Women’s World Chess Championship
The Women’s World Chess Championship will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk from 2nd to 23rd November 2018. 64 chess players from 28 countries will compete for the crown.
African players
Africa will have 3 players in this prestigious event. WGM Wafa Shahenda of Egypt, WIM Jesse February from South Africa and WIM Hayat Toubal from Algeria.
Africa is divided into 4 Zones which means that we should have had 4 players in this event. At the time of reporting it is not clear why Zone 4.4 failed to send a player.
The 2017 World Championship was held in Tehran, Iran from 10th February to 5th March 2017.
Africa had 3 players in that event. Mona Khaled of Egypt, Amina Mezioud and Sabrian Latreche both of Algeria. All 3 players unfortunately did not make it into round 2.
Promotional video for the event in support of Africa – Women’s World Championship Promotional Video.
Top Players
Ju Wenjun (2561, China) is the top seed & incumbent world champion
Alexandra Kosteniuk (2551, Russia), Mariya Muzychuk (2533, Ukraine), Tan Zhongyi (2527, China), Antoaneta Stefanova (2490, Bulgaria), and Anna Ushenina (2451, Ukraine) are all former world champions are taking part in the event.
Humpy Koneru (2557, India), Kateryna Lagno (2556, Russia), Anna Muzychuk (2555, Ukraine) are some of the other stars taking part.
Aleksandra Goryachkina (2536, Russia), Valentina Gunina (2525, Russia) are two other players who could win the event.
Kazakhstan will be represented by 3 players. Dinara Saduakassova (2016 World Junior Champion), Zhansaya Abdumalik (2017 World Junior Champion) & Guliskhan Nakhbayeva.
Venue & Schedule
The venue of Women’s World Chess Championship is the famous Ugra Chess Academy. The Opening Ceremony will take place in the Concert and Theatre Centre “Ugra-Classic”.
Natalia Komarova the Governor of Ugra and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich are expected to attend the ceremony.
Schedule: November 2 – Players Meeting / Opening Ceremony.
November 3-5 – Round 1, November 6-8 – Round 2.
November 9-11 – Round 3, November 12-14 – Round 4.
(Quarterfinals), November 15-17.
Round 5 (Semi-final), November 18.
Free day, November 19-23.
Round 6 (Final), November 23 – Closing Ceremony.
Prize fund is USD 450,000.
Qualifiers
There are 64 qualifiers (in order of priority):
- The winner, the runner up and the two other semi-finalists of the Women’s World Championship 2016 (4 players).
- The World Junior Girl Champions U-20 of 2016 & 2017. (2 players).
- The five best rated players from the average of the FIDE rating lists (5 players).
- Fifty-one qualifiers from the Women’s Continental Championships and Zones (51 players).
- Two nominees of the FIDE President (2 players).
Official website – Women’s World Championship.
List of participants
| 1 | Ju Wenjun | (CHN) | GM | 2568 | |
| 2 | Humpy Koneru | (IND) | GM | 2548 | |
| 3 | Lagno Kateryna | (RUS) | GM | 2556 | |
| 4 | Muzychuk Anna | (UKR) | GM | 2564 | |
| 5 | Kosteniuk Alexandra | (RUS) | GM | 2543 | |
| 6 | Goryachkina Aleksandra | (RUS) | GM | 2534 | |
| 7 | Muzychuk Mariya | (UKR) | GM | 2545 | |
| 8 | Tan Zhongyi | (CHN) | GM | 2513 | |
| 9 | Gunina Valentina | (RUS) | GM | 2497 | |
| 10 | Paehtz Elisabeth | (GER) | IM | 2495 | |
| 11 | Dzagnidze Nana | (GEO) | GM | 2516 | |
| 12 | Harika Dronavalli | (IND) | GM | 2498 | |
| 13 | Stefanova Antoaneta | (BUL) | GM | 2490 | |
| 14 | Pogonina Natalija | (RUS) | WGM | 2465 | |
| 15 | Abdumalik Zhansaya | (KAZ) | IM | 2473 | |
| 16 | Batsiashvili Nino | (GEO) | GM | 2465 | |
| 17 | Girya Olga | (RUS) | WGM | 2481 | |
| 18 | Zhao Xue | (CHN) | GM | 2478 | |
| 19 | Javakhishvili Lela | (GEO) | IM | 2477 | |
| 20 | Saduakassova Dinara | (KAZ) | IM | 2474 | |
| 21 | Khotenashvili Bela | (GEO) | GM | 2477 | |
| 22 | Lei Tingjie | (CHN) | GM | 2457 | |
| 23 | Socko Monika | (POL) | GM | 2463 | |
| 24 | Ushenina Anna | (UKR) | GM | 2440 | |
| 25 | Kashlinskaya Alina | (RUS) | IM | 2477 | |
| 26 | Atalik Ekaterina | (TUR) | IM | 2445 | |
| 27 | Galliamova Alisa | (RUS) | IM | 2432 | |
| 28 | Ni Shiqun | (CHN) | WGM | 2436 | |
| 29 | Bodnaruk Anastasia | (RUS) | IM | 2426 | |
| 30 | Hoang Thanh Trang | (HUN) | GM | 2448 | |
| 31 | Zawadzka Jolanta | (POL) | WGM | 2407 | |
| 32 | Krush Irina | (USA) | GM | 2434 | |
| 33 | Gaponenko Inna | (UKR) | IM | 2420 | |
| 34 | Nechaeva (Guseva) Marina | (RUS) | IM | 2413 | |
| 35 | Danielian Elina | (ARM) | GM | 2426 | |
| 36 | Vega Gutierrez Sabrina | (ESP) | IM | 2389 | |
| 37 | Zhukova Natalia | (UKR) | GM | 2375 | |
| 38 | Nakhbayeva Guliskhan | (KAZ) | IM | 2367 | |
| 39 | Cori T., Deysi | (PER) | WGM | 2406 | |
| 40 | Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim | (UZB) | WGM | 2435 | |
| 41 | Mkrtchian Lilit | (ARM) | IM | 2396 | |
| 42 | Shvayger Yuliya | (ISR) | IM | 2389 | |
| 43 | Gara Anita | (HUN) | IM | 2370 | |
| 44 | Vo Thi Kim Phung | (VIE) | WGM | 2354 | |
| 45 | Matnadze Ana | (ESP) | IM | 2372 | |
| 46 | Zhu Jineer | (CHN) | WIM | 2379 | |
| 47 | Lujan, Carolina | (ARG) | IM | 2364 | |
| 48 | Zhai Mo | (CHN) | WGM | 2352 | |
| 49 | Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan | (SCO) | GM | 2373 | |
| 50 | Padmini Rout | (IND) | IM | 2341 | |
| 51 | Kuilkarni Bhakthid | (IND) | WGM | 2256 | |
| 52 | Foisor Sabina-Francesca | (USA) | WGM | 2264 | |
| 53 | Khukhashvili Sopiko | (GEO) | IM | 2316 | |
| 54 | Miranda Llanes, Yerisbel | (CUB) | WIM | 2267 | |
| 55 | Alinasab Mobina | (IRI) | WIM | 2236 | |
| 56 | Aliaga Fernandez, Ingrid Y | (PER) | WIM | 2194 | |
| 57 | Sun Fanghui | (CHN) | WIM | 2183 | |
| 58 | Wafa Shahenda | (EGY) | WGM | 2145 | |
| 59 | Ouellet, Maili-Jade | (CAN) | WIM | 2125 | |
| 60 | Vazquez Maccarini, Danitza | (PUR) | FM | 2065 | |
| 61 | Hamid Rani | (BAN) | WIM | 1935 | |
| 62 | February Jesse Nikki | (RSA) | WIM | 1922 | |
| 63 | Toubal Hayat | (ALG) | WIM | 1870 | |
| 64 | Hardegen Kathryn | (AUS) | WFM | 1832 |
Conditions of victory
For rounds 1-5, each match shall be played over two games. The winner of every match shall be the first player to score 1.5 or more.
The final match, or round 6, shall be played over four games. The winner of the match shall be the first player to score 2.5 or more.
The winner of the final match will be declared Women’s World Champion.
Prizes for the Women’s World Championship
Prize list (minimum 450.000 USD in total)
1 st round 32 losers x 3.750 = 120.000
2 nd round 16 losers x 5.500 = 88.000
3 rd round 8 losers x 8.000 = 64.000
4 th round 4 losers x 12.000 = 48.000
5 th round 2 losers x 20.000 = 40.000
6 th round 1 loser x 30.000 = 30.000
Women’s World Champion = 60.000
TOTAL: USD 450.000.