Hou Yifan Regains Title

Needing only seven of the alotted 10 games, Chinese GM Hou Yifan convincingly won the 2013 Women's World Championship in Taizhou, China, by beating title-holder GM Anna Ushenina of Ukraine. Hou Yifan first won the title in 2010, then lost it last year by losing in the second round of the knockout-style event (which Ushenina won).

The title is contested annually but alternates between a large, elimination event, and a one-on-one match, as it was this year. Hou Yifan qualified as the challenger by winning the last Women's Grand Prix cycle.

Having dominated as Black throughout the match, Hou Yifan won for the first time as White to achieve the clinching score of 5.5-1.5. In a the first Najdorf of the series, Hou Yifan's king proved inviolate the whole game, while Ushenina's monarch was completely depleted of pawns. Facing invasions on the back rank, h-file, and White's well-poised knight, Ushenina conceded the game and the title.

GM Anna Ushenina, who was unable to win any games in the match