Equal prize money, top field for Tata Steel Chess

The second edition of the women's competition of the Tata Steel Chess, which begins here on Thursday, will see some players renewing their ties with the city and others forging new ones. There are five Grandmasters in the 10-player list for rapid and blitz games including reigning world champion Ju Wenjun of China, Ukrainian Anna Ushenina, who held that honour in 2012, former world rapid champion Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli who is a multiple medallist at world championships and Georgian Nino Batsiashvili, an individual gold medallist at the 2022 Olympiad.

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"This is getting stronger year by year," said Humpy who had finished fifth last year. Ushenina, who won the rapid here in 2022, said this "was one of the best events in the world." Irina Krush, the only woman in USA with a GM title, said she was excited "to be playing some of the best."

R Vaishali will not be defending her blitz title and her replacement WGM Divya Deshmukh said being a last-minute addition means there "will be no pressure to perform."