Prince of Peace

There can be little doubt that the victory against all odds of 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) over Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina in the second semifinal of FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 turned the Women’s World Chess Championship into an unprecedented all-China contest — such a monopoly is being reminiscent of the USSR times. Now, in the first quarter of 2023, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), both born and living at 重庆 (Chóngqìng), will play in the final for the right to challenge the reigning Women’s World Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). And thus today, in the awarding ceremony of Pool B’s semifinal, held in the Silk Road city of Khiva (Uzbekistan), FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich bestowed the trophy prize on 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), while Goryachkina — who harshly criticised the new knockout format in unsuspecting times — apparently did not attend the ceremony. Photo: Timur Sattarov/FIDE.