Women's World Chess Championship 1953

The 1953 Women's World Chess Championship was the first to feature a Candidates Tournament that produced a challenger for the reigning champion, much like the system used for the open championship title.

The first Candidates Tournament was won by Elisabeth Bykova, who went on to beat Lyudmila Rudenko and become the third Women's World Champion.

1952 Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament was held in Moscow in October and November 1952, with Bykova eventually emerging the winner.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! Points !! Tie break
 * + 1952 Women's Candidates Tournament
 * - style="background:#cfc;"
 * 1 || Elisabeth Bykova || - || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 11½ ||
 * 2 || 🇳🇱 Fenny Heemskerk (NLD) || 1 || - || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10½ || 69.00
 * 3 || Olga Ignatieva || 0 || 0 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10½ || 67.25
 * 4 || Valentina Belova || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 10 || 69.75
 * 5 || Edith Keller-Herrmann || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10 || 62.75
 * 6 || Kira Zvorykina || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10 || 61.00
 * 7 || 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Eileen Betsy Tranmer (ENG) || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 9 ||
 * 8 || Olga Rubtsova || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || - || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 8 || 58.50
 * 9 || 🇫🇷 Chantal Chaudé de Silans (FRA) || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8 || 49.00
 * 10 || 🇭🇺 Jozsa Langos (HUN) || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8 || 48.50
 * 11 || 🇺🇸 Mona May Karff (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 7 ||
 * 12 || 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rowena Mary Bruce (ENG) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 5 ||
 * 13 || Nina Grushkova-Belska || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 1 || 4½ ||
 * 14 || 🇺🇸 Mary Bain (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 3½ ||
 * 15 || 🇦🇷 María Berea de Montero (ARG) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 3 ||
 * 16 || 🇦🇹 Salome Reischer (AUT) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || - || 1½ ||
 * }
 * 10 || 🇭🇺 Jozsa Langos (HUN) || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8 || 48.50
 * 11 || 🇺🇸 Mona May Karff (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 7 ||
 * 12 || 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rowena Mary Bruce (ENG) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 5 ||
 * 13 || Nina Grushkova-Belska || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 1 || 4½ ||
 * 14 || 🇺🇸 Mary Bain (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 3½ ||
 * 15 || 🇦🇷 María Berea de Montero (ARG) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 3 ||
 * 16 || 🇦🇹 Salome Reischer (AUT) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || - || 1½ ||
 * }
 * 14 || 🇺🇸 Mary Bain (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 3½ ||
 * 15 || 🇦🇷 María Berea de Montero (ARG) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 3 ||
 * 16 || 🇦🇹 Salome Reischer (AUT) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || - || 1½ ||
 * }
 * 16 || 🇦🇹 Salome Reischer (AUT) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || - || 1½ ||
 * }
 * }

1953 Championship Match
The championship match was played in Leningrad from 15 August to 20 September 1953. It was a 14-game event (the first player to reach 7.5 points will be the winner.) Bykova won three of the last four games and thus the title.


 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! Total
 * +Women's World Championship Match 1953
 * align=left | Lyudmila Rudenko
 * 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 6
 * align=left | Elisabeth Bykova
 * style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 1 || 8
 * }
 * style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 1 || 8
 * }