Zhu Chen
Zhu Chen (Chinese诸宸/诸宸, Pinyin Zhū Chén, born March 16, 1976 in Wenzhou) is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. She is a former World Junior Champion, Women's World Champion and Gold Medal winner of the Chess Olympiad.
Achievements
Zhu, who had first engaged with the Chinese Xiangqi, settled teach the age of seven by her mother the rules of traditional chess. In 1988 she won the U12 group at the World Youth Championships in Romania and was the first Chinese woman to win an international competition. Then she was sent to Beijing to receive regular chess training. In 1992 she became the first Chinese champion, more titles followed in 1994 and 1996.
In 1994 she won the World Junior Championship of female youth in Matinhos. This success could be repeated in 1996 in Medellín, with their victory with 10 points from 11 games, the best result was that ever was achieved at a Junior World Championships. Five years later (2001) the title of Grand Master, she was awarded.
At the World Championships she took part for the first time in 1995, but failed with 7/ 13 as 19 in the Interzonal of Chisinau. Also at the second attempt in 2000, she was defeated in the first round of the US-American Irina Krush with ½: 1 ½.
On 14 December 2001, Zhu Chen won the Women's World Cup. In a thrilling World Cup final, which went across the stage without a single draw and had to be extended twice due to tie, they defeated the Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk 5-3. On their way to the title she turned previously already Elisa Maggiolo (1 ½: ½), Svetlana Petrenko (1 ½: ½), Alisa Marić (3:1), Nino Churzidse (4:3) and former world champion Maia Tschiburdanidse (2 ½: ½ ) from. However, the next World Cup tournament in 2004, she joined due to time constraints and safety concerns not back on and therefore lost her title to Antoaneta Stefanova. At the time of cancellation, she was also pregnant, which, however, says that it was not the main reason for their decision.
Great success Zhu was also able to achieve at the Chess Olympiads. With China, she won the silver medal in 1996 and 1998, 2000 ( with the best overall performance of all participants) and 2002 gold.
Zhu Chen is active not only in women's chess, but also plays successfully in open or Mr. tournaments. Among other things, she took second place at the Chinese Championships for men in 1997 when FIDE Grand Prix 2002 in Dubai she beat the then reigning FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov in the first round with 1 ½:. ½.
In June 2004, she succumbed to the chess program Fritz 0-2. The competition called in her native China produced a lot of media interest.
Despite qualification Zhu could not participate in the 2006 World Cup in Yekaterinburg, since it was blocked by the Chinese Association. In the official announcement of this step is justified by their participation in an illegal tournament in Qatar. However, the true background is likely to be their announcement to accept the Qatari nationality of her husband, and to compete in the next Asian Games for the desert monarchy. This happened at the Chess Olympiad in Turin in 2006, when she played for Qatar at board 3.
Your current Elo rating is 2495, so she takes the 17th place in the FIDE world ranking of women (as of January 2011). Their highest ever Elo rating they had with 2539 in 2000.
Private
Chen Zhu is married to Qatari Grandmaster Muhammad al- Mudiyahki, whom she had met in Malaysia for the first time in 1994, and studied literature at Beijing's Tsinghua University. 2002 her autobiography Lay Piece Without Regrets appeared - Waits and Dreams of A Mermaid at Nanfang Publishing House.