FIDE Women's Candidates: Drawing of lots
For the first time in almost 22 years, FIDE Women's Candidates will take place at the end of this month in Kazan, Russia at Nogai Hotel from 29th May - 19th June 2019. The drawing of lots for the Women's Candidates Tournament took place on 30th April, in the Chess Museum of the Central Chess Club in Moscow, named after the 6th World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The ceremony was attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Honorary FIDE Vice President Judit Polgar - the strongest female player of all time. Organized by the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan, FIDE and the Russian Chess Federation, the Candidates has a record prize fund of €200000. But more importantly, the winner of this double round-robin tournament will become the reigning champion Ju Wenjun’s challenger, with half a million euros at stake. Photo: FIDE
8 Women, 14 Rounds to decide the Challenger
The participants of the FIDE Women's Candidates:
1 - Kateryna Lagno RUS, 2559 (KO World Ch. 2018 finalist)
2 - Mariya Muzychuk UKR, 2560 (KO World Ch. 2018 semi-finalist)
3 - Alexandra Kosteniuk RUS, 2545 (KO World Ch. 2018 semi-finalist)
4 - Anna Muzychuk UKR, 2555 (qualified by rating)
5 - Valentina Gunina RUS, 2515 (qualified by rating)
6 - Nana Dzagnidze GEO, 2513 (qualified by rating)
7 - Tan Zhongyi CHN, 2513 (qualified by rating)
8 - Alexandra Goryachkina RUS, 2505 (1st replacement)
According to the rules, the representatives of the same country have to play each other in the first round of each half of the tournament. This means Muzychuk sisters must meet in the Round 1 and Round 8, while four Russian players they have to play each other in the Rounds 1 to 3, and 8 to 10.
Based on the drawing of lots, the Chief Arbiter Hal Bond (Canada) created a full tournament schedule:
Round 1 (May 31)
Valentina Gunina - Kateryna Lagno
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Alexandra Goryachkina
Nana Dzagnidze - Tan Zhongyi
Maria Muzychuk - Anna Muzychuk
Round 2 (June 1)
Kateryna Lagno - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Alexandra Goryachkina - Valentina Gunina
Tan Zhongyi - Maria Muzychuk
Anna Muzychuk - Nana Dzagnidze
Round 3 (June 2)
Valentina Gunina - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Alexandra Goryachkina - Katerina Lagno
Tan Zhongyi - Anna Muzychuk
Nana Dzagnidze - Maria Muzychuk
(June 3 is a rest day)
Round 4 (June 4)
Nana Dzagnidze - Valentina Gunina
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Tan Zhongyi
Anna Muzychuk - Alexandra Goryachkina
Maria Muzychuk - Kateryna Lagno
Round 5 (June 5)
Valentina Gunina - Maria Muzychuk
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Nana Dzagnidze
Alexandra Goryachkina - Tan Zhongyi
Kateryna Lagno - Anna Muzychuk
Round 6 (June 6)
Anna Muzychuk - Valentina Gunina
Maria Muzychuk - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Nana Dzagnidze - Alexandra Goryachkina
Tan Zhongyi - Kateryna Lagno
(June 7 is a rest day)
Round 7 (June 8)
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Anna Muzychuk
Alexandra Goryachkina - Maria Muzychuk
Kateryna Lagno - Nana Dzagnidze
Valentina Gunina - Tan Zhongyi
Round 8 (June 9)
Kateryna Lagno - Valentina Gunina
Alexandra Goryachkina - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Tan Zhongyi - Nana Dzagnidze
Anna Muzychuk - Maria Muzychuk
Round 9 (June 10)
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Kateryna Lagno
Valentina Gunina - Alexandra Goryachkina
Maria Muzychuk - Tan Zhongyi
Nana Dzagnidze - Anna Muzychuk
(June 11 is a rest day)
Round 10 (June 12)
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Valentina Gunina
Kateryna Lagno - Alexandra Goryachkina
Anna Muzychuk - Tan Zhongyi
Maria Muzychuk - Nana Dzagnidze
Round 11 (June 13)
Valentina Gunina - Nana Dzagnidze
Tan Zhongyi - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Alexandra Goryachkina - Anna Muzychuk
Kateryna Lagno - Maria Muzychuk
Round 12 (June 14)
Maria Muzychuk - Valentina Gunina
Nana Dzagnidze - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Tan Zhongyi - Alexandra Goryachkina
Anna Muzychuk - Kateryna Lagno
(June 15 is a rest day)
Round 13 (June 16)
Valentina Gunina - Anna Muzychuk
Alexandra Kosteniuk - Maria Muzychuk
Alexandra Goryachkina - Nana Dzagnidze
Kateryna Lagno - Tan Zhongyi
Round 14 (June 17)
Anna Muzychuk - Alexandra Kosteniuk
Maria Muzychuk - Alexandra Goryachkina
Nana Dzagnidze - Kateryna Lagno
Tan Zhongyi - Valentina Gunina
Closing ceremony and tie-breaks (if needed): June 18
ABOUT KAZAN
While being the 7th Russian city by population, with roughly 1.3 million inhabitants, its beauty and rich history makes Kazan often regarded as 'The Third Capital of Russia', only after Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Laying at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, the capital of the Tatarstan Republic was founded in 1005, which makes this city at least 150 years older than Moscow.
Kazan is a famous sports center in Russia, having hosted the 2013 Universiade and many national hockey, boxing and swimming championships. It was one of the hosting cities of 2018 FIFA Football World Cup and, of course, it also held the 2011 Candidates tournament, won by Boris Gelfand.
Source: FIDE