FIDE has announced the 2015-16 women’s Grand Prix series, which will give one player the right to compete in the 2017 World Chess Championship match.
Here the schedule of the four stages:
- 2-16 October 2015 in Monte Carlo, MONACO
- February 2016 in Kish Island, IRAN
- May 2016 in Tblisi, GEORGIA
- July 2016 in 成都 (Chéngdū), CHINA
16 players will participate, ten as per regulations, plus four nominated by the organisers and two by the FIDE President.
The ten qualifiers who have to confirm their participation by 20 August 2015 are:
- Mariya Muzychuk (World Chess Champion 2015 in Sochi)
- Natalia Andreevna Pogonina (finalist in 2015 World Chess Championship)
- Pia Cramling (semifinalist in 2015 World Chess Championship)
- Harika Dronovalli (semifinalist in 2015 World Chess Championship)
- 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (by average rating)
- Humpy Koneru (by average rating)
- Nana Dzagnidze (by average rating)
- 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (by average rating)
- Anna Muzychuk (by average rating)
- Valentina Yevgenyevna Gunina (by average rating)
First reserve (also by average rating) is Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk.
The rules of the series and the Player’s Contract are respectively published
here,
there and
everywhere.
