Development of the Women's World Chess Championship

While the World Chess Championship title, contested officially since 1886 and unofficially long before that, is in theory open to all players, it was for many years contested solely by men. In 1927, FIDE therefore established a Women's World Chess Championship exclusively for female players. Like the "open" title, the format for the women's championship has undergone several changes since then, the most important of which are described here.

The Championship before World War II (1927-39)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded in 1924 and quickly came up with the idea of taking control of the World Championship, although this didn't happen until 1948. The Women's World Championship, however, was a new creation by FIDE and thus held under their auspices from the beginning.

All official Women's Championships except one before World War II were held as round-robin tournaments concurrently with one of the Chess Olympiads, also controlled by FIDE - and all of them were won by the same player: Vera Menchik, by far the dominating figure in this early era of organized women's chess. Menchik, who usually preferred to compete in regular open tournaments against men (and beat several of them), first won the title at the first official Olympiad in London in 1927 and since defended it successfully no less than eight times, six times at subsequent Olympiads (in 1930, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39, respectively) and twice in matches against Sonja Graf, arguably the second-strongest female player of that era. These matches were arranged largely by the players themselves, much like the open title at the time. The first match (in 1934) was unofficial, while the second one (in 1937) was recognized by FIDE as official.

Introduction of the Championship cycle (1949-99)

Fate would have it that both reigning champions died during or shortly after World War II, Menchik during a bombing raid on her home in England in 1944 and Alexander Alekhine under somewhat suspicious circumstances in early 1946. FIDE promptly seized the opportunity to take control of the open title and produce standardized rules for both titles. This meant a cycle of Zonal, Interzonal, and Candidates Tournaments to produze a challenger who would then face the defending champion in a match for the title.

Naturally, since women only made up a small part of the total number of players, this system was only introduced gradually for the women's title. The first Candidates Tournament was held in 1952 and the first Interzonal in 1971. In the same cycle (1971-72), the format for the Candidates Tournament was changed from a round-robin to a knock-out series of matches. In 1976, the number of Interzonals was increased to two, due to the growing number of zones and chess-playing nations worldwide.

In 1986, the Candidates Tournament went back to the round-robin format and from 1991 there was again only played one Interzonal, but with a higher number of participants and using the Swiss system. The last championship cycle using this format (from 1995-99) was surrounded by much controversy and followed by some major changes to the system.

Knock-out Championships

Beginning in 2001, the women's championship, like the open one, was contested as single elimination tournaments with 64 players playing mini-matches for six rounds until only one remained. In the case of the open title this format was widely criticized, since several of the tournaments played during this period (1998-2004) were won by players with relatively low ratings. This was taken by some as a devaluation of the title. In the case of the women's championship, however, all of the knock-out tournaments were actually won by players who have before or since proven that they do belong to the absolute world elite.

Alternating formats

Since 2010, the women's championship has been held every year but in two alternating formats. In even years, the championship is still decided in a 64-player knock-out tournament. In odd years, however, the reigning champion from the year before will then defend her title in a match against a challenger. The challenger is determined through a Grand Prix series of six tournaments. There are various ways to qualify for the Grand Prix, but the field consists of 18 players, most of which are among the very strongest in the world.

Results

The tables below show the qualifiers and results for all Interzonal, Candidates and World Championship tournaments and matches. Players shown bracketed in italics (e.g. (Kushnir) in 1973-75) qualified for or were seeded in a specific stage of the championship cycle, but did not play. Players listed after players in italics (like Stefanova in 2011) only qualified due to the non-participation of the bracketed players.

The "Seeded into Final" column usually refers to the incumbent champion, but this has a different meaning for the 1949-50 tournament which was held to produce a new champion after the death of Menchik, and for the knock-out tournaments since 2001, where the defending champion gets no special privileges.

1949-99: Interzonals and Candidates Tournaments

Years	Interzonal Format	Interzonal Qualifiers	Seeded into Candidates	Candidates Format	Candidates Winner(s)	Seeded in Final	Championship Final
1949-50	None. After the death of Vera Menchik in 1944 FIDE decided to stage a tournament to determine the new champion.					16 players	Moscow 1949-50 Single round robin 1. Rudenko 11½ / 15 2. Rubtsova 10½ 3.-4. Bykova, Belova 10
1952-53	None		16 players	Moscow 1952 Single round robin 1. Bykova 11½ / 15 2.-3. Heemskerk, Ignatieva 10½	Bykova	Rudenko (1950 champion)	Moscow 1953 14 game match Bykova won 8 - 6
1955-56	None		20 players	Moscow 1955 Single round robin 1. Rubtsova 15 / 19 2. Volpert 14½ 3. Keller-Herrmann 14	Rubtsova	Bykova (1953 champion), Rudenko (1950 champion)	Moscow 1956 3 players, Octuple round-robin 1. Rubtsova 10 / 16 2. Bykova 9½ 3. Rudenko 4½
1958	Rematch					Rubtsova, Bykova	Moscow 1958 14 game match Bykova won 8½ - 5½
1959	None		15 players	Plovdiv 1959 Single round robin 1. Zvorykina 11½ / 14 2. Nedeljković 10½ 3. Volpert 9½	Zvorykina	Bykova (1958 champion)	Moscow 1959 13 game match Bykova won 8½ - 4½
1961-62	None		17 players	Vrnjačka Banja 1961 Single round robin 1. Gaprindashvili 13 / 16 2. Borisenko 11 3. Zvorykina 10	Gaprindashvili	Bykova (1959 champion)	Moscow 1962 11 game match Gaprindashvili won 9 - 2
1964-65	None		18 players	Sukhumi 1964 Single round robin 1.-3. Lazarević, Kushnir, Zatulovskaya 12½ / 17 4.-5. Zvorykina, Jovanović 11	Kushnir (won playoff)	Gaprindashvili (1962 champion)	Riga 1965 13 game match Gaprindashvili won 8½ - 4½
1967-69	None		18 players	Subotica 1967 Single round robin 1. Kushnir 13½ / 17 2.-3. Kozlovskaya, Zatulovskaya 12½	Kushnir	Gaprindashvili (1965 champion)	Tbilisi and Moscow 1969 14 game match Gaprindashvili won 9½ - 4½
1971-72	Ohrid 1971 18 players Single round robin 3 qualified	1. Alexandria 2.-3. Lazarević, Zatulovskaya	Kushnir	1971 4 players, matches Semi-finals: Kushnir beat Zatulovskaya, Alexandria beat Lazarević	Kushnir (beat Alexandria in the final)	Gaprindashvili (1969 champion)	Riga 1972 16 game match Gaprindashvili won 8½ - 7½
1973-75	Menorca 1973 20 players Single round robin 4 qualified	1. Kozlovskaya 2.-5. Shul, Levitina, Alexandria	(Kushnir)	1974-75 4 players, matches Semi-finals: Alexandria beat Shul, Levitina beat Kozlovskaya	Alexandria (beat Levitina in the final)	Gaprindashvili (1972 champion)	Pitsunda and Tbilisi 1975 12 game match Gaprindashvili won 8½ - 3½
1976-78	Two 11-14 player, single round robin Interzonals 3 qualified from each	Roosendaal 1976 1.-2. Akhmilovskaya, Kushnir 3.-4. Lematschko	Alexandria, Levitina	1977-78 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Chiburdanidze beat Akhmilovskaya, Kushnir beat Fatalibekova	Chiburdanidze (beat Kushnir in the final)	Gaprindashvili (1975 champion)	Tbilisi 1978 15 game match Chiburdanidze won 8½ - 6½
		Tbilisi 1976 1. Fatalibekova 2.-3. Chiburdanidze, Kozlovskaya
1979-81	Two 17-18 player, single round robin Interzonals 3-4 qualified from each	Rio de Janeiro 1979 1. Ioseliani 2. Veroci-Petronic 3. Alexandria	Gaprindashvili, (Kushnir)	1980-81 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Alexandria beat Litinskaya, Ioseliani beat Gaprindashvili	Alexandria (beat Ioseliani in the final)	Chiburdanidze (1978 champion)	Borjomi and Tbilisi 1981 16 game match Drawn 8 - 8 Chiburdanidze retained title
		Alicante 1979 1.-2. Lematschko, Akhmilovskaya 3. Gurieli 4. Litinskaya
1982-84	Two 15-16 player, single round robin Interzonals 3 qualified from each	Bad Kissingen 1982 1. Gaprindashvili 2. Semenova 3. Lematschko	Alexandria, Ioseliani	1983-84 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Levitina beat Alexandria, Semenova beat Ioseliani	Levitina (beat Semenova in the final)	Chiburdanidze (1981 champion)	Volgograd 1984 14 game match Chiburdanidze won 8½ - 5½
		Tbilisi 1982 1. Mureşan 2. Levitina 3. Liu Shilan
1985-86	Two 14-16 player, single round robin Interzonals 3 qualified from each	Havana 1985 1. Alexandria 2. Akhmilovskaya 3.-5. Cramling	Levitina, Semenova	Malmö 1986 8 players Double round-robin 1. Akhmilovskaya 9½ / 14 2. Alexandria 8 3. Litinskaya 8	Akhmilovskaya	Chiburdanidze (1984 champion)	Sofia 1986 14 game match Chiburdanidze won 8½ - 5½
		Zeleznovodsk 1985 1. Litinskaya 2. Wu Mingqian 3.-4. Brustman
1987-88	Two 16-18 player, single round robin Interzonals 3 qualified from each	Smederevska Palanka 1987 1. Litinskaya-Shul 2.-3. Levitina, Gaprindashvili	Akhmilovskaya, Alexandria	Tsqaltubo 1988 8 players Double round-robin 1.-2. Ioseliani, Akhmilovksya 10 / 14 3.-4. Levitina, Letinskaya-Shul 8	Ioseliani (won playoff against Akhmilovksya)	Chiburdanidze (1986 champion)	Telavi 1988 16 game match Chiburdanidze won 8½ - 7½
		Tuzla 1987 1. Ioseliani 2. Arakhamia 3.-4. Brustman
1990-91	Two 18 player, single round robin Interzonals 3 qualified from each	Azov 1990 1.-2. Kachiani, Galliamova 3. Klimova-Richtrova	Ioseliani, Akhmilovskaya	Borzomi 1991 8 players Single round-robin 1.-2. Xie Jun, Marić 4½ / 7 3.-4. Galliamova, Ioseliani 4	Xie Jun (won playoff against Marić)	Chiburdanidze (1988 champion)	Manila 1991 15 game match Xie Jun won 8½ - 6½
		Genting Highlands 1990 1. Gaprindashvili 2. Xie Jun 3.-4. Marić
1991-93	Subotica 1991 35 players Swiss 6 qualified	1.-2. Gaprindashvili, Peng Zhaoqin 3.-4. Ioseliani, Levitina 5.-7. Wang Pin, Qin Kanying	Chiburdanidze, Marić S. Polgar	Shanghai 1992 9 players Double round-robin 2 advanced to final 1. S. Polgar 12½ / 16 2.-3. Ioseliani, Chiburdanidze 9½	Monaco 1993 Final ended 6 - 6 Ioseliani won lottery	Xie Jun (1991 champion)	Monaco 1993 11 game match Xie Jun won 8½ - 2½
1993-96	Jakarta 1993 39 players Swiss 7 qualified	1. Arakhamia 2. Galliamova 3.-5. Chiburdanidze, Marić, Peng Zhaoqin 6.-8. Cramling, Foisor	Ioseliani, S. Polgar	Tilburg 1994 9 players Double round-robin 2 advanced to final 1.-2. S. Polgar, Chiburdanidze 10½ / 16 3. Cramling 8½	Saint Petersburg 1995 S. Polgar won final 5½ - 1½	Xie Jun (1993 champion)	Jaén 1996 13 game match S. Polgar won 8½ - 4½
1995-99	Chişinău 1995 52 players Swiss 7 qualified	1. Arakhamia 2. Kachiani-Gersinska 3.-6. Ioseliani, Galliamova, Peng Zhaoqin, Marić 7.-9. Gurieli	Xie Jun, Chiburdanidze, Cramling	Groningen 1997 10 players Double round-robin 2 advanced to final 1. Galliamova 13½ / 18 2. Xie Jun 12½ 3.-4. Ioseliani, Chiburdanidze 11	Xie Jun, Galliamova	(S. Polgar) (1996 champion)	Kazan and Shenyang 1997 15 game match Xie Jun won 8½ - 6½

2000-10: Knock-out tournaments

Years	Tournament Format	Quarter-finals	Semi-finals	Championship Final
2000	New Delhi November - December 2000 61 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Xie Jun beat Zhukova Kovalevskaya beat Peng Zhaoqin Qin Kanying beat Peptan Marić beat Skripchenko	Xie Jun beat Kovalevskaya Qin Kanying beat Marić	Xie Jun beat Qin Kanying 2½ - 1½
2001	Moscow November - December 2001 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Kosteniuk beat Skripchenko, Foisor beat Xu Yuhua, Chiburdanidze beat Peng Zhaoqin, Zhu Chen beat Khurtsidze	Kosteniuk beat Xu Yuhua, Zhu Chen beat Chiburdanidze	Zhu Chen beat Kosteniuk 5 - 3
2004	Elista May - June 2004 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Koneru Humpy beat Xu Yuhua, Kachiani-Gersinska beat Kovalevskaya, Stefanova beat Dzagnidze, Chiburdanidze beat Čmilytė	Kovalevskaya beat Koneru Humpy, Stefanova beat Chiburdanidze	Stefanova beat Kovalevskaya 2½ - ½
2006	Ekaterinburg March 2006 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Čmilytė beat Chiburdanidze, Galliamova beat Khurtsidze, Matveeva beat Sebag, Xu Yuhua beat Kovalevskaya	Xu Yuhua beat Matveeva, Galliamova beat Čmilytė	Xu Yuhua beat Galliamova 2½ - ½
2008	Nalchik August - September 2008 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Kosteniuk beat Ushenina, Cramling beat Stefanova, Hou Yifan beat Mkrtchian, Koneru Humpy beat Shen Yang	Kosteniuk beat Cramling, Hou Yifan beat Koneru Humpy	Kosteniuk beat Hou Yifan 2½ - 1½
2010	Hatay December 2010 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Ruan Lufei beat Dronavalli Harika, Zhao Xue beat Skripchenko, Hou Yifan beat Lahno, Koneru Humpy beat Ju Wenjun	Ruan Lufei beat Zhao Xue Hou Yifan beat Koneru Humpy	Hou Yifan beat Ruan Lufei 5 - 3

2011-present: Alternating formats

Years	Qualification Format	Qualifiers	Seeded into Final	Championship Final
2011	FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009-2011 6 tournament series, winner qualified 1. Hou Yifan 410 2. Koneru Humpy 398⅓	Koneru Humpy	Hou Yifan (2010 champion)	Tirana November 2011 10 game match Hou Yifan won 5½ - 2½
2012	Khanty Mansiysk November - December 2012 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Quarter-finals: Antoaneta Stefanova beat Marie Sebag, Zhao Xue beat Dronavalli Harika, Anna Ushenina beat Nadezhda Kosintseva, Huang Qian beat Ju Wenjun	Semi-finals: Stefanova beat Dronavalli Ushenina beat Wenjun	Ushenina beat Stefanova 3½ - 2½
2013	FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011-2012 6 tournament series, winner qualified 1. Hou Yifan 480 2. Koneru Humpy 415	Hou Yifan	Anna Ushenina (2012 champion)	Taizhou, Jiangsu September 2013 10 game match Hou Yifan won 5½ - 1½
2015	Sochi March - April 2015 64 players 6 round, mini-match, knockout tournament	Quarter-finals: Mariya Muzychuk beat Humpy Koneru, Dronavalli Harika beat Meri Arabidze, Natalia Pogonina beat Zhao Xue, Pia Cramling beat Anna Muzychuk	Semi-finals: Muzychuk beat Dronavalli Pogonina beat Cramling	Mariya Muzychuk beat Pogonina 2½ - 1½
2016	FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013-14 6 tournament series, winner qualified 1. Hou Yifan 465 2. Koneru Humpy 380	Hou Yifan	Mariya Muzychuk (2015 champion)	Lviv March 2016 10 game match

Read more:

• Development of the World Chess Championship
• Candidates Tournament
• Women's World Chess Championship