The people behind the game
Zhu Chen
Won a dramatic knockout final against Alexandra Kosteniuk, decided in rapid tie-breaks.
- Born
- 1976
- Country connections
- China / Qatar
At the board
The games. The ideas.
Explore classic encounters and championship battles. Play every move, or jump straight to the moments that tell the story.
2001 · Women’s world championship · Final · rapid tie-break 4
A tie-break for the crown
The final rapid tie-break of the 2001 women’s championship. Zhu Chen’s kingside pawns and knights break through.
Read the position
Every move sets the scene.
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Complete move list 36 moves
The journey
A remarkable path.
Zhu won the women’s world championship in Moscow in 2001, defeating Alexandra Kosteniuk in the final. She later changed federations and began representing Qatar in 2006. Her world championship was won while representing China. [1]
Explore the championship record →The championship record
Time with the crown.
- 2001–2004Women’s world championship
Reigns are periods of title ownership, not a count of championship victories. Open-ended reigns reflect the record checked on 18 October 2026.
Sources & credits
Biographical details and title records checked . Country connections describe the player’s career and background, rather than a live federation listing.
Portrait: Doha Stadium Plus Qatar from Doha, Qatar · CC BY 2.0. Displayed in monochrome and cropped.
