Her performance is in some way a confirmation of the research I have made into the gender distribution of chess players in different countries:
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/conservative-vs-progressive-chess-societies
Hou Yifan preparing to replace Judit Polgar as Women's #1?
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I hope she manages to do it. I'm really tired of seeing Polgar up there. 
Oh, and why chess doesn't have a list like they have in tennis?
It's still unclear how consistent Hou can be on the level she has played lately. She participated in top level events for many years and had similar great results before, followed by much weaker performances and falling Elo. Maybe this time she really can begin the final step towards 2700+ rating, but Candidates and Nakamura level are still way up there. For example Rapport is 2700+ already and a couple of years younger.
Wow, I knew Hou Yifan was moving up, but she's 2665 now? She's nearly moved up 50 points! That's great. I'd like to see a few more tournaments to make sure it's not a fluke, but this is a very good sign. I can just imagine how great it would feel for her to join the 2700 club.
I think the women's events have been holding her back some but she's had several good performances against 2700+ competition, the latest in Biel is outstanding. We'll have to see how she fares today in round 10 against India's second strongest. I'm hoping she'll draw it and finish tie for second and maybe dip below double digits on Polgars rating. That'd be a 2700+ performance I think too.
Hou Yifan is on move 27 with under 10 minutes left in what looks to me a critical position. Wouldn't want to be in her situation!
windmill64 wrote:
Hou Yifan is on move 27 with under 10 minutes left in what looks to me a critical position. Wouldn't want to be in her situation!
The pressure has finally gotten to her. For what reason she abandoned the sicilian variation which she used so far with success I don't know. Also she played the variation which she actually chose in a weird way ( not kicking the bishop on move 7 is an obvious mistake even to me, she instead played a move usual in her other variation... ).
Nevertheless, Judit's rating is steadily declining, she rarely plays rated games, so the OP's point will come true even if Yifan only manages to maintain her current level of play.
Dr Hou is comin' for you!
Hou Yifan made time control and looks like trying to setting up a fortress position, she may draw after all!
And?
Jul 24, 2014
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#32
I doubt Judith will go for a match with Yifan. It would be like an Unnoficial Women World Chess Match, and since Judith shows no interest for the official one, I think she would not go for an unofficial one...
Jul 24, 2014
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#33
SmyslovFan wrote:
Mersaphe, Hou Yifan's rating is +2600 and climbing. Her performance so far at Biel is well over 2700 and she has had several +2700 performances. She retooled her openings a few months ago and suffered several easy defeats. Now, her openings are the talk of the town!
I didn't say she would be playing Carlsen, I said she could qualify for the men's cycle. She's about where Hikaru Nakamura was at her age. She's good, and getting better. Naka didn't break 2700 til he was 22. Hou Yifan is on pace to break 2700 before then!
It is not wise to reduce things to arithmetic.
It is like there is a ManUnited Chelsea match , Chelsea won Everton 3-0 and Everton defeated ManU 1-0 so the result of the upcoming match will be 4-0!
Judit Polgar is a rare prodigy. She became the #1 female player just a few months after she turned 12. Freaking twelve y'all. Then never dropped from there & she just turned 37. Really think about how stunning that is, let it sink in. I'm starting to believe that if she has went through the school Kasparov went through with his training she might have been world champion. She was around 2550 around the time she turned 13. Kudos to Judit for playing the toughest players available & refusing to play any womens tournaments. As good as Yifan is (& yes, she'll soon be the #1 female), she's nowhere near as gifted as Judit.
Sep 20, 2014
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#35
Hou is now only 3 points away from Polgar in the live ratings...(though Polgars peak rating was 2735) - we might see soon a new top ranked woman after 25 years of Polgar dominance :)
http://www.2700chess.com/women
Wow that's crazy. Of course considering all of Polgar's achivements Hou still has a long way to go in matching that, but still she is by far the closest thing we have to another Judit right now.
Sep 21, 2014
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#37
Hou's already passed Polgar. Polgar has retired, therefore Hou is the highest rated (active) female in the world.
Sep 21, 2014
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#38
well Smyslov, I am talking latest rating of Polgar. Of course she has retired, but Yifan could possibly reach the heights of Polgars rating in the coming years (i.e. over 2700)..but obviously Polgar has achieved a lot in her time..
Yeah, naturally there is a big difference between passing Polgar in her prime versus passing her towards the end of her career where she was fairly inactive. Still, if it wasn't for Hou we probably wouldn't even be thinking of someone getting near Polgar in the near future.
We'll see. I expect that Hou Yifan will break 2700 in the next two years. Naka still hasn't played in a Candidates tournament, but it's looking very likely that he will qualify for the next one.
If Hou Yifan really does keep on the same trajectory as Nakamura, we could expect her to play in her first men's candidates tournament around 2021.