Women's World Chess Championship 2010
# Women's World Chess Championship 2010

The Women's World Chess Championship 2010 took place in Antakya, Turkey from December 2 through 24, 2010.

The tournament, like the previous ones, was played in a 64-player knock-out format. Each pairing consisted of two games, one with white and one with black, from which the winner advanced. In case of a tie, tiebreaks were played the next day, consisting of two rapid games and—if still tied—an Armageddon match. The final consisted of four games at classical time control, if necessary followed by four rapid tiebreak games.

The title was won by Hou Yifan from China who beat her compatriot Ruan Lufei in the final by 5–3, at 16 years of age making her the youngest Women's World Chess Champion in history.

## Participants

Players were seeded by their Elo ratings (November 2010 list), except that defending champion Alexandra Kosteniuk was the No. 1 seed.

* Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS), 2507, GM (WC)
* Humpy Koneru (IND), 2600, GM (WC)
* Hou Yifan (CHN), 2591, GM (WC)
* Tatiana Kosintseva (RUS), 2581, GM (E09)
* Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), 2551, GM (E08)
* Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL), 2548, GM (R)
* Anna Muzychuk (SLO), 2530, IM (R)
* Pia Cramling (SWE), 2526, GM (WC)
* Dronavalli Harika (IND), 2525, IM (J08)
* Ju Wenjun (CHN), 2524, WGM (Z3.5)
* Kateryna Lahno (UKR), 2522, GM (E08)
* Viktorija Čmilytė (LTU), 2514, GM (E08)
* Maia Chiburdanidze (GEO), 2502, GM (R)
* Monika Soćko (POL), 2495, GM (E08)
* Marie Sebag (FRA), 2494, GM (R)
* Ruan Lufei (CHN), 2480, WGM (Z3.5)
* Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM), 2479, IM (E08)
* Anna Zatonskih (USA), 2478, IM (Z2.1)
* Zhu Chen (QAT), 2477, GM (Z3.1)
* Elisabeth Paehtz (GER), 2474, IM (E09)
* Zhao Xue (CHN), 2474, GM (R)
* Hoang Thanh Trang (HUN), 2473, GM (E09)
* Natalija Pogonina (RUS), 2472, WGM (E08)
* Elina Danielian (ARM), 2466, GM (E08)
* Mariya Muzychuk (UKR), 2462, IM (E09)
* Shen Yang (CHN), 2461, WGM (Z3.5)
* Almira Skripchenko (FRA), 2460, IM (E08)
* Anna Ushenina (UKR), 2460, IM (E08)
* Yelena Dembo (GRE), 2454, IM (E08)
* Natalia Zhukova (UKR), 2447, GM (E08)
* Iweta Rajlich (POL), 2446, IM (E09)
* Irina Turova (RUS), 2439, IM (E09)
* Sopiko Khukhashvili (GEO), 2430, IM (E09)
* Jovanka Houska (ENG), 2421, IM (E08)
* Marina Romanko (RUS), 2414, IM (E09)
* Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL), 2409, IM (Z3.3)
* Cristina Adela Foișor (ROU), 2403, IM (E09)
* Huang Qian (CHN), 2402, WGM (Z3.5)
* Evgenija Ovod (RUS), 2387, IM (E09)
* Tatiana Shadrina (RUS), 2384, WGM (E09)
* Deysi Cori (PER), 2384, WGM (AM)
* Baira Kovanova (RUS), 2380, WGM (E09)
* Ding Yixin (CHN), 2370, WGM (AS)
* Jolanta Zawadzka (POL), 2368, WGM (E09)
* Martha Fierro Baquero (ECU), 2363, IM (AM)
* Nafisa Muminova (UZB), 2360, WIM (Z3.4)
* Maia Lomineishvili (GEO), 2347, IM (E08)
* Zhang Xiaowen (CHN), 2339, WGM (AS)
* Camilla Baginskaite (USA), 2336, WGM (Z2.1)
* Irina Vasilevich (RUS), 2333, IM (E09)
* Soumya Swaminathan (IND), 2332, WGM (J09)
* Meenakshi Subbaraman (IND), 2328, WGM (AS)
* Julia Demina (RUS), 2323, WGM (E08)
* Kübra Öztürk (TUR), 2264, WIM (PN)
* Arianne Caoili (AUS), 2242, WIM (Z3.6)
* Nadig Kruttika (IND), 2230, WGM (Z3.2)
* Betül Cemre Yıldız (TUR), 2252, WIM (PN)
* Marisa Zuriel (ARG), 2208, WIM (Z2.5)
* Ingrid Aliaga Fernández (PER), 2154, WFM (Z2.4)
* Dina Kagramanov (CAN), 2101, WIM (Z2.2)
* Mona Khaled (EGY), 2093, WGM (AF)
* Carla Heredia Serrano (ECU), 2087, WIM (Z2.3)
* Melissa Greeff (RSA), 2082, WGM (AF)
* Amina Mezioud (ALG), 2029, WIM (AF)

### Qualification paths

* WC: finalists and semifinalists of Women's World Chess Championship 2008 (4)
* J08 and J09: World Junior Champions 2008 and 2009
* R: Rating (average of the FIDE rating lists of July 2006 and January 2007) (5)
* E08 and E09: European Individual Championships 2008 and 2009 (28)
* AM: American Continental Chess Championship 2009 (2)
* AS: Asian Chess Championship 2009 (3)
* AF: African Chess Championship 2009 (3)
* Z2.1 (2), Z2.2, Z2.3, Z2.4, Z2.5, Z3.1, Z3.2, Z3.3, Z3.4, Z3.5 (4), Z3.6: Zonal tournaments 2009
* PN: FIDE President nominee (2)

### Notable absentees

The number one woman in the world, Judit Polgár, never competed for the women's title and did not enter this time either. World number five, Nadezhda Kosintseva, did not play either, although her sister Tatiana (ranked 4th) did. Other names missing from the top 20 were: Irina Krush (17th), former finalist Alisa Galliamova (19th) and ex-champion Xu Yuhua (20th).

Iweta Rajlich and Arianne Caoili were listed as participants but unable to attend; their scheduled opponents, Jovanka Houska and Ju Wenjun, were given byes through to the second round.

## Results

### Final match

Women's World Chess Championship Final 2010 :

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ruan Lufei (China) | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 3 |
| Hou Yifan (China) | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 5 |

### Bracket

| 1st Round | 1st Round | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 2nd Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 3rd Round | 3rd Round | | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 64 | Amina Mezioud | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 64 | Amina Mezioud | 0 | 1 | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 33 | Sopiko Khukhashvili | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 33 | Irina Turova | ½ | 33 | Sopiko Khukhashvili | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | Sopiko Khukhashvili | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | Sopiko Khukhashvili | 1½ | | | | 1 | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 17 | Ruan Lufei | 2½ | | | | | | | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 48 | Camilla Baginskaite | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 48 | Camilla Baginskaite | 1½ | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 48 | Zhang Xiaowen | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 49 | Lilit Mkrtchian | 1 | 48 | Zhang Xiaowen | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Zhang Xiaowen | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Zhang Xiaowen | 3 | | | | | | | | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 2½ | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Dronavalli Harika | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Pia Cramling | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Dronavalli Harika | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| 56 | Betül Cemre Yıldız | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 56 | Betül Cemre Yıldız | 1½ | 57 | Betül Cemre Yıldız | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 25 | Mariya Muzychuk | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 41 | Mariya Muzychuk | 2 | 25 | Mariya Muzychuk | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | Deysi Cori | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | Deysi Cori | 0 | | | | 25 | Mariya Muzychuk | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Dronavalli Harika | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 25 | Dronavalli Harika | 1½ | | | | | | | 9 | Dronavalli Harika | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 40 | Nadig Kruttika | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 40 | Nadig Kruttika | ½ | 9 | Dronavalli Harika | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 41 | Tatiana Shadrina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 57 | Elina Danielian | 0 | 41 | Tatiana Shadrina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Tatiana Shadrina | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Tatiana Shadrina | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 2½ | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | |
| 5 | Tatiana Kosintseva | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | |
| 60 | Mona Khaled | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 60 | Mona Khaled | 0 | 4 | Tatiana Kosintseva | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 29 | Yelena Dembo | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 37 | Yelena Dembo | 2½ | 29 | Yelena Dembo | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 28 | Batkhuyag Munguntuul | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 28 | Batkhuyag Munguntuul | 1½ | | | | 29 | Yelena Dembo | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 21 | Maia Chiburdanidze | 2 | | | | | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 44 | Meenakshi Subbaraman | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 44 | Meenakshi Subbaraman | 0 | 13 | Maia Chiburdanidze | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 53 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Martha Fierro Baquero | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Martha Fierro Baquero | ½ | | | | | | | | 20 | Zhao Xue | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 28 | Almira Skripchenko | ½ | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Nana Dzagnidze | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 28 | Almira Skripchenko | ½ | | | | | | | | |
| 52 | Dina Kagramanov | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 52 | Dina Kagramanov | 0 | 5 | Nana Dzagnidze | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 28 | Almira Skripchenko | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 45 | Almira Skripchenko | 3½ | 28 | Almira Skripchenko | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 20 | Cristina Adela Foișor | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 20 | Cristina Adela Foișor | 2½ | | | | 28 | Almira Skripchenko | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Viktorija Čmilytė | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 29 | Viktorija Čmilytė | 2 | | | | | | | 12 | Viktorija Čmilytė | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 36 | Julia Demina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 36 | Julia Demina | 0 | 12 | Viktorija Čmilytė | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 21 | Elisabeth Paehtz | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 61 | Elisabeth Paehtz | 3 | 21 | Elisabeth Paehtz | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Jolanta Zawadzka | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Jolanta Zawadzka | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | Ruan Lufei | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Hou Yifan | 5 |
| 3 | Hou Yifan | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Hou Yifan | 5 |
| 62 | Carla Heredia Serrano | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 62 | Carla Heredia Serrano | 0 | 3 | Hou Yifan | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 35 | Marina Romanko | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 35 | Natalia Zhukova | ½ | 35 | Marina Romanko | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 30 | Marina Romanko | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 30 | Marina Romanko | 1½ | | | | 3 | Hou Yifan | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 19 | Zhu Chen | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 19 | Zhu Chen | 2 | | | | | | | 19 | Zhu Chen | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 46 | Nafisa Muminova | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 46 | Nafisa Muminova | 0 | 19 | Zhu Chen | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | Monika Soćko | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 51 | Monika Soćko | 1½ | 14 | Monika Soćko | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Soumya Swaminathan | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Soumya Swaminathan | ½ | | | | | | | | 3 | Hou Yifan | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | ½ | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Antoaneta Stefanova | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | ½ | | | | | | | | |
| 54 | Ingrid Aliaga Fernández | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 54 | Ingrid Aliaga Fernández | 0 | 6 | Antoaneta Stefanova | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 38 | Huang Qian | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 43 | Anna Ushenina | 1½ | 38 | Huang Qian | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 22 | Huang Qian | 2½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 22 | Huang Qian | 2½ | | | | 38 | Huang Qian | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 27 | Hoang Thanh Trang | 2½ | | | | | | | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 38 | Ding Yixin | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 38 | Ding Yixin | 1½ | 22 | Hoang Thanh Trang | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 59 | Kübra Öztürk | ½ | 11 | Kateryna Lahno | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Kateryna Lahno | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Kateryna Lahno | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Hou Yifan | 1½ | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | ½ | | | | |
| 7 | Anna Muzychuk | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | ½ | | | | |
| 58 | Marisa Zuriel | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 58 | Marisa Zuriel | 0 | 7 | Anna Muzychuk | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 39 | Evgenija Ovod | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 39 | Shen Yang | ½ | 39 | Evgenija Ovod | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | Evgenija Ovod | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | Evgenija Ovod | 1½ | | | | 7 | Anna Muzychuk | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 10 | Ju Wenjun | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 23 | Baira Kovanova | 2 | | | | | | | 10 | Ju Wenjun | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 42 | Natalija Pogonina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 42 | Natalija Pogonina | 0 | 42 | Baira Kovanova | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Ju Wenjun | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 55 | Arianne Caoili | | 10 | Ju Wenjun | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Ju Wenjun | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Ju Wenjun | w/o | | | | | | | | 10 | Ju Wenjun | ½ | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Marie Sebag | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | |
| 50 | Irina Vasilevich | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 50 | Irina Vasilevich | 0 | 15 | Marie Sebag | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 18 | Anna Zatonskih | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 47 | Maia Lomineishvili | 0 | 18 | Anna Zatonskih | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 18 | Anna Zatonskih | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 18 | Anna Zatonskih | 2 | | | | 18 | Anna Zatonskih | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 31 | Iweta Rajlich | | | | | | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 34 | Jovanka Houska | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 34 | Jovanka Houska | w/o | 34 | Jovanka Houska | ½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 63 | Melissa Greeff | 0 | 2 | Humpy Koneru | 1½ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Humpy Koneru | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
