Hou Yifan Retains Women's World Championship
Hou Yifan drew the eighth game of her ten-game match with challenger Humpy Koneru to retain the title with two games to spare.
The final score in Hou Yifan's favour was an impressive 5½-2½, winning three games, drawing five and losing none. As the winner, she takes home € 120,000.
At just 17 years of age the Chinese champion has the potential to improve still further, dominating women's chess and holding the title for many years.
Congratulations to Hou Yifan, Women's World Chess Champion!
| Name | Nat | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total |
| Hou, Yifan | CHN | 2578 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ |
½ |
1 |
1 |
½ |
. | . | 5½ |
| Koneru, Humpy | IND | 2600 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ |
½ |
0 |
0 |
½ |
. | . | 2½ |
A pressing question now must be whether or not Hou Yifan should focus on "open" events, instead of women's events, challenging herself to compete with the best male players.
Judit Polgar has been the top rated women's chess player for more than two decades and achieved her success by almost exclusively playing against men. Will Hou Yifan follow the same path and could she eventually displace Polgar as the top rated woman in the world?
The latest 'live' ratings for the top women show Hou Yifan has jumped to #2 in the rankings at 2595 Elo, ahead of her defeated challenger Koneru Humpy on 2583 Elo, but still well short of Judit Polgar's 2710 Elo rating.
Photo from the official website.
