India finest women’s chess player, Koneru Humpy edged out China’s Zhu Jiner to win the Pune leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix on Wednesday. After beating Nurgyul Salimova in the ninth (and final) round, Humpy finished on equal points — 7.0/11 — with Zhu but the Indian had the better tiebreaks between the two to clinch the trophy.
She also racked up 117.5 crucial Grand Prix points, rising to the second spot behind Aleksandra Goryachkina with a total of 279.17 points after her three events. All players can play up to a maximum of three tournaments in this Women’s Grand Prix cycle. In the Shymkent (Kazakhstan) leg, Humpy was tied for the fifth-sixth position and gained 55 GP rating points. In Monaco, she was in joint lead with Grand Prix leader Russia Aleksandra Goryachkina and Mongolia’s Batkhuyag Munguntuul to earn 106.67 points.
Goryachkina also completed her three rounds and sits comfortably with 308.34 points.
After the 2025 Women’s World Cup, the Grand Prix series is the most high-profile tournament in this cycle, with two Candidates spots at stake. The Pune event, which has an €80,000 (77 lakh) prize fund, is the fifth of six events in the 2024-2025 Women’s Grand Prix cycle. Based on the event’s final standings, players also earn Grand Prix points. The two with the most points at the end of the series get spots in the next Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Zhu (235 points from two events), Anna Muzychuk (189.17 points from two events) and Tan Zhongyi (170 points from two events) are still in the running for the top two spots, with Zhu being the frontrunner to even finish on top. She has played the Nicosia (Cyprus) and Pune leg and finished joint top in both events. All she need is a mid-table finish to confirm her second spot at Humpy’s cost.
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Leaderboard after Pune Leg
| Rank | Player | Tbilisi | Shymkent | Monaco | Nicosia | India | Austria | Total |
| 1 | Aleksandra Goryachkina | — | 130 | 106.67 | 71.67 | — | — | 308.34 |
| 2 | Koneru Humpy | — | 55 | 106.67 | — | 117.5 | — | 279.17 |
| 3 | Zhu Jiner | — | — | — | 117.5 | 117.5 | 235 | |
| 4 | Bibisara Assaubayeva | 105 | 77.5 | 15 | — | — | — | 197.5 |
| 5 | Anna Muzychuk | 71.67 | — | — | 117.5 | — | 189.17 | |
| 6 | Divya Deshmukh | — | 55 | — | 40 | 85 | — | 180 |
| 7 | Stavroula Tsolakidou | 71.67 | 77.5 | — | 25 | — | — | 174.17 |
| 8 | Harika Dronavalli | — | — | 35 | 71.67 | 65 | — | 171.67 |
| 9 | Tan Zhongyi | — | 105 | 65 | — | — | 170 | |
| 10 | Alina Kashlinskaya | 130 | — | — | — | 20 | — | 150 |
| 11 | Batkhuyag Munguntuul | — | 15 | 106.67 | — | 20 | — | 141.67 |
| 12-13 | Nana Dzagnidze | 71.67 | — | — | 50 | — | 121.67 | |
| 12-13 | Mariya Muzychuk | 50 | — | — | 71.67 | — | 121.67 | |
| 14 | Kateryna Lagno | — | 40 | 65 | — | — | — | 105 |
| 15-16 | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 35 | — | 50 | — | — | 85 | |
| 15-16 | Vaishali Rameshbabu | 35 | — | — | — | 50 | 85 | |
| 17 | Nurgyul Salimova | — | 30 | — | — | 40 | 70 | |
| 18 | Polina Shuvalova | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | 65 |
| 19 | Sarasadat Khademalsharieh | 10 | — | 35 | — | — | — | 45 |
| 20 | Elisabeth Pähtz | — | 15 | 15 | 10 | — | — | 40 |
| 21 | Olga Badelka | — | — | — | 25 | — | 25 | |
| 22-23 | Lela Javakhishvili | 20 | — | — | — | — | 20 | |
| 22-23 | Salome Melia | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 20 |
| 24 | Lei Tingjie | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 25 | Regina Pokorná | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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