Chinese chess player and world no. 1 Hou Yifan. (Photo : Getty Images)
The fourth game between Women Grandmasters Hou Yifan of China and Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine in the final of the 2016 Women's World Chess Championship held in Lviv, Ukraine had culminated in a draw, which was the third tie in the 10-game contest.
World no. 1 Hou won the second game, while games 1, 3, and 4 were all draws, which gave the 22-year-old Xinghua, Jiangsu, China native a 2.5 to 1.5 lead over the 23-year-old Muzychuk, as per Shanghai Daily.
Muzychuk, rated no. 4 in the world as of the moment and is a native of Lviv, is the incumbent Women's World Chess champion after he defeated Russian Natalia Pogonina, 2.5 to 1.5, in a four-game finale last year.
Hou, a two-time World champion herself and the winner of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix, is said to be the favorite entering the final. However, she did not take advantage of having the first move while playing the White pieces during the game as Muzychuk's open style of playing forced the draw.
There are six games left in the said final round and so the Ukrainian grandmaster should be looking to score a victory over Hou soonest.
In their third match, which also ended in a draw, Muzychuk played aggressively with her in the White, trying to outwit her higher-ranked opponent multiple times, but failing to do so, as reported by Xinhuanet.
After 36 moves and with the game stuck, the two ladies agreed to have it as a tie.
Hou qualified in the said 2016 final after coming out as the overall champion for the third straight cycle of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix, which is a series of six chess tournaments.
Georgia's Bela Khotenashvili won stage one in Geneva, then overall runner-up Humpy Koneru of India won the next two stages in Dilijan and Tashkent to momentarily take the lead.
Hou won stages 4 and 5 in Khanty-Mansiyk and Lopota respectively to level with Koneru. Her compatriot, Ju Wenjun, captured stage 6 in Sharjah, with Hou placing second in the stage, and Koneru a far seventh to let her take the overall title.
The Women's World Chess Championship final started on March 2nd and is expected to be completed by March 18th.
