Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won an attacking final round game against Monika Socko of Poland to win the final leg of the FIDE Grand Prix which concluded at Ankara on Friday.
On course to her brilliant final round win, Humpy had sacrificed a rook and perched her other rook on the offensive path, to pin and win huge material and the game in 40 moves.
Humpy tallied 8.5 points from her 11 games to top the 12-player, all-play-all which followed the Chess Olympiad held in Istanbul.
Overall, in the six Grand Prix events held at Rostov, Shenzhen, Nalchik, Kazan, Jermuk and Ankara, world women’s champion Hou Yifan of China had won three already with a maximum 480 points. Each player took part in four of the six events with the best three counting for Grand Prix points.
Humpy’s victory in Ankara helped her overtake Muzychuk and win the second place with 415 points. Muzychuk was third with 405 points. Humpy won in Ankara, tied for first in Kazan with Muzychuk and finished third in Jermuk. She did not do well at Rostov. This brilliant showing should help Humpy gain rating and climb back from the minor loss she had suffered in the last two years.
Final top standings: 1. Humpy 8.5/11; 2. A. Muzychuk (Slo) 8; 3. Zhao Xue (Chn) 7.5; 4-5. V Cmilyte (Ltu), Ruan Lufei (Chn) 6.5 each.
Grand Prix final placings: 1. Hou Yifan (Chn) 480; 2. Humpy 415; 3. Muzychuk 405.
