The 5th tournament of the FIDE Women’s Grand-Prix 2013-2014 is taking place from 18th June to 2nd July in Lopota, Georgia.
Twelve players compete in the round robin tournament. The event is organized by the Georgian Ministry of Sport and Youth, FIDE and Georgian Chess Federation, and sponsored by SOCAR.
After four rounds and right before the first free day, Hou Yifan takes back the sole lead, with 3,5/4, half a point ahead of a compact group of players: Ju Wenjun, Harika Dronavalli and Nana Dzagnidze.
Zhao Xue vs Hou Yifan
There was only one draw in a round when much has been decided by time troubles: the game between Ju Wenjun and Humpy Koneru. The Indian GM skilfully eschewed getting herself into a stew and applied surgical measures when needed, to salvage the only half a point of today’s round.
No solidarity has been seen in the games between friends and fellow countrymen, as the outcomes in both the Chinese (Zhao Xue vs Hou Yifan) and Georgian (Bella Khotenashvili vs Nana Dzagnidze) head-to-head combats ended peremptorily.
As for the less fortunate players sharing the same fate, 0.5/4 (Alexandra Kosteniuk, Bella Khotenashvili and Nafisa Muminova), the rest day comes in handy, promptly lending a helping hand to the ladies in reassembling their forces.
Round 4 results:
GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2488 – GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2532 1 – 0
GM Danielian Elina 2460 – GM Muzychuk Anna 2561 1 – 0
WGM Muminova Nafisa 2332 – GM Dronavalli Harika 2503 0 – 1
GM Khotenashvili Bela 2518 – GM Dzagnidze Nana 2541 0 – 1
GM Koneru Humpy 2613 – WGM Ju Wenjun 2532 ½ – ½
GM Zhao Xue 2538 – GM Hou Yifan 2629 0 – 1
Round 4 standings:
1. GM Hou Yifan 2629 CHN – 3½
2-4. WGM Ju Wenjun 2532 CHN, GM Dronavalli Harika 2503 IND and GM Dzagnidze Nana 2541 GEO – 3
5-6. GM Koneru Humpy 2613 IND and GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2488 BUL – 2½
7-8. GM Danielian Elina 2460 ARM and GM Muzychuk Anna 2561 UKR – 2
9. GM Zhao Xue 2538 CHN – 1
10-12. GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2532 RUS, WGM Muminova Nafisa 2332 UZB and GM Khotenashvili Bela 2518 GEO – ½
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