At the Women’s World Championship ongoing in Tehran, clear favorite Ju Wenjun of China was ousted in the quarterfinals by her countrywoman Tan Zhongyi, losing the second game of their mini-match. As mentioned last week, this format with the two-game matches is cruel, where one bad game and you are done. Didn’t sleep well? Sorry. Not feeling well? Sorry, but home you go. Anyway, the semifinal matches have been set: Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk vs. Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Indian Harika Dronavalli vs. Tan Zhongyi. It is hard to predict the results, but Kosteniuk is a former world champion and clearly the most experienced player left. We will also see how 26-year-old Tan Zhongyi holds up.

Strangely off the radar screen and almost out of sight, the FIDE Grand Prix has started. The Grand Prix is one of the qualifying events for the 2018 Candidates tournament, and the winner is the next challenger for world champion Magnus Carlsen. This year’s version of the Grand Prix consists of four tournaments held in Sharjah, UAE; Moscow; Geneva; and Palma, Majorca. Unlike past years, the 2017 events will each be an 18-player Swiss from a total pool of 24 players, with each player in only three events. Players will accumulate points based on their results, with the two top point-getters qualifying through to the 2018 Candidates in a yet unannounced location.

Also this year, Agon, FIDE’s commercial partner, will be organizing the event for the first time.

The Sharjah event features among its 16 players the only American in the mix, Hikaru Nakamura; former women’s world champion Hou Yifan, fresh from her Gibraltar controversy; Frenchman and top seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; Armenian Levon Aronian; Azerbaijan’s No. 1, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov; and a column favorite, Hungarian Richard Rapport.

Coming events: March 2, Boylston Quads, 40 Norris St, Cambridge, www.BoylstonChess.org, March 4, 4th Queen City Tornado, Radisson Hotel Manchester, 700 Elm St., Manchester, N.H., HalTerrie@comcast.net, www.NHChess.org.

Recent results: 56th Papa Gino’s (Scholastic) Open, Section 1, 1st, Sravan Mandepudi, 3-1, Section2: 1st Raeann Zhou: 3.5-.5;

Answer to today’s problem: An endgame for a change. 1.h7+ Kg7 2.h8Q+! Kxh8 3.Kf7! (Threatening 4.g7+, 5.g8Q+ and 4.Bf6 mate) 3…Rf1+ 4.Bf6+ Rxf6 5.Kxf6 Kg8 6.g7 and the pawn will queen.

Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.