World Chess Championships - Sexy, Exciting, and Fast?

Top Seed Anna Muzychuk

If you are a little taken aback by that chess headline, don't be. Such a chess championship can truly take place. In fact, it would be true from May 31 itself! The World Rapid Chess Championship for Women is taking place from May 30 to June 6 in Batumi, Georgia. The championship will be held at the swanky Sheraton Hotel. It is being organized by the ACP and the Georgian Chess Federation. Read full post for top players' list and format. Women's World Chess Championship challenger Koneru Humpy is the second seed. Also playing is the very attacking 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, European Women's Chess Champion Valentina Gunina, Armenia's top woman player Elina Danielian, and others.


  
Top Players


1 GM Muzychuk Anna SLO 2598
2 GM Koneru Humpy IND 2589
3 GM Zhao Xue CHN 2549
4 GM Dzagnidze Nana GEO 2547
5 GM Lahno Kateryna UKR 2546
6 GM Kosintseva Tatiana RUS 2532
7 IM Gunina Valentina RUS 2530
8 GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2518
9 GM Harika Dronavalli IND 2508
10 GM Chiburdanidze Maia GEO 2500
11 IM Khotenashvili Bela GEO 2500
12 GM Zhu Chen QAT 2491
13 IM Paehtz Elisabeth GER 2491
14 GM Danielian Elina ARM 2484
15 GM Socko Monika POL 2484
16 GM Cramling Pia SWE 2478
17 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra RUS 2457
18 IM Krush Irina USA 2457
19 IM Khurtsidze Nino GEO 2456
20 IM Muzychuk Mariya UKR 2456
21 IM Ushenina Anna UKR 2454
22 IM Javakhishvili Lela GEO 2449
23 IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2449
24 WGM Pogonina Natalija RUS 2447
25 IM Matnadze Ana ESP 2446
FormatRapid Swiss, 11 rounds
Blitz Swiss, 15 rounds
Time controlRapid 25 min + 10 seconds
Blitz 4 min + 2 seconds

FIDE Rules for Rapid Chess and FIDE Rules for blitz are applied.
Zero tolerance rule will not be applied. The game is lost by the player who arrives at the chessboard after her flag has fallen.

Right of participationEvery female player with the elo of 2500+ in one of the official FIDE rating lists as well as all former World Champions and Olympic Champions have the personal right to participate in the Championship. Besides, every national federation can nominate one player for participation in the Championship. In addition, up to five more players can be nominated from the same federation, provided they have Elo of 2300+ in one of the official FIDE rating lists in 2012. Georgian Chess Federation will get three additional wild cards as a host of the event.

Schedule
30 May – Arrival, Opening Ceremony, Technical meeting.
31 May – Rapid (rounds 1-3) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00
1 June – Rapid (rounds 4-6) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00
2 June – Rapid (rounds 7-9) 15:00, 17:00, 19:00
3 June – Rapid (rounds 10-11) 15:00, 17:00
4 June – Blitz (rounds 1-8) 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, etc…
5 June – Blitz (rounds 9-15), 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, etc… Closing Ceremony
6 June – Departure
Prizes
The total prize fund of the two events of 100.000 (one hundred thousand) USD is distributed as follows:

The winners of the Championships will be declared Women’s World Rapid Champion-2012 and Women’s World Blitz Champion-2012 respectively. Keep track of the super chess event at the official website: www.e2e4.ge

Posted in: alexandra kosteniuk,anna muzychuk,kateryna lahno,koneru humpy,women world blitz chess,women world rapid chess,zhao xue