The third qualifier for the FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix is in the books. GM Natalia Zhukova owned the Swiss event leading throughout the 21 rounds of fierce battles and finishing clear first. However, in order to get one of the two qualification spots, a player needs to prove superior in the knockout playoff that includes the top eight finishers:
GM Natalia Zhukova (Ukraine)
WGM Deysi Cori (Peru)
GM Valentina Gunina (Russia)
GM Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia)
WGM Nino Khomeriki (Georgia)
GM Harika Dronavalli (India)
IM Alina Kashlinskaya (Russia)
IM Gunay Mammadzada (Azerbaijan)
Here Zhukova succumbed to young Azerbaijani IM Gunay Mammadzada 0-2. Most likely the Ukrainian will try her luck in the next qualifier.
In the semis, Mammadzada defeated GM Nana Dzagnidze in the Armageddon after going through a loss in their second game and claimed the qualification spot. Gunay made herself an excellent present for her 20th birthday that she had celebrated just a day earlier on June 19.
Another qualification slot goes to Indian star Harika Dronavalli. In the quarters she defeated Valentina Gunina 2-0 and in another semifinal dispatched Alina Kashlinskaya 2-0.
The FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship is an online competition for female players held between June 18 and July 20, 2020. The competition consists of four separate stages, with the first now underway.
Four more of these Swiss tournaments, followed by a knockout, will be played and to deliver two qualifiers each for the Grand Prix stage that follows. WSCC Super Final in which two best players of Grand Prix face-off, crowns the competition. The Swiss tournaments are open to any titled women player (WCM/WFM/WIM/WGM/IM/GM). Each one of the Grand Prix legs has a total prize fund of 10,300 USD, with 3,000 going to the winner. The prize fund of WSCC Super Final amounts to 10,000 USD, with 6,500 going to the winner, and 3,500 to the runner up.
More information about the FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
