of tournaments once the final list of host cities is announced and the dates are allocated to each host city.
Each tournament is a 12-player, single round-robin tournament. In each round, players scored 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw and 0 for a loss. Grand prix points were then allocated according to each player's standing in the tournament: 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. In case of a tie in points the tied players share grand pix points evenly. Players only counted their best three tournament results. The player with the most grand prix points is the winner.

## Players and qualification

There were several ways to qualify for the Grand Prix series.
* The top four from the Women's World Chess Championship 2010:
** Hou Yifan, Ruan Lufei, Koneru Humpy, and Zhao Xue.
* The winner of the previous Grand Prix
** (As Hou Yifan was already qualified an additional sixth rating entry was given)
* The six highest rated players (average of July 2010 and January 2011 lists) not already qualified:
** Judit Polgár (declined), Tatiana Kosintseva, Antoaneta Stefanova, Nadezhda Kosintseva, Anna Muzychuk, and Kateryna Lahno.
* Two players nominated by the FIDE president:
** Zhu Chen and Batkhuyag Munguntuul.
* One nominee from each of the six host cities:
** Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (Rostov), Ju Wenjun (Shenzhen), Alexandra Kosteniuk (Nalchik), Alisa Galliamova (Kazan), Elina Danielian (Jermuk), and Betul Cemre Yildiz (Istanbul).
Polgár, the highest rated woman in the world, has never competed for the women's title and declined to participate in this cycle as well, so her spot was given to the next player on the average rating list, Viktorija Cmilyte.
At the second tournament in Shenzhen, Tan Zhongyi replaced Alisa Galliamova.

## Prize money and Grand Prix points

The prize fund was €40,000 per Grand Prix event and €60,000 for the overall Grand Prix placement.
| Place | Single Grand Prix event | Overall standings | Grand Prix points |
| 1 | €6,500 | €15,000 | 160 |
| 2 | €4,750 | €10,000 | 130 |
| 3 | €4,000 | €8,000 | 110 |
| 4 | €3,750 | €7,000 | 90 |
| 5 | €3,500 | €6,000 | 80 |
| 6 | €3,250 | €5,000 | 70 |
| 7 | €3,000 | €4,000 | 60 |
| 8 | €2,750 | €3,000 | 50 |
| 9 | €2,500 | €2,000 | 40 |
| 10 | €2,250 | – | 30 |
| 11 | €2,000 | – | 20 |
| 12 | €1,750 | – | 10 |

## Tie breaks

With the objective of determining a clear, single winner to play in the Challenger Match and in the case that two or more players have equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria (in descending order) will be utilized to decide the overall winner:
* The fourth result not already in the top three performances
* The number of actual game points scored in the four tournaments
* The number of first-place finishes
* The number of second-place finishes
* The number of won games
* Drawing of lots

## Results

The six tournaments were:
| Nr | Host city | Date | Winner | Points (Win/Draw/Loss) |
| 1 | Rostov, Russia | 1–15 August 2011 | Hou Yifan | 8/11 (+6 =4 –1) |
| 2 | Shenzhen, China | 6–20 September 2011 | Hou Yifan | 8/11 (+5 =6 –0) |
| 3 | Nalchik, Russia | 8–23 October 2011 | Zhao Xue | 9.5/11 (+9 =1 –1) |
| 4 | Kazan, Russia | 10–21 June 2012 | Koneru Humpy and Anna Muzychuk | 7.5/11 (+4 =7 –0) |
| 5 | Jermuk, Armenia | 16–30 July 2012 | Hou Yifan | 7/11 (+4 =6 –1) |
| 6 | Ankara, Turkey | 16–28 September 2012 | Koneru Humpy | 8.5/11 (+7 =3 –1) |

### Events crosstables

    Rostov, August 2011 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Hou Yifan2575–01½½11½1½118 2 Kateryna Lahno25361–0½1½1110½½7 3 Anna Muzychuk253801–½½½1½½1½½6½34.25 4 Tatiana Kosintseva2557½½½–½½01½11½6½33.50 5 Nadezhda Kosintseva2560½0½½–½½½½½116 6 Koneru Humpy26140½½½½–½½½1015½28.25 7 Alisa Galliamova24920001½½–1011½5½26.75 8 Antoaneta Stefanova2524½0½0½½0–1½1½525.25 9 Elina Danielian252100½½½½10–011524.25 10 Ruan Lufei2479½100½00½1–½½4½ 11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya24270½½001000½–13½ 12 Alexandra Kosteniuk24970½½½00½½0½0–3
    Shenzhen, September 2011 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Hou Yifan2578–½½1½11½½11½8 2 Anna Muzychuk2545½–½½½½½1½1½17 3 Ju Wenjun2536½½–½1½½01½½16½33.75 4 Tan Zhongyi24290½½–½½½½½1116½31.25 5 Zhao Xue2497½½0½–110½½½1631.25 6 Ruan Lufei24770½½½0–½1½½11628.75 7 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul24650½½½0½–011½15½ 8 Elina Danielian2517½01½101–00½½5 9 Zhu Chen2490½½0½½½01–0½½4½25.00 10 Viktorija Cmilyte252500½0½½011–½½4½22.00 11 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya24210½½0½0½½½½–½4 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz2308½000000½½½½–2½
    Nalchik, October 2011 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Zhao Xue2497–0½1111111119½ 2 Ju Wenjun25361–½½½1½11½0½7 3 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya2421½½–1½½½1½½½0633.75 4 Viktorija Cmilyte25250½0–1½1½½½½1629.25 5 Kateryna Lahno25540½½0–½½½1½½15½ 6 Zhu Chen249000½½½–½½1½10525.00 7 Tatiana Kosintseva25360½½0½½–½½½½1524.50 8 Nadezhda Kosintseva2560000½½½½–½½11523.00 9 Antoaneta Stefanova252800½½00½½–111523.00 10 Alisa Galliamova24980½½½½½½½0–104½ 11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul246501½½½0½000–14 12 Alexandra Kosteniuk24690½100100010–3½
    Kazan, June 2012 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Koneru Humpy2589–½½½½½½11½117½36.75 2 Anna Muzychuk2598½–½½½½½½11117½36.50 3 Viktorija Cmilyte2508½½–10½½½½111735.00 4 Hou Yifan2623½½0–111½1½10737.25 5 Alexandra Kosteniuk2457½½10–1½0½011631.00 6 Elina Danielian2484½½½00–11½101630.75 7 Tatiana Kosintseva2532½½½0½0–1½½½15½ 8 Kateryna Lahno25460½½½100–½½1½5 9 Antoaneta Stefanova251800½0½½½½–1½½4½22 10 Nadezhda Kosintseva2528½00½10½½0–1½4½22.75 11 Alisa Galliamova2484000001½0½0–13 12 Betul Cemre Yildiz23330001000½½½0–2½
    Jermuk, July 2012 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Hou Yifan2617–½0½½1½½11½17 2 Nadezhda Kosintseva2516½–½1½11100½½6½36.50 3 Kateryna Lahno25371½–1½½0½½1½½6½36.00 4 Koneru Humpy2598½00–1½1011½16½33.00 5 Ju Wenjun2518½½½0–101½½½1631.25 6 Ruan Lufei248300½½0–1½1½11629.25 7 Zhao Xue2556½01010–½10½15½ 8 Elina Danielian2480½0½10½½–½½½½527.50 9 Lilit Mkrtchian245001½0½00½–1½1525.25 10 Ekaterina Kovalevskaya24170100½½1½0–104½ 11 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2447½½½½½0½½½0–04 12 Nino Khurtsidze24560½½0000½011–3½
    Ankara, September 2012 Rating123456789101112ScoreTie break 1 Koneru Humpy2593–0½½1½1111118½ 2 Anna Muzychuk26061–½½½½1½½1118 3 Zhao Xue2549½½–0½1½1111½7½ 4 Viktorija Cmilyte2520½½1–½½0½10116½33.50 5 Ruan Lufei24920½½½–½½½½1116½29.50 6 Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul2434½½0½½–½1½½1½6 7 Tatiana Kosintseva252400½1½½–1½01½5½ 8 Ju Wenjun25280½0½½00–11½15 9 Antoaneta Stefanova25020½00½½½0–1½14½ 10 Betul Cemre Yildiz234100010½100–½½3½ 11 Monika Soćko24630000000½½½–12½ 12 Kübra Öztürk229400½00½½00½0–2

### Grand Prix standings

Hou Yifan won the Grand Prix with a perfect score culminating with her third sole victory at the fifth Grand Prix in Jermuk and thus qualified her to face Anna Ushenina in the Women's World Chess Championship 2013. A score in italics denotes a score not being into account for the total as there are three better results for the player.
| | Player | Rostov | Shenzhen | Nalchik | Kazan | Jermuk | Ankara | Played | Best 3 |
| 1 | Hou Yifan (CHN) | 160 | 160 | | 100 | 160 | | 4 | 480 |
| 2 | Koneru Humpy (IND) | 65 | | | 145 | 110 | 160 | 4 | 415 |
| 3 | Anna Muzychuk (SLO) | 100 | 130 | | 145 | | 130 | 4 | 405 |
| 4 | Zhao Xue (CHN) | | 75 | 160 | | 60 | 110 | 4 | 345 |
| 5 | Kateryna Lahno (UKR) | 130 | | 80 | 50 | 110 | | 4 | 320 |
| 6 | Ju Wenjun (CHN) | | 100 | 130 | | 75 | 50 | 4 | 305 |
| 7 | Viktorija Cmilyte (LTU) | | 35 | 100 | 100 | | 85 | 4 | 285 |
| 8 | Nadezhda Kosintseva (RUS) | 80 | | 55 | 35 | 110 | | 4 | 245 |
| 9 | Ruan Lufei (CHN) | 30 | 75 | | | 75 | 85 | 4 | 235 |
| 10 | Tatiana Kosintseva (RUS) | 100 | | 55 | 60 | | 60 | 4 | 220 |
| 11 | Elina Danielian (ARM) | 45 | 50 | | 75 | 45 | | 4 | 170 |
| 12 | Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (RUS) | 20 | 20 | 100 | | 30 | | 4 | 150 |
| 12 | Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul (MGL) | | 60 | 20 | | 20 | 70 | 4 | 150 |
| 14 | Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) | 45 | | 55 | 35 | | 40 | 4 | 140 |
| 15 | Alisa Galliamova (RUS) | 65 | | 30 | 20 | | | 3 | 115 |
| 16 | Tan Zhongyi (CHN) | | 100 | | | | | 1 | 100 |
| 17 | Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) | 10 | | 10 | 75 | | | 3 | 95 |
| 18 | Zhu Chen (QAT) | | 35 | 55 | | | | 2 | 90 |
| 19 | Betul Cemre Yildiz (TUR) | | 10 | | 10 | | 30 | 3 | 50 |
| 20 | Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM) | | | | | 45 | | 1 | 45 |
| 21 | Monika Soćko (POL) | | | | | | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| 22 | Nino Khurtsidze (GEO) | | | | | 10 | | 1 | 10 |
| 22 | Kübra Öztürk (TUR) | | | | | | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Notes: Tan Zhongyi replaced Alisa Galliamova in Shenzhen. Nino Khurtsidze and Lilit Mkrtchian replaced Alexandra Kosteniuk and Zhu Chen in Jermuk, who had withdrawn their participation.