Anna Muzychuk or Tan Zhongyi will be the new Women’s World Champion

In under a week 27-year-old Anna Muzychuk (she has a birthday on 28 February!) or 25-year-old Tan Zhongyi will be the new Women’s World Champion

Anna Muzychuk and Tan Zhongyi will play a 4-game match starting Monday to decide the new Women’s World Champion after an incredible three days of semifinal action. Alexandra Kosteniuk collapsed and lost in two games against Anna Muzychuk after letting a winning position slip in the first.

Harika Dronavalli put up stunning resistance in the other semifinal but it was Tan Zhongyi’s nerves that held best in the end as she came through in Armageddon for the second time in Tehran.

Tan Zhongyi, meanwhile, can keep the title in Chinese hands for the next couple of years, since the Champion is set to play a World Championship match against Chinese no. 2 Ju Wenjun early next year. Tan Zhongyi’s route to the final has been vastly longer, featuring no less than 28 games. Despite the accumulated fatigue that no doubt means, you suspect the longer the match goes on the better her chances will be.

It can’t be an accident she’s twice come through matches that went to Armageddon here and also won an earlier Chinese knockout tournament that went to Armageddon. This is one final you won’t want to miss! The four classical games start on Monday, and you can again watch all the action on chess24 from 12:30 CET.

See also:

• Official website
• All the games with computer analysis on chess24