Women's World Chess Championship 1972

The 1972 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Nona Gaprindashvili, who successfully defended her title against challenger Alla Kushnir. This was the third (and last) consecutive title match between the two strongest female players of their time.

For the first time, the women's championship cycle consisted of all the same stages as the open cycle. An Interzonal tournament was held in Ohrid in May 1971, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone, for a total of 18 participants. The top three would qualify for the Candidates Tournament.^[1]

1971 Women's Interzonal Tournament

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Points	Tie break
1	Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union)	-	0	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	13
2	Milunka Lazarević (Yugoslavia)	1	-	0	½	0	1	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	12	91.75
3	Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Soviet Union)	½	1	-	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	12	91.25
4	Natalia Konopleva (Soviet Union)	0	½	1	-	1	½	1	0	½	1	0	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	11	87.50
5	Mária Ivánka (Hungary)	0	1	½	0	-	½	½	1	½	0	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	11	82.00
6	Valentina Kozlovskaya (Soviet Union)	½	0	½	½	½	-	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	½	0	1	½	10½
7	Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska (Poland)	½	1	½	0	½	½	-	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	0	1	1	1	9½	77.50
8	Elisabeta Polihroniade (Romania)	0	½	½	1	0	½	½	-	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	9½	75.50
9	Katarina Jovanović-Blagojević (Yugoslavia)	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	-	1	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	½	9
10	Olga Rubtsova (Soviet Union)	1	0	½	0	1	0	½	0	0	-	1	0	1	½	0	1	1	1	8½
11	Ružica Jovanović (Yugoslavia)	0	½	0	1	0	½	1	0	½	0	-	½	½	1	1	½	½	0	7½	59.25
12	Tanja Belamarić (Yugoslavia)	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	0	1	½	-	½	½	1	1	½	½	7½	54.00
13	Tereza Štadler (Yugoslavia)	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	-	½	½	1	½	½	6½
14	Corry Vreeken (Netherlands)	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	-	1	½	0	½	5½	41.50
15	Mona May Karff (USA)	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	0	1	0	0	½	0	-	½	½	1	5½	40.75
16	Gertrude Baumstark (Romania)	0	0	0	½	0	1	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	-	½	1	5	37.00
17	Ruth Volgl Cardoso (Brazil)	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	1	½	½	-	0	5	36.25
18	Gisela Kahn Gresser (USA)	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	1	½	½	½	0	0	1	-	4½

The top three from the Interzonal were joined by Kushnir, the loser of the last championship match. These four players contested a knock-out series of matches to determine the challenger. Kushnir again prevailed, earning the right to another shot at Gaprindashvili's title.^[2]

	Semifinals					Final
	Minsk, Aug-Sep 1971
	Alla Kushnir		5½
						Kislovodsk, Nov-Dec 1971
	Tatiana Zatulovskaya		4½
						Alla Kushnir		6½
	Bladel, Aug-Sep 1971
						Nana Alexandria		2½
	Nana Alexandria		5½
	Milunka Lazarević		4½

The championship match was played in Riga in 1972. This time, Kushnir came closer than ever to beating Gaprindashvili, but with draws in the last two games the defending champion managed to hang onto her title by one point.^[3]

Women's World Championship Match 1972

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Total
Nona Gaprindashvili (Soviet Union)	1	1	0	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	8½
Alla Kushnir (Soviet Union)	0	0	1	0	½	0	½	1	0	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	7½