Tumultuous welcome for Women's World Champion Anna Ushenina

by ChessBase
12/5/2012 – On December 1st for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine a chess player won the title of World Women Chess Champion. A few days later Anna Ushenina, the 27-year-old IM from Kharkiv, returned to her home town to an enthusiastic welcome of family, friends, admirers and dignitaries, with press conferences, gifts and commendations from the country's leadership.

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The Women’s World Chess Cup 2012 was staged by the Ugorian Chess Academy in Khanty-Mansiysk from 11 November to 2 December. The best 64 chess players in the world took part in the competition, which consist of six knock-out rounds of two games, which reduced the participants from 64 to 32, 16, 8, 4, and 2. The winner will play a match against the winner of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011-2012 (Hou Yifan), which will determine the World Champion among women.

World Champion Anna Ushenina arrives in Ukraine

Report and photos by Anna Korol

On December 3rd, 2012 a festive meeting of the World Women Chess Champion Anna Ushenina was held in Kharkiv. Anna became the Champion at the recent knock-out world championship that took place from the 10th of November to the 1st of December 2012 in Khanty-Mansiysk in Russia.

Many supporters came to the airport to congratulate Anna on a brilliant achievement and to organize a warm greeting on her native soil. Among them were her mother Olga, friends, colleagues and admirers, local authorities and chess federation representatives, in particular the President of the Kharkiv Region Chess Federation and Rector of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Sergey Gusarov, the Head of the Family, Youth and Sports Department of Kharkiv Region State Administration Dmitry Perepelitsa, the vice rector of NU "Law Academy of Ukraine" and President of the Chess Club "Law Academy" Anatoly Getman, and Anna’s coach and manager, the first vice president of the Kharkiv Chess Federation Gennady Krugovoy.

The President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Viktor Kapustin followed the competition online from an official business trip abroad. On his behalf the Head of the UCF International Cooperation Commission Olena Boytsun greeted Anna Ushenina on a brilliant victory.


With her mother Olga

The President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Viktor Kapustin congratulated Anna Ushenina on the historic victory: “This striking success became possible due to years of daily hard work by Anna, and her outstanding personal qualities – endurance, strong will and confidence. Anna Ushenina is an example commitment and talent, professionalism and chess excellence. She is the pride of Ukraine!” Till now none of the Ukrainian women chess players even fought in the final for the world chess crown. Viktor Kapustin expressed confidence that this important event in the history of national chess would be the beginning of a new stage in development of chess in Ukraine.


Anna’s coach and manager Gennady Krugovoy

Anna Ushenina was welcomed as a true hero with flowers and greetings. Correspondents from national and regional media asked her to share her fresh impressions about the competition and winning the title.

After meeting at the airport all the participants went to Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, where a press conference was held, as well as a reception in her honor. There were many pleasant gifts waiting for Anna – sweet chess pies, a laptop, an unusual chess set – as well as congratulations and sincere wishes from colleagues, friends, coaches, fans and officials.

Anna Ushenina got congratulations from the highest officials of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich officially congratulated her for her brilliant achievement, as did the Prime Minister of Ukraine Nikolai Azarov, the Head of the Sport Committee of the Parliament of Ukraine Pavel Kostenko, and the Vice Prime Minister Raisa Bogatyreva. The Ukrainian Chess Federation plans to hold a big chess celebration in honor of Anna Ushenina in December in Kiev.

Selected TV reports

Brief biography

Anna Ushenina (born 30.08.1985 in Kharkiv), International Women Grandmaster, International Master among men, honored master of sports of Ukraine, member of the national women's team of Ukraine. Her highest rating was 2502, made on 01.07.2007

The highest achievements: Champion of Ukraine among girls under 12 years (1997); two-time champion of Ukraine among girls under 14 years (1998 and 1999); two-time champion of Ukraine among girls of 20 years (2000 and 2002); European champion among girls under 18 in the national girls team of Ukraine, and silver prize winner on the 1st board (2002); champion of Ukraine among women, a bronze medalist in the championship of Ukraine among girls under 20 (2005); world champion of the Women's Chess Olympiad in the national team of Ukraine (Turin, Italy), silver medalist of Ukrainian championship among women (2006); bronze medalist of team championship among women in the national team of Ukraine, the first place on the third board in the national team of Ukraine for European Women’s Team Championship (2007); silver medalist at the World Women's Chess Olympiad in the national team of Ukraine (Dresden, Germany), bronze medalist of European Championship for Women (2008); Bronze medalist at World Team Championship (Ningbo, China) and Europe (Novi Sad, Serbia) among women in the national team of Ukraine (Ningbo, China, 2009); champion of Ukraine in rapid and blitz chess among women (2012); second place in the international women's Super Tournament in Krasnotur'yinsk and the international chess festival «Moscow Open» among women tournament "C" (Russia, 2008); winner of International Women Grandmaster Tournament "12th Cup of Rector" (Kharkiv, 2010); bronze medalist at the World Women's Chess Olympiad in the national team of Ukraine (Istanbul, Turkey, 2012); FIDE World Women Chess Champion (Khanty-Mansiysk, 2012).


Links

The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

Copyright Korol/ChessBase


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