Women's World Chess Championship 2017
womens world chess championship player knockout tournament decide womens world chess champion final tan zhongyi anna muzychuk rapid tiebreaks fide general assembly nd chess olympiad baku september organizational right event awarded iran held championship tehran february march top female player decided attend tournament hou yifan outgoing womens world champion top ranked female player decided enter tournament dissatisfaction fides womens world championship system womens world champion mariya muzychuk u womens champion nazí paikidze also elected attend protest tournament location iran mandatory woman wear hijab public rule also applied participating player notable absentee womens world number four humpy koneru eighttime u womens champion irina krush may fide suspended chess federation iran nonpayment womens world championship prize june ban lifted tournament originally placed fide calendar october however march meeting fide presidential board ultimately postponed event due lack organizer original agenda general assembly made explicit mention iran indicating event postponed due lack organizer similar situation agenda item womens world championship came discussion baku iran offered host event brief discussion applicable dress code none attending delegate objected fide published general assembly decision two week later existence iran offer become widely known issue rapidly became explosive part due social medium activity nigel short alternatively claimed awarding event iran fide statute code ethic founding principle international olympic committee nazí paikidze qualified finishing tied nd u womens championship first female player protest fides decision allow iran host event medium announced would participate particularly iran dress code requiring woman wear hijab though initially also secondarily mentioned risk american foreigner detained iran nationality later petition changeorg included third item namely could speech restriction woman chess like sport degree controversy regarding womens attire statement fide press officer anastasiya karlovich published susan polgars site chess daily news october indicating fide received official complaint date including prior womens event held iran would reviewing possible solution players’ comfort would discus issue organizer iran meeting next week polgar requested concerned participant contact fide womens commission cochair emil sutovsky president association chess professional acp hosted discussion facebook page matter wrote official letter fide also noted talked least half participant vast majority want boycott acp would respect right others natalia zhukova alexandra kosteniuk anna muzychuk elisabeth paehtz made public comment sutovsky none degree nazí paikidze sutovsky willing entertain nigel short claim regarding illegality fides action simultaneously would pursue either personally acp president proper legal argument made matter chessbase india interviewed two three qualifier country harika dronavalli humpy koneru played iran previously indicated degree awkwardness discomfort physical aspect headscarf playing zhukova declared world championship important later article quoted kosteniuk koneru expanding view former noting even exercising fitness iran difficult woman guardian featured asian womens continental champion mitra hejazipour iran article describing boycott could harm iranian womens sport iranian player also stated boycott would beneficial iranian woman schedule tournament february opening ceremony february – round february – round february – round february – round quarterfinal february – round semifinal february rest day february – march round final march closing ceremony player selected five different mean reaching semifinal recent knockout womens world championship junior championship rating zonal continental chess championship fide wildcards start tournament th seed cristina adela foișor died pairing already announced replacement participant seeded fide rating february prize money u first round loser second third fourth losing semifinalist runnerup champion overall sum taken fide player pay cost travel accommodation meal duration final match tournament consisted four classical game played consecutive day restday semifinal tiebreaks match eventual tiebreaks played march manner whole tournament two rapid game ie minute whole game plus second increment two rapid game two blitz game armageddon decider anna muzychuk reigning womens blitz rapid world champion advanced final without playing tiebreak tan zhongyi hand played several including two armageddon match one semifinal harika dronavalli knocked semifinal stage third straight time final tan zhongyi anna muzychuk met two time classical time control game ending draw draw first game tan outplayed opponent win game however muzychuk came back crushing early victory game game quiet draw setting stage rapid playoff first pair rapid game tan zhongyi title consequently also awarded grandmaster title player position determined january fide rating list play play official website