Women's World Chess Championship 1956

The 1956 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Olga Rubtsova, who became the fourth women's champion.

The Candidates Tournament was won by Rubtsova. Instead of her playing the defending champion Elisabeth Bykova, however, FIDE decided that the championship would be decided between the top three female players: Rubtsova, Bykova, and Lyudmila Rudenko, ex-champion and loser of the last title match.

1955 Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament was held in Moscow in October 1955. Rubtsova won narrowly, only half a point ahead of her closest competitor.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! 19 !! 20 !! Points !! Tie break
 * + 1955 Women's Candidates Tournament
 * - style="background:#cfc;"
 * 1 || Olga Rubtsova || - || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 15 ||
 * 2 || Larissa Volpert || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 14½ ||
 * 3 || Edith Keller-Herrmann || 1 || ½ || - || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 14 ||
 * 4 || Kira Zvorykina || 0 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 13½ ||
 * 5 || Valentina Borisenko || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 13 ||
 * 6 || Verica Nedeljković || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || - || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 12½ ||
 * 7 || Milunka Lazarević || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 12 ||
 * 8 || 🇧🇬 Antonia Ivanova (BGR) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || - || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 11½ ||
 * 9 || 🇳🇱 Fenny Heemskerk (NLD) || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10 ||
 * 10 || Olga Ignatieva || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 9½ || 84.25
 * 11 || 🇺🇸 Gisela Kahn Gresser (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ || 70.50
 * 12 || 🇫🇷 Chantal Chaudé de Silans (FRA) || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ || 67.75
 * 13 || 🇺🇸 Sonja Graf-Stevenson (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ || 63.75
 * 14 || 🇭🇺 Eva Kertesz (HUN) || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 7 ||
 * 15 || Josefa Gurfinkel || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || - || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 6½ || 53.75
 * 16 || 🇵🇱 Krystyna Hołuj (POL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || - || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6½ || 43.25
 * 17 || 🇺🇸 Mona May Karff (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 5½ ||
 * 18 || 🇦🇷 Celia Baudot de Moschini (ARG) || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 4½ ||
 * 19 || Ruzena Sucha || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 4 ||
 * 20 || 🇨🇱 Berna Carrasco (CHL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || 2 ||
 * }
 * 12 || 🇫🇷 Chantal Chaudé de Silans (FRA) || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ || 67.75
 * 13 || 🇺🇸 Sonja Graf-Stevenson (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ || 63.75
 * 14 || 🇭🇺 Eva Kertesz (HUN) || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 7 ||
 * 15 || Josefa Gurfinkel || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || - || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 6½ || 53.75
 * 16 || 🇵🇱 Krystyna Hołuj (POL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || - || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6½ || 43.25
 * 17 || 🇺🇸 Mona May Karff (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 5½ ||
 * 18 || 🇦🇷 Celia Baudot de Moschini (ARG) || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 4½ ||
 * 19 || Ruzena Sucha || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 4 ||
 * 20 || 🇨🇱 Berna Carrasco (CHL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || 2 ||
 * }
 * 17 || 🇺🇸 Mona May Karff (USA) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 5½ ||
 * 18 || 🇦🇷 Celia Baudot de Moschini (ARG) || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || - || 1 || ½ || 4½ ||
 * 19 || Ruzena Sucha || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 4 ||
 * 20 || 🇨🇱 Berna Carrasco (CHL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || 2 ||
 * }
 * 19 || Ruzena Sucha || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 4 ||
 * 20 || 🇨🇱 Berna Carrasco (CHL) || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || 2 ||
 * }
 * }

1956 Championship Tournament
The championship tournament was held in Moscow in 1956. The three players each played 8-game mini-matches against each other, with Rubtsova eventually clinching the title.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! Total
 * + Women's World Championship Tournament 1956
 * - style="background:#cfc;"
 * 1 || align=left|Olga Rubtsova || - || 4½ || 5½ || 10
 * 2 || align=left|Elisabeth Bykova || 3½ || - || 6 || 9½
 * 3 || align=left|Lyudmila Rudenko || 2½ || 2 || - || 4½
 * }
 * 3 || align=left|Lyudmila Rudenko || 2½ || 2 || - || 4½
 * }