Women's World Chess Championship 1978

The 1978 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Maia Chiburdanidze, who defeated the incumbent champion Nona Gaprindashvili At only 17 years of age, Chiburdanidze became the sixth and youngest Women's World Champion (Gaprindashvili had been 20 when she first won the title).

1976 Interzonals

For the first time, the women's cycle contained not one but two Interzonal tournaments, held in Roosendaal, Netherlands and Tbilisi, Georgian SSR in November and December 1976, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. A total of 25 players took part, with the top three from each Interzonal qualifying for the Candidates Tournament.

Akhmilovskaya and former three-time challenger Kushnir (now representing Israel) shared first place in Roosendaal, while Lematschko took the third and last spot in the Candidates after a playoff against van der Mije.[1]

In Tbilisi, Fatalibekova won, half a point ahead of Kozlovskaya and 15-year-old prodigy Chiburdanidze.[2]

1976 Women's Interzonal, Roosendaal
Player1234567891011121314PointsTie break
1 Elena Akhmilovskaya (Soviet Union)-½01½1½½11½11154.25
2 Alla Kushnir (Israel)½-½01½½1111½1154.00
3 Alexandra van der Mije (Netherlands)1½-1½½1½½0½111954.75
4 Tatjana Lematschko (Bulgaria)010-01½111½111949.00
5 Zsuzsa Veroci (Hungary)½0½1-½10½1½111
6 Jana Malypetrová (England)0½½0½-½1½½1½11
7 Liudmila Belavenets (Soviet Union)½½0½0½-½½11½½17
8 Tatyana Fomina (Soviet Union)½0½010½-01½½1134.75
9 Milunka Lazarević (Yugoslavia)00½0½½½1-0½11132.50
10 Corry Vreeken (Netherlands)00100½001-1½1½
11 Ruth Orton (USA)½0½½½00½½0-1015
12 Maria Cristina de Oliveira (Brazil)0½000½½½0½0-1½4
13 Ilse de Caro (Colombia)000000½00010-1
14 Rita Gramignani (Italy)000000000½0½0-1
1976 Women's Interzonal, Tbilisi
Player1234567891011PointsTie break
1 Elena Fatalibekova (Soviet Union)-½1½½½½1½117
2 Maia Chiburdanidze (Soviet Union)½-10½11½1½½31.25
3 Valentina Kozlovskaya (Soviet Union)00-11½½11½128.75
4 Marta Litinskaya (Soviet Union)½10-1½½½011628.00
5 Mária Ivánka (Hungary)½½00-½1½111625.00
6 Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Soviet Union)½0½½½-0½1½15
7 Petra Feustel (East Germany)½0½½01-½½0121.00
8 Gertrude Baumstark (Romania)0½0½½½½-½1½20.00
9 Brigitte Hofmann (East Germany)½00100½½-½14
10 Diane Savereide (USA)0½½00½10½-03
11 Narelle Kellner (Australia)0½00000½01-2

1977-78 Candidates matches

The top three from each of the two Interzonals were joined by seeded players Alexandria and Levitina, the finalists from the last Candidates Tournament. These eight players contested a knock-out series of matches. Sixteen-year-old Chiburdanidze beat Kushnir in the final, earning the right to challenge reigning champion Gaprindashvili.[3]

  Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
                           
  Tbilisi, Apr-May 1977
    Maia Chiburdanidze  
    Nana Alexandria     Tallinn, Sep–Oct 1977
      Maia Chiburdanidze  
  Sofia, May–June 1977     Elena Akhmilovskaya  
    Elena Akhmilovskaya
    Tatjana Lematschko     Bad Kissingen, Jan 1978
      Maia Chiburdanidze
  Dortmund, May–June 1977       Alla Kushnir
    Alla Kushnir 6  
    Irina Levitina 3     West Berlin, Sep–Oct 1977
      Alla Kushnir
  Sochi, Apr-May 1977     Elena Fatalibekova  
    Elena Fatalibekova 6
    Valentina Kozlovskaya 2  

1978 Championship Match

The championship match was played in Tbilisi in 1978. A close match ended with a victory for 17-year-old Chiburdanidze against her twenty-year older opponent.[4]

Women's World Championship Match 1978
123456789101112131415Total
 Maia Chiburdanidze (Soviet Union) ½½½11½0½1½0½1½½
 Nona Gaprindashvili (Soviet Union) ½½½00½1½0½1½0½½

References

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