Hou Yifan
The record-breaker. Four-time Women's World Champion and, by rating, the strongest female player in the world for over a decade, Hou Yifan is the natural heir to Judit Polgar's legacy — the second-strongest woman in chess history, and the one who chased the toughest open competition rather than settle for any ceiling.
The Sicilian Defence — the kind of sharp, fighting chess Hou Yifan handles with the universal command that took her to a peak rating of 2686, higher than any woman in history other than Polgar. Equally at home attacking or grinding, she is a complete player.
Born
1994 · Xinghua, Jiangsu, China
Titles
Four-time Women's World Champion
Peak Rating
2686 — highest of any woman except Judit Polgar
Records
Youngest female GM ever (14); youngest women's champion (16)
Records, then the open field
Hou Yifan broke records on the way up: youngest female grandmaster in history at fourteen, youngest Women's World Champion at sixteen. But what sets her apart is what she did next. Rather than dominate women's events alone, she pushed into strong open tournaments against elite male grandmasters, reaching a rating that no woman but Polgar has matched, and the world top tier of all players.
She has also built a life beyond the board, becoming a professor at Peking University and stepping back from full-time professional chess to balance competition with academia — a modern trailblazer on her own terms, and the standard-bearer for women's chess in the post-Polgar era.
Where her games live in this library
A universal repertoire
Hou Yifan plays the full range — the open Sicilian and Ruy Lopez as readily as classical 1.d4 — with the all-round command that lets her meet anyone, in any structure.
Attack and technique
Her best games blend sharp attacking play with clean technical conversion — the complete skill set that carried her to the very top of the rating list among women and into elite open events.
The Ruy Lopez — one of the classical battlegrounds in Hou Yifan's wide repertoire, where her universal understanding turns long, strategic games in her favour.
Hou Yifan — FAQ
Who is Hou Yifan?
A Chinese grandmaster, four-time Women's World Champion, and widely regarded as the second-strongest female player in history after Judit Polgar. Her peak rating of 2686 is the highest any woman has reached except Polgar, and she is also a professor at Peking University.
What records does Hou Yifan hold?
She became the youngest female grandmaster ever, at 14, and the youngest Women's World Champion ever, at 16. She won the women's title four times and has consistently been the top-rated woman in the world.
Why does Hou Yifan play in open events?
Like Polgar before her, she has chosen to test herself in strong open tournaments against top male grandmasters. She has spoken about competing at the highest level and balancing chess with an academic career, and stepped back from full-time play to pursue both.
The Sicilian — sharp, fighting chess that Hou Yifan handles with universal command.
The Ruy Lopez — classical strategy suited to her all-round, complete style.
Classical 1.d4 — the technical, structurally rich chess in her wide repertoire.
- Hou Yifan profile and rating history, FIDE and Chess.com.
- Women's World Championship match records (2010–2016).
- Interviews on competing in open events and her academic career.
- Coverage of her record-setting GM and championship titles.
Trailblazers & champions
Hou Yifan carried Polgar's torch into a new generation; China's reigning women's champion shares the stage. Explore the rest of the lineage.