This weekend, the month-long Women’s Chess World Cup marathon will kick off in Batumi. Starting from July 6, over four weeks, the world’s strongest female chess players will compete not only for the title but also for qualification spots to the Candidates Tournament. The top three finishers will secure these coveted places.
As per tradition, the knockout-format tournament will feature a total of 107 chess players, Idman.biz reports.
The last edition of this tournament was held two years ago in Baku, where the men’s World Cup was also organized simultaneously. Azerbaijani grandmaster Nijat Abasov secured third place in that event, earning a spot in the Candidates Tournament. Usually, World Cups for both men and women are held in the same year. While the women are now preparing to travel to the Adjara region of Georgia, the venue for the men’s tournament planned for the autumn has not yet been announced.
Currently, all eyes are on Batumi, where four Azerbaijani players will compete. According to the draw, in the first round, Govhar Beydullayeva will face Iranian player Anahita Zahedifar, Ulviyya Fataliyeva will play Australian Jilin Zhang, Khanim Balajayeva will meet Kazakhstan’s Elnaz Kaliakhmet, and Gulnar Mammadova will compete against China’s Yunshan Li.
Each round gives participants three days to complete their matches: two classical games with alternating colors, followed by tiebreaks if necessary. Given the knockout format, each round can present serious challenges and surprises for favorites. Out of 107 participants, 86 will start from the first round, while the top 21 highest-rated players will join directly in the second round.
The matches will take place at the five-star Grand Bellagio Convention & Casino Hotel. Meanwhile, a World Cup for juniors aged 8–12 is ongoing at the same venue, featuring 300 participants from 40 countries.
The total prize fund for the Women’s World Cup is $691,250, with $50,000 awarded to the winner. Additionally, one of the main goals for many competitors is to claim one of the three Candidates Tournament qualifying spots, which opens the door to competing for the World Chess Championship.
However, to earn this opportunity, players must advance through five rounds and reach at least the semifinals.
Idman.biz
