Championship Finalist · 2017 · 🇺🇦
Anna Muzychuk
The elder Muzychuk sister who reached the 2017 championship final and boycotted the 2018 championship on principle, choosing human rights over her shot at the title.
1990
Born (Lviv)
GM
Title earned
2017
Championship final
Boycott
2018 Saudi Arabia
The Boycott
Anna Muzychuk was born on February 28, 1990, in Lviv, Ukraine. She and her sister Mariya are among the strongest sibling pairs in chess history. In 2017, she reached the final of the Women's World Championship in Tehran, losing to Tan Zhongyi. The following year, when the championship was scheduled for Saudi Arabia, she boycotted the event rather than wear a hijab and accept the restrictions placed on women. Her principled stand cost her a chance at the title but earned her respect worldwide.