The World Chess Federation is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It also uses the International Chess Federation brand. It is very commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE.
Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian chess grandmaster and Women's World Chess Champion from 2008 to 2010. She was European women's champion in 2004 and a two time Russian Women's Chess Champion. Kosteniuk won the team gold medal playing for Russia at the Women's Chess Olympiads of 2010, 2012 and 2014, the Women's World Team Chess Championship of 2017, and the Women's European Team Chess Championships of 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017.
Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess player who is also reigning women's world rapid champion. In 2002, she became the youngest woman ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years, 1 month, 27 days, beating Judit Polgár's previous record by three months. In October 2007, Koneru became the second female player, after Polgár, to exceed the 2600 Elo rating mark, being rated 2606.
Fast chess is a type of chess in which each player is given less time to consider their moves than normal tournament time controls allow. Fast chess is further subdivided, by decreasing time controls, into rapid chess, blitz chess, and bullet chess. Armageddon chess is a particular variation in which different rules apply for each of the two players.
Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess grandmaster and four-time Women's World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, she is the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of grandmaster and the youngest ever to win the Women's World Chess Championship.
The Women's World Chess Championship (WWCC) is played to determine the world champion in women's chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE.
Róża Maria Herman was a Polish chess mistress.
Clarice Benini was an Italian chess player. She was awarded the title International Woman Master by FIDE in 1950.
Huang Qian is a Chinese chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She won the Chinese Women's Chess Championship in 2012 and the Asian Women's Chess Championship in 2013. Huang competed in the Women's World Chess Championship in 2001, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2017.
Tan Zhongyi is a Chinese chess grandmaster (GM) and former Women's World Chess Champion (2017–2018).
Ju Wenjun is a Chinese chess grandmaster. She is the current Women's World Chess Champion and became the fifth woman to cross the 2600 barrier in March 2017. Ju Wenjun won 3 consecutive Women's World Chess Championships held between 2018 and 2020.
The International Chess Federation, FIDE, awards several performance-based titles to chess players, up to and including the highly prized Grandmaster (GM) title. Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and norms. Once awarded, FIDE titles are held for life, though a title may be revoked in exceptional circumstances. Open titles may be earned by all players, while women's titles are restricted to female players. Many strong female players hold both open and women's titles. FIDE also awards titles for arbiters, organizers and trainers.
The 7th Women's World Chess Championship took place during the 1939 Olympiad in Buenos Aires. The final results were as follows:
The 1953 Women's World Chess Championship was the first to feature a Candidates Tournament that produced a challenger for the reigning champion, much like the system used for the open championship title.
The 1956 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Olga Rubtsova, who became the fourth women's champion.
The 1984 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Maia Chiburdanidze, who successfully defended her title against challenger Irina Levitina.
The 1986 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Maia Chiburdanidze, who successfully defended her title against challenger Elena Akhmilovskaya.
The 1999 Women's World Chess Championship was won by former champion Xie Jun, who regained her title after defeating Alisa Galliamova. Previous to the match, reigning champion Susan Polgar had been stripped of her title after much controversy.
Lei Tingjie is a Chinese chess grandmaster. She won the Women's Chinese Chess Championship in 2017.
Józsa Lángos was a Hungarian chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master. She was an eight-time winner of the Hungarian Women's Chess Championship.
