I wonder if chess participation increased with the "chess is cool" campaign?
Women's World Chess Championship
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good thread Sara, i am really hopeful Hou Yifan can get to 2650, and looking forward to this years comp. if anyone doesn't know yet it starts in October, knockout this time 
i'll bump this nearer the time with some links too, the last one was totally one sided but this one will be ace
SARA_SA wrote:
... Ever since Vera Menchik first won the title in 1927, the best female players in the world have striven to become champion. ..
"The best female players," but not the best female player - a bit of a paradox?
Anna Ushenina is also on the list of champions ...
the venue has still not been decided for the tournament, it was due to start in about 5 weeks, but it looks like FIDE are skint
While the Women's World Chess Championship has never been given the same level of attention that the overall World Chess Championship has -- perhaps, in part, because women are allowed to compete with men for the overall title -- it is still a prestigious title with a long history. Ever since Vera Menchik first won the title in 1927, the best female players in the world have striven to become champion. Unlike in the World Chess Championship, former champions do not typically earn the right to automatically advance to the finals to face a challenger; instead, they must work their way through the entire field in the same manner as other contenders.
List of Women's World Chess ChampionsIn recent years, the situation has changed somewhat, as some of the best female players have chosen not to seek out the Women's World Chess Championship. The best example of this is Judit Polgar, who despite being clearly the best female player in the history of chess has chosen not to compete for the title, instead focusing her efforts on the overall World Championship. However, most top female players still compete for the Women's World Chess Championship, making the championship tournament the strongest female-only chess event held anywhere in the world.