Women's World Chess Championship 1978

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The 1978 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Maia Chiburdanidze, who defeated the incumbent champion Nona Gaprindashvili At only 17 years of age, Chiburdanidze became the sixth and youngest Women's World Champion (Gaprindashvili had been 20 when she first won the title).

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1976 Interzonals

For the first time, the women's cycle contained not one but two Interzonal tournaments, held in Roosendaal, Netherlands and Tbilisi, Georgian SSR in November and December 1976, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. A total of 25 players took part, with the top three from each Interzonal qualifying for the Candidates Tournament.

Akhmilovskaya and former three-time challenger Kushnir (now representing Israel) shared first place in Roosendaal, while Lematschko took the third and last spot in the Candidates after a playoff against van der Mije. [1]

In Tbilisi, Fatalibekova won, half a point ahead of Kozlovskaya and 15-year-old prodigy Chiburdanidze. [2]

1976 Women's Interzonal, Roosendaal
Player1234567891011121314PointsTie break
1Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Elena Akhmilovskaya  (Soviet Union)-½01½1½½11½11154.25
2Flag of Israel.svg  Alla Kushnir  (Israel)½-½01½½1111½1154.00
3Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Alexandra van der Mije  (Netherlands)1½-1½½1½½0½111954.75
4Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg  Tatjana Lematschko  (Bulgaria)010-01½111½111949.00
5Flag of Hungary.svg  Zsuzsa Veroci  (Hungary)½0½1-½10½1½111
6Flag of England.svg  Jana Malypetrová  (England)0½½0½-½1½½1½11
7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Liudmila Belavenets  (Soviet Union)½½0½0½-½½11½½17
8Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tatyana Fomina  (Soviet Union)½0½010½-01½½1134.75
9Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Milunka Lazarević  (Yugoslavia)00½0½½½1-0½11132.50
10Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Corry Vreeken  (Netherlands)00100½001-1½1½
11Flag of the United States.svg  Ruth Orton  (USA)½0½½½00½½0-1015
12Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  Maria Cristina de Oliveira  (Brazil)0½000½½½0½0-1½4
13Flag of Colombia.svg  Ilse de Caro  (Colombia)000000½00010-1
14Flag of Italy.svg  Rita Gramignani  (Italy)000000000½0½0-1
1976 Women's Interzonal, Tbilisi
Player1234567891011PointsTie break
1Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Elena Fatalibekova  (Soviet Union)-½1½½½½1½117
2Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Maia Chiburdanidze  (Soviet Union)½-10½11½1½½31.25
3Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Valentina Kozlovskaya  (Soviet Union)00-11½½11½128.75
4Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Marta Litinskaya  (Soviet Union)½10-1½½½011628.00
5Flag of Hungary.svg  Mária Ivánka  (Hungary)½½00-½1½111625.00
6Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tatiana Zatulovskaya  (Soviet Union)½0½½½-0½1½15
7Flag of East Germany.svg  Petra Feustel  (East Germany)½0½½01-½½0121.00
8Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Gertrude Baumstark  (Romania)0½0½½½½-½1½20.00
9Flag of East Germany.svg  Brigitte Hofmann  (East Germany)½00100½½-½14
10Flag of the United States.svg  Diane Savereide  (USA)0½½00½10½-03
11Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Narelle Kellner  (Australia)0½00000½01-2

1977-78 Candidates matches

The top three from each of the two Interzonals were joined by seeded players Alexandria and Levitina, the finalists from the last Candidates Tournament. These eight players contested a knock-out series of matches. Sixteen-year-old Chiburdanidze beat Kushnir in the final, earning the right to challenge reigning champion Gaprindashvili. [3]

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
Tbilisi, Apr-May 1977
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Maia Chiburdanidze
Tallinn, Sep–Oct 1977
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Nana Alexandria
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Maia Chiburdanidze
Sofia, May–June 1977
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Elena Akhmilovskaya
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Elena Akhmilovskaya
Bad Kissingen, Jan 1978
Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg Tatjana Lematschko
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Maia Chiburdanidze
Dortmund, May–June 1977
Flag of Israel.svg Alla Kushnir
Flag of Israel.svg Alla Kushnir 6
West Berlin, Sep–Oct 1977
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Irina Levitina 3
Flag of Israel.svg Alla Kushnir
Sochi, Apr-May 1977
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Elena Fatalibekova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Elena Fatalibekova 6
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Valentina Kozlovskaya 2

1978 Championship Match

The championship match was played in Tbilisi from August 19 to October 12, 1978. [4] A close match ended with a victory for 17-year-old Chiburdanidze against her twenty-year older opponent. [5]

Women's World Championship Match 1978
123456789101112131415Total
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Maia Chiburdanidze  (Soviet Union)½½½11½0½1½0½1½½
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Nona Gaprindashvili  (Soviet Union)½½½00½1½0½1½0½½

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References

  1. "World Chess Championship (women) : 1976 Roosendaal Interzonal Tournament". Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
  2. "World Chess Championship (women) : 1976 Tbilisi Interzonal Tournament". Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
  3. "World Chess Championship (women) : 1977-78 cycle : Candidates Matches". Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
  4. "Chiburdanidze" (PDF). Chess Life and Review. US Chess Federation. January 1978. p. 592.
  5. "World Chess Championship (women) : 1978 Chiburdanidze - Gaprindashvili". Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved 2012-02-06.