The Chinese Xu Yuhua is a new Women’s World Chess Champion. In the final fight for the Champion’s Crown she managed to win Russian Alisa Galliamova with 2,5:0,5.
It was enough to win two games and end one in a draw to become the Champion. In the final game the Russian had all the chances to draw. She managed to pass the opening with one pawn up and had good perspectives of winning. But being probably tired she failed to display her best abilities. Galliamova lost the sense of the game and as a consequence the initiative. The Chinese brilliantly took the benefit from this possibility and at move 59 defeated Galliamova stopped the clock. At this very moment the Chief Arbiter Andrzei Fillipowicz claimed Xu Yuhua to be the Champion.
At the concluding press conference Xu Yuhua showed gratitude to the organizers of the Championship, journalists, her coaches and all the people who supported her and wished her to win. In the end of the conversation Yuhua surprised the audience. She announced that she was on her 4th month of pregnancy and going to deliver a baby in September. Her answer to the question what helped her to become a Champion was very touching: “I think my baby was the one to help me”
27.03.2006