Things are getting a lot tighter at the top at the Doha Women’s Grand Prix. Koneru and Sebag have pulled within 1 point from Danielian with 3 rounds to go. Dzagnidze, the only player with no draw so far (5 wins and 2 losses), is only 1/2 point from 2nd place.
Here are the standings after 8 rounds:
| Rk | Name | Rtg | FED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pts | SB | |
| 1 | GM | Danielian Elina | 2454 | ARM | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½ | 23.50 | |||
| 2 | GM | Koneru Humpy | 2607 | IND | 1 | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 23.25 | |||
| 3 | GM | Sebag Marie | 2489 | FRA | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 19.00 | |||
| 4 | GM | Dzagnidze Nana | 2550 | GEO | 0 | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16.00 | |||
| 5 | GM | Cramling Pia | 2516 | SWE | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4½ | 17.00 | |||
| 6 | GM | Chiburdanidze Maia | 2502 | GEO | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 4 | 13.00 | |||
| 7 | IM | Fierro Baquero Martha L | 2363 | ECU | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | 4 | 13.50 | |||
| 8 | IM | Mkrtchian Lilit | 2475 | ARM | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 0 | 3 | 12.00 | |||
| 9 | GM | Xu Yuhua | 2484 | CHN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 6.25 | |||
| 10 | GM | Zhu Chen | 2495 | QAT | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 2½ | 8.00 | |||
| 11 | IM | Munguntuul Batkhuyag | 2410 | MGL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | 2½ | 8.00 | |||
| 12 | GM | Stefanova Antoaneta | 2546 | BUL | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | 2½ | 10.50 |
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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Humpy all the way!
I’d love to see Humpy win this, but it can’t happen just on her own strength. Danielian, still a point up with three to go, remains the favourite.