Web Chess Mercantile Presents the 13th Womens World Chess Champion

Now at Web Chess Mercantile - January 2011 Featured Grandmaster Hou Yifan - 

Lady Grandmaster and Reigning 13th Womens World Chess Champion

The young Chinese Prodigy born in Xinghua, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China, on February 27, 1994, was clearly destined to have a future in chess at a young age. Her father recalls how she was facinated by a glass chess set at the tender age of 3 when she would accompany him to a local bookstore. Soon there after he bought her first chess set.

Yifan learned the game quickly and at the age of 3 could force her father and grandmother into submission and ultimately checkmate. As a result her dad sought out the help of IM Tong Yuanming to help Yifan learn and understand the complexities of chess.

The International Master Tong Yuanming told of Yifan to her father that she had a remarkable ability for "strong confidence, distinguished memory, calculating ability and fast reaction." It was noted that she impressed many.

In 2003 at the young age of 9 she started her journey toward International Chess Stardom becoming the youngest player to qualify for the Chinese National Team and in June of 2007 Yifan became the youngest ever Chinese National Champion.

You can view the rest of her remarkable story at Web Chess Mercantile