Harika wins bronze

D. Harika

D. Harika took the bronze at the last leg of the 2013-14 FIDE women’s Grand Prix chess at Sharjah on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Indian defeated Batchimeg Tuvshintugs of Mongolia, the 11th seed who had been having a dream run, to take her tally to 6.5 points from 11 rounds.

Harika tied with Tuvshintugs Zhao Xue of China and Anna Ushenina of Ukraine on points but came ahead on account of her superior tie-break score.

Second overall

Humpy finished second overall in the Grand Prix, with 380 points. She could therefore be the challenger of the 2015 world championship, should Hou Yifan win the world title this year (the Grand Prix winner has the right to take on the world champion, but if the Grand Prix champion is also the world-title holder, the Grand Prix runner-up will get that privilege).

The results (11th round): Nafisa Muminova (Uzb) 3 lost to Zhao Xue (Chn) 6.5; Hou Yifan (Chn) 8.5 bt Alina l’Ami (Rou) 1.5; D. Harika (Ind) 6.5 bt Batchimeg Tuvshintugs (Mgl) 6.5; Koneru Humpy (Ind) 5.5 bt Elina Danielian (Arm) 5; Tatiana Kosintseva (Rus) 4.5 drew with Ju Wenjun (Chn) 8.5; Anna Ushenina (Ukr) drew with Zhu Chen (Qtr) 3.5.

The standings: 1-2. Ju Wenjun & Hou Yifan 8.5; 3-6. Harika, Zhao Xue, Ushenina and Tuvshintugs 6.5; 7. Humpy 5.5; 8. Danielian 5; 9. Kosintseva 4.5; 10. Zhu Chen 3.5; 11. Muminova 3; 12. l’Ami 1.5.

Final Grand Prix standings (top 10): 1. Hou Yifan (Chn) 465; 2. Koneru Humpy (Ind) 380; 3. Ju Wenjun (Chn) 340; 4. Anna Muzychuk (Slo) 335; 5. Nana Dzanigdze (Geo) 310; 6. Bela Khotenasvhili (Geo) 300; 7. Kateryna Lhano (Rus) 265; 8. D. Harika (Ind) 247.5; 9. Anna Ushenina (Ukr) 242.5; 10. Tatiana Kosintseva (Rus) 230.