03.04.17 Twenty-five year old Tan Zhongyi of China has defeated the reigning women's champion Maryia Muzychuk to become the new FIDE Women's World Chess Champion. In a grueling thirty-four game tournament, Zhongyi made it to the finals with Muzychuk and the two players were tied after the four-game regulation match. The first game of the 25 minute +10 second rapid tiebreak was drawn with Muzychuk having the better chances. The second game ended in disaster--and triumph.

Official website of the 2017 Women's World Chess Championship

2017 Women's World Chess Championship Complete Games List

Maryia Muzychuk (left) and Tan Zhongyi shake hands to begin the final round of the 2017 Women's World Chess Championship in Tehran, Iran.

Sixty-four players from around the world competed in the 2017 FIDE Women's World Chess Championship including three Americans: Katerina Nemcova, Sabina-Francesca Foisor, and Viktorija Ni. US Women's Champion Nazi Paikidze-Barnes made a decision not to participate in the event in protest of the organizer's requirement that all participants of the tournament wear a traditional hijab.

After six rounds of regulation play, the final round was tied after four games at 2.0 points apiece.

The match then entered the first phase of the tiebreaks at a time control of 25 minutes +10 seconds.

After drawing the first game of the tiebreaks and with the match score equal at 2.5 points, game two of the rapid tiebreak match commenced. Zhongyi had the white pieces and despite the computer's evaluation of a significant advantage in the late middlegame, black had a monster passed b-pawn on the forth rank threatening to create havoc.

At this point the natural 39...Kg8 would have allowed the game to continue with the result still unclear.
Inexplicably, Muzychuk played 39...Kh6 placing her King in a mating net and after 40.g4! (threatening 41.g5 mate) the match came to an abrupt end. We congratulate the new Women's World Chess Champion Tan Zhongyi on her remarkable performance and look forward to seeing more of her great and instructive games in the future.