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The 1996 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Hungarian Zsuzsa Polgar, who defeated the incumbent champion Xie Jun in the title match. Polgar was seeking American Citizenship at the time.
As part of the qualification process, an Interzonal tournament was held in Jakarta in July and August 1993, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. 39 players took part with the top seven qualifying for the Candidates Tournament (Sofieva was eliminated after a playoff against Cramling and Foisor). For the second time, the Interzonal was played as a 13 round Swiss system tournament.
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Points | Tie break | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketevan Arakhamia (Georgia) | 2440 | +25 | +32 | +7 | =6 | =30 | =3 | +10 | =2 | +5 | =9 | +14 | =4 | =8 | 9½ | |
| 2 | Alisa Galliamova-Ivanchuk (Ukraine) | 2435 | +31 | +5 | -6 | +26 | +4 | +12 | -3 | =1 | +13 | -14 | +9 | =8 | +10 | 9 | |
| 3 | Maia Chiburdanidze (Georgia) | 2510 | +14 | =13 | +10 | =30 | +6 | =1 | +2 | =5 | +8 | -4 | =15 | =7 | =12 | 8½ | 65.75 |
| 4 | Alisa Marić (Serbia and Montenegro) | 2405 | =15 | +38 | +13 | =12 | -2 | +22 | =11 | =9 | +18 | +3 | =5 | =1 | =6 | 8½ | 61.00 |
| 5 | Peng Zhaoqin (China) | 2335 | +35 | -2 | +19 | =11 | =22 | +7 | +6 | =3 | -1 | +13 | =4 | +15 | =17 | 8½ | 61.00 |
| 6 | Pia Cramling (Sweden) | 2525 | +18 | +8 | +2 | =1 | -3 | =11 | -5 | +19 | +12 | -15 | =7 | +9 | =4 | 8 | 61.75 |
| 7 | Ainur Sofieva (Azerbaijan) | 2390 | +36 | +23 | -1 | +31 | -12 | -5 | -13 | +32 | +37 | +11 | =6 | =3 | +15 | 8 | 50.25 |
| 8 | Cristina Adela Foisor (Romania) | 2360 | bye | -6 | =14 | +15 | -10 | +38 | =21 | +26 | -3 | +18 | +12 | =2 | =1 | 8 | 47.50 |
| 9 | Anna-Maria Botsari (Greece) | 2245 | =12 | -26 | +33 | =13 | +17 | =21 | +30 | =4 | +11 | =1 | -2 | -6 | +20 | 7½ | 51.25 |
| 10 | Svetlana Matveeva (Russia) | 2395 | +24 | +11 | -3 | =22 | +8 | +30 | -1 | -13 | -15 | +21 | +20 | +14 | -2 | 7½ | 50.75 |
| 11 | Wang Pin (China) | 2335 | +37 | -10 | +17 | =5 | +38 | =6 | =4 | =12 | -9 | -7 | =16 | +26 | +13 | 7½ | 49.00 |
| 12 | Qin Kanying (China) | 2410 | =9 | =22 | +18 | =4 | +7 | -2 | +14 | =11 | -6 | =17 | -8 | +23 | =3 | 7 | 51.25 |
| 13 | Nino Gurieli (Georgia) | 2355 | +29 | =3 | -4 | =9 | +28 | =16 | +7 | +10 | -2 | -5 | +19 | =17 | -11 | 7 | 49.00 |
| 14 | Lidia Semenova (Ukraine) | 2285 | -3 | +29 | =8 | =16 | +34 | =26 | -12 | +30 | +21 | +2 | -1 | -10 | =18 | 7 | 46.50 |
| 15 | Krystyna Dąbrowska (Poland) | 2240 | =4 | =16 | +36 | -8 | -21 | +34 | =17 | +38 | +10 | +6 | =3 | -5 | -7 | 7 | 46.00 |
| 16 | Julia Demina (Russia) | 2365 | =38 | =15 | =33 | =14 | =31 | =13 | -19 | +27 | -17 | +37 | =11 | =21 | +28 | 7 | 42.75 |
| 17 | Margarita Voiska (Bulgaria) | 2345 | =30 | =19 | -11 | +39 | -9 | =27 | =15 | +36 | +16 | =12 | =23 | =13 | =5 | 7 | 41.50 |
| 18 | Anda Šafranska (Latvia) | 2290 | -6 | +28 | -12 | =36 | +32 | +37 | =26 | +23 | -4 | -8 | =31 | +30 | =14 | 7 | 40.25 |
| 19 | Irina Kulish (Russia) | 2225 | =26 | =17 | -5 | =32 | +24 | =31 | +16 | -6 | =23 | +30 | -13 | -20 | +34 | 6½ | 39.75 |
| 20 | Zoja Lelchuk (Ukraine) | 2340 | =28 | +21 | -30 | -38 | -37 | =29 | +35 | =22 | +24 | +31 | -10 | +19 | -9 | 6½ | 39.75 |
| 21 | Mirjana Marić (Serbia and Montenegro) | 2305 | =27 | -20 | +39 | =28 | +15 | =9 | =8 | =31 | -14 | -10 | +34 | =16 | =23 | 6½ | 38.25 |
| 22 | Tatjana Shumiakina (Russia) | 2320 | +39 | =12 | =26 | =10 | =5 | -4 | -23 | =20 | =28 | =34 | -30 | +35 | +33 | 6½ | 37.00 |
| 23 | Nino Khurtsidze (Georgia) | 2325 | +34 | -7 | =16 | -27 | =36 | +39 | +22 | -18 | =19 | +26 | =17 | -12 | =21 | 6½ | 36.50 |
| 24 | Adrienn Csoke (Hungary) | 2235 | -10 | =37 | -27 | +35 | -19 | -32 | bye | +25 | -20 | =33 | +39 | +31 | =26 | 6½ | 28.25 |
| 25 | Yuliya Levitan (USA) | 2270 | -1 | =33 | -28 | -34 | =29 | =35 | +39 | -24 | bye | -38 | +37 | +32 | +31 | 6½ | 27.00 |
| 26 | Claudia Amura (Argentina) | 2365 | =19 | +9 | =22 | -2 | +27 | =14 | =18 | -8 | =31 | -23 | +28 | -11 | =24 | 6 | 39.00 |
| 27 | Xu Yuhua (China) | - | =21 | -30 | +24 | +23 | -26 | =17 | -31 | -16 | +29 | -28 | bye | -33 | +37 | 6 | 30.75 |
| 28 | Beatriz Marinello (USA) | 2160 | =20 | -18 | +25 | =21 | -13 | =36 | -38 | bye | =22 | +27 | -26 | +29 | -16 | 6 | 30.75 |
| 29 | Maria Lucia Ratna Sulistya (Indonesia) | 2190 | -13 | -14 | =35 | =33 | =25 | =20 | =36 | =34 | -27 | bye | +32 | -28 | +30 | 6 | 28.25 |
| 30 | Bhagyashree Thipsay (India) | 2175 | =17 | +27 | +20 | =3 | =1 | -10 | -9 | -14 | +38 | -19 | +22 | -18 | -29 | 5½ | 36.00 |
| 31 | Fliura Uskova (Kazakhstan) | 2260 | -2 | +35 | +32 | -7 | =16 | =19 | +27 | =21 | =26 | -20 | =18 | -24 | -25 | 5½ | 33.50 |
| 32 | Vera Peicheva-Jürgens (Germany) | 2350 | +33 | -1 | -31 | =19 | -18 | +24 | =37 | -7 | =36 | +35 | -29 | -25 | +39 | 5½ | 28.25 |
| 33 | Lindri Juni Wijayanti (Indonesia) | 2185 | -32 | =25 | -9 | =29 | -39 | bye | =34 | -37 | =35 | =24 | +38 | +27 | -22 | 5½ | 25.50 |
| 34 | Lisa Karlina Lumongdong (Indonesia) | 2080 | -23 | -36 | bye | +25 | -14 | -15 | =33 | =29 | +39 | =22 | -21 | +38 | -19 | 5½ | 22.50 |
| 35 | Victoria Johansson (Sweden) | 2155 | -5 | -31 | =29 | -24 | bye | =25 | -20 | +39 | =33 | -32 | +36 | -22 | +38 | 5½ | 21.00 |
| 36 | Nava Starr (Canada) | 2210 | -7 | +34 | -15 | =18 | =23 | =28 | =29 | -17 | =32 | =39 | -35 | bye | FF* | 5 | 22.25 |
| 37 | Julia Tverskaya (USA) | 2090 | -11 | =24 | -38 | bye | +20 | -18 | =32 | +33 | -7 | -16 | -25 | +39 | -27 | 5 | 20.50 |
| 38 | Martina Holoubkova (Czech Republic) | 2235 | =16 | -4 | +37 | +20 | -11 | -8 | +28 | -15 | -30 | +25 | -33 | -34 | -35 | 4½ | |
| 39 | Caroline Bijoux (South Africa) | - | -22 | bye | -21 | -17 | +33 | -23 | -25 | -35 | -34 | =36 | -24 | -37 | -32 | 2½ |
Starr forfeited her last round game, so no bye was needed for that round.
The seven qualifiers from the Interzonal Tournament were joined by the two finalists from the previous tournament, Ioseliani and Polgar. These nine players contested a double round-robin tournament in Tilburg in September 1994, from which the top two would advance to the final to determine the challenger. Polgar and ex-champion Chiburdanidze shared first place two points ahead of the competition. The final was played in Saint Petersburg in March 1995 and dominated by Polgar who won the match 5½-1½ without losing a single game.
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Points | Tie break | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zsuzsa Polgar (Hungary) | 2550 | - | 1 | 1½ | 1½ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 10½ | 81.25 |
| 2 | Maia Chiburdanidze (Georgia) | 2520 | 1 | - | 1½ | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | 1 | 2 | 1½ | 10½ | 79.00 |
| 3 | Pia Cramling (Sweden) | 2525 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1½ | 1½ | 1½ | 8½ | |
| 4 | Alisa Galliamova-Ivanchuk (Ukraine) | 2475 | ½ | 1½ | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2 | 8 | 61.75 |
| 5 | Alisa Marić (Serbia and Montenegro) | 2400 | 0 | ½ | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 8 | 59.25 |
| 6 | Peng Zhaoqin (China) | 2370 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ | 1 | - | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 7½ | |
| 7 | Nana Ioseliani (Georgia) | 2435 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | 7 | 58.25 |
| 8 | Cristina Adela Foisor (Romania) | 2405 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | - | 2 | 7 | 50.25 |
| 9 | Ketevan Arakhamia (Georgia) | 2450 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 0 | - | 5 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maia Chiburdanidze (Georgia) | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1½ |
| Zsuzsa Polgar (HUN) | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5½ |
The championship match was played in Jaén in 1996 and, like the Candidates Tournament, dominated by Polgar who won 6 games (against 2) and in the end defeated champion Xie Jun by four points.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zsuzsa Polgar (Hungary) | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8½ |
| Xie Jun (China) | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4½ |