The fourth leg of the 2024-25 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix is set to take place in Nicosia from March 14-25, under the auspices of the International Chess Federation and Cyprus Chess Federation.
Ten of the world’s top female chess players will compete not only for prizes but also for crucial Grand Prix points that will determine qualification for the next FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
The Women’s Grand Prix Series 2024-25 features 20 players, with each player participating in three of the six tournaments.
Each event follows a 10-player round-robin format, with participants earning points based on their final standings. The overall series winner is determined by the total cumulative points earned across the three tournaments they play.
The prize fund for each event is €80,000, with an additional €120,000 distributed among the top 10 finishers in the overall standings.
The top two players from the series will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
The event in Nicosia will feature an impressive lineup, including Aleksandra Goryachkina, who currently leads the Grand Prix standings after winning the second and third legs in Shymkent and Monaco.
Also returning are Indian stars Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh, as well as the celebrated Muzychuk sisters, Anna and Mariya.
Other notable competitors include former European Champion Nana Dzagnidze, Germany’s top player Elisabeth Paehtz, Greece’s leading player Stavroula Tsolakidou, and this season’s newcomers Zhu Jiner and Olga Badelka, who replace Lei Tingjie and Regina Theissl-Pokorna in the series.