Hou drawn against women in first 3 rounds...

http://www.chess-results.com/tnr303618.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=CHN&wi=821&snr=22

Coincidence?

Hou's on first base? You know the rest Bud😀

Watt's on 2nd?

The pairing systems are trolling her xD

Seriously? Whoa... 

Hee's on third...

...and would you believe... a WGM in round 4...

http://www.chess-results.com/tnr303618.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=4&wi=821

I mean... can't be coincidence, or what? Even other women paired together, at least in some previous rounds I think.

What are the chances for this happening? :-O @gambit-man

David Smerdon calculated it to be something like one in 3000 or 4000...

One arbiter said that her high rating (comparitive to other women players) means she is often in the top half of the score group, where the other women are usually in the lower half, making it more likely she is paired with other women...

She played three women in the first three rounds.

So what?

4 in 4 rounds...

Hou Yifan not paired for round 5 - http://www.chess-results.com/tnr303618.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=5&turdet=YES&wi=821

Has she withdrawn?

No idea, but Ushenina did withdrew and has all rounds marked as "not paired", while Kosteniuk, who had a rest day today, is playing tomorrow and had the same sign as Yifan for tomorrow (so, only one "not paired").

http://www.chess-results.com/tnr303618.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=RUS&turdet=YES&wi=821&snr=52

c.c's article says she took a half point bye

I suppose you haven't heard about the incident in Gibraltar open?

finally got a male opponent in R5... http://www.chess-results.com/tnr303618.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=6&turdet=YES&flag=30&wi=821

ChessBase have looked at the odds... http://en.chessbase.com/post/hou-yifan-pairings-controversy-investigation