Chess: D Harika draws with Mariya Muzychuk in final round women’s GP, finishes seventh

Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika finished seventh in the Fide Women’s Grand Prix chess tournament after a draw against Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine in the final round in Lausanne on Friday.

The 25-move draw meant Harika finished the event with 5.5 points and took seventh place in the final standings. Mariya Muzychuk, a former world champion, and Bulgarian Antoaneta Stefanova also ended up with 5.5 points.

Georgian Nana Dzagnidze took the top spot, edging Alexandra Goryachkina (Russia) on the basis of a better tie-break after both tallied seven points by drawing their 11th and final round encounter. All the games on the final day of the prestigious tournament ended in draws.

Harika, who was in the lead in the middle part of the tournament, lost out of contention for the top prize following defeats in rounds six and eight to Alexandra Kosteniuk and Antoaneta Stefanova respectively.

World champion Ju Wenjun of China signed peace with Alexandra Kosteniuk to finish her engagements with 4.5 points in a rather underwhelming performance. She took the ninth spot.

After the Lausanne event, Goryachkina (398 points) overtook India’s Koneru Humpy (293) in the overall GP standings. World rapid champion Humpy, however, still has one more GP to play while the Russian has finished the series. Harika has 180 points and is placed sixth in the GP tally.

The 12-player tournament was the third in the series of four Grands Prix from which two players with the highest points tally qualify for the next candidates event.

Results: Round 11: Dronavalli Harika (IND) 5.5 drew with Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) 5.5; Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) 6 drew with Anna Muzychuk (UKR) 6; Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) 7 drew with Alexandra Goryachkina (RUS) 7; Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) 5.5 drew with Pia Cramling (SWE) 4.5; Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ) 6.5 drew Marie Sebag (FRA) 4; Ju Wenjun (CHN) 4.5 drew with Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) 4.

Final standings: 1. Nana Dzagnidze 7 points; 2. Alexandra Goryachkina 7 points; 3. Zhansaya Abdumalik 6.5 points; 4. Alina Kashlinskaya 6; 5. Anna Muzychuk 6 points; 6. Antoaneta Stefanova 5.5 points; 7. D Harika 5.5 points; 8. Mariya Muzychuk 5.5 points; 9. Ju Wenjun 4.5 points; 10. Pia Cramling 4.5 points; 11. Alexandra Kosteniuk 4 points; 12. Marie Sebag 4 points.