PKU student Hou Yifan wins the Women’s World Chess Championship
Mar 17, 2016
Peking University, Mar. 16, 2016: On March 15th, 2016 (Beijing Time), Hou Yifan — a top international chess player and a senior at Peking University majoring in international relations — won the Women’s World Chess Champion for the fourth time.
In the FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship Match held in Lviv, Ukraine, Hou defeated Mariya Muzychuk with the final score of 6:3. This was the fourth time that she won the Women’s World Champion. Previously, she won the world champion title in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Hou’s victory also marked the 10th Women’s World Chess Champion awarded to Chinese international chess female player.
“Her defense has improved a lot. And I have seen the fully matured Hou Yifan during the competition.” Ye Jiangchuan, the head coach of Chinese International Chess National Team, highly praised Hou’s performance,” Hou Yifan has won four women’s champions like Xie Jun, but she is so young. Her achievement in the future would be limitless.”
During the championship, students and teachers from Peking University had been closely watching the real-time matches, bringing encouragements and best wishes to Hou. The School of International Studies, Peking University gives supports with Hou’s match.
“It is very difficult to win the game, and I would like to thank the staffs, the team and Coach Ye Jiiangchuan. Without them, I would not be able to finish this arduous championship successfully,” Hou told the journalists.
Hou also thanked Peking University’s continuous support and nurture for her in the post-match press conference. “I would like to thank my team and fans. Despite the 6 hours of difference with China I know that many people were following my games,” said Hou Yifan.
About Hou Yifan
Hou Yifan, born on February 27, 1994 in Xinghua, Jiangsu Province, China, is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.
At the age of 12, Hou became the youngest player ever to participate in the FIDE Women's World Championship (Yekaterinburg 2006) and the Chess Olympiad (Torino 2006). In June 2007, she became China's youngest National Women's Champion ever. She achieved the titles of Woman FIDE Master in January 2004, Woman Grandmaster in January 2007, she would have qualified for the International Master title in September 2008 by reaching the final of the Women's World Championship, but in August 2008 she had already qualified for the Grandmaster title by achieving her 3rd GM norm. In 2010, she became the youngest Women's World Chess Champion in history by winning the Women's World Championship in Hatay, Turkey, at the age of 16. She has since won three more Women's World Championship title in 2011, 2013 and 2016.
She became the leading female in Gibraltar Chess Festival 2015. She currently ranks the first place in the newest FIDE World Rankings prepared by The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) , the organization that governs international chess competition.
Hou was admitted to the School of International Studies, Peking University in 2012.
Reported by: Fan Wei
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: FIDE, Beijing Youth Daily
Related Links:
http://lviv2016.fide.com/2016/03/14/hou-yifan-wins-womens-world-championship-match/
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2016-03/16/c_128803101.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_World_Chess_Championship_2016
http://news.163.com/16/0316/01/BI8AAR8S00014AED.html
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2016-03/15/c_128799893.htm
