Hou Yifan is World Champion

Sept 20.2013 – In a desperate last-ditch attempt to take her opponent out of book, reigning champion Anna Ushenina of Ukraine played a rather bizarre Najdorf Defense, but to no avail. The 19-year-old challenger Hou Yifan soon obtained a pleasent edge and used precise play to wrap up the game and won the 2013 Woman’s World Championship 5.5-1.5 (4-0=3).

Anna Ushenina employed the bizarre variation of the Najdor in hopes of taking Hou Yifan out of her preparation. Despite the early games giving the Ukrainian player everything she wanted from the opening, it became clear, game-by-game, that these opening advantages did not exist anymore. Ushenina started suffering in the Keres Attack of the Sicilian. Trying to avoid that she employed 6…Nbd7 in her Game 7. Yifan followed the game Ponomariov-Topalov, Thessalonica 2013 and obtained a pleasant edge. Black’s crippled pawns were simply not compensated. With precise play, the Challenger was able to wrap up the game and the championship in forty moves.