Harika and Divya set to battle World's top women at FIDE Nicosia GP

by Shahid Ahmed - 15/03/2025

The fourth leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 will start today in Nicosia, Cyprus. Both GM Harika Dronavalli and IM Divya Deshmukh will play their second GP event of the season. They will clash with each other in the very first round. The ten-player round-robin tournament will also feature GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR), GM Jiner Zhu (CHN), GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR), IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE), IM Olga Badelka (AUT) and GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER). The reigning FIDE Women's World Cup winner, Goryachkina is the highest rated player of the event. Round 1 starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Harika to face Divya in Round 1

The fourth leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 series starts today in Nicosia, Cyprus. Ten top women of the world will fight for the first prize €18000 and valuable GP points which adds up to the direct qualification to FIDE Women's Candidates 2026. The total prize fund of the tournament is €80000. This will be GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, IM Stavroula Tsolakidou and GM Elisabeth Paehtz's final GP event of the season. Each GP participant can play three out of the six legs. All three of them have played two events and this will be their third. The winner of the previous GP held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina will play her third consecutive GP of the cycle.

Participants of FIDE Nicosia GP 2025 | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Players list

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina (2548)

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR, 2516)

GM Jiner Zhu (CHN, 2514)

GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO, 2513)

GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR, 2490)

GM Harika Dronavalli (2483)

IM Divya Deshmukh (2470)

IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2445)

IM Olga Badelka (AUT, 2429)

GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER, 2424)

GM Harika Dronavalli is the highest rated Indian player in the field | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Music and dance performance at the opening ceremony | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

Trophies and medals for the top three | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GM Harika Dronavalli with the Muzychuk sisters - GM Anna (UKR) and GM Mariya (UKR) | Photo: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

GP Standings

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is the new sole leader of the GP with 236.67 points, followed by IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) 197.5 and GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) 170 points. Bibisara has played all three of her GP events of the season. So, she has none left.

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is at the top of the standings with 236.67 points | Source: Official site

Prizes

Total prize fund is €80000. The top three prizes are €18000, €13000 and €10500 each. The top three GP points are - 130, 105 and 85. For more details, check out the regulations below.