Chess player Anna Ushenina

Born:30/08/1985 (Age 34) Kharkiv, Ukraine
Fide Title:Grandmaster
Fide ID: 14110911
Federation: Ucrania
Maximum Elo: 2502 (July 2007)
Elo: 2416 (January 2020)
Classification: 2568 (January 2020)
Profile link

Anna Ushenina became World Champion in 2012, despite a very disadvantageous draw. He had to beat better-ranked players such as Anna Muzychuk, Natalia Pogonina, Nadezhda Kosintseva and Ju Wenjun in mini-matches to reach the final against former World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova. Although his opponent forced the tiebreaker by defeating her in the last classic game – his first defeat in the event - he managed to stay calm in the fast-court play-off and regain the title for Ukraine. She will now play a 2013 World Championship match against another former champion, Hou Yifan.

Anna's heroic performance in 2012 was the return of the form she scored in her youth years, winning the Ukrainian Women's Championship –senior- in 2005 and entering the world top-10 at the age of 21 in July 2007. Many of Anna's best performances have taken place in team championships, with a remarkable debut for the Ukrainian national team at the 2006 Olympics, not losing any games as a reserve and achieving a 7/10 that helped her country win the gold medal. His usual coach, Gennady Krugovoy, once explained that his team results were better because the Ukrainian Federation had no money to support players and coaches in the individual championships. Perhaps that explains Anna's slow rating erosion since her roof in 2007. In any case, things seem to go better now for the once little-known Ukrainian player.

In 2013 she was unable to defend her crown against Hou Yifan and was defeated by Hou Yifan by a tough 5.5-1.5.

Photo: Wikipedia