Women’s Grand Prix chess: Humpy in second spot

Koneru Humpy is in the sole second place at the end of the eighth round of the first leg of the Women’s Grand Prix chess here. She has six points, half-a-point behind leader Ju Wenjun of China.

The other Indian in the tournament, D. Harika, is placed sixth with four points. Three rounds still remain.

In the ninth round, Humpy defeated Germany’s Elisabeth Paehtz to record her third successive win. Harika had to settle for a draw with former World champion Antonaeta Stefanova of Bulgaria.

The Grand Prix is a serious of four tournaments. The top two finishers from the series will qualify for the Candidates match — it will determine the challenger for the World champion — to be held in 2021.

A player will get to play three Grand Prix tournaments; the other three will be held in Monaco (December 2 to 15), Lausanne (March 1 to 14) and Sardinia (May 2 to 15).

The standings:1. Ju Wenjun (Chn) 6.5; 2. Koneru Humpy 6; 3. Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) 5; 4-5. Valentina Gunina (Rus) and Kateryna Lagno (Rus) 4.5; 6-7. D. Harika and Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) 4; 8. Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) 3.5; 9-12. Pia Cramling (Swe), Alina Kashlinskaya (Rus), Antonaeta Stefanova (Bul) and Marie Sebag (Fra) 2.5 .