# Women's World Chess Championship 1975

The 1975 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Nona Gaprindashvili, who successfully defended her title against challenger Nana Alexandria. This was Gaprindashvili's fourth title defense - and the last successful one.

## 1973 Interzonal Tournament

An Interzonal tournament was held in Menorca in October and November 1973, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. A total of 20 players took part, with the top four qualifying for the Candidates Tournament. Kozlovskaya won the tournament and progressed directly, while the four players tied for second place contested a playoff in Kislovodsk in February and March 1974 from which one (Konopleva) was eliminated.
    1973 Women's Interzonal Tournament Player1234567891011121314151617181920PointsTie break 1 Valentina Kozlovskaya (Soviet Union)-0½½½111½01½0111111113½ 2 Marta Shul (Soviet Union)1-0½101½½½½01111111½13112.25 3 Natalia Konopleva (Soviet Union)½1-½011½½½01½½½1111113110.00 4 Irina Levitina (Soviet Union)½½½-½001½½1½111½111113107.25 5 Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union)½01½-0½0½0111111111113104.00 6 Jana Hartston (England)01011-½½½½½110½½111½12106.00 7 Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Soviet Union)0001½½-½½½1½11½1½1111298.00 8 Alexandra Nicolau (Romania)0½½01½½-½½0½½11111111295.00 9 Zsuzsa Veroci (Hungary)½½½½½½½½-½½½1½0½111111½ 10 Elisabeta Polihroniade (Romania)1½½½1½½½½-0½1010½½1111100.50 11 Katarina Jovanović (Yugoslavia)0½100½01½1-0½1½½11111188.00 12 Gertrude Baumstark (Romania)½10½00½½½½1-½½½001119½ 13 Milunka Lazarević (Yugoslavia)10½0000½00½½-01111119 14 Pepita Ferrer (Spain)00½00100½10½1-½½1½½18½ 15 Eva Ladanyike-Karakas (Hungary)00½00½½010½½0½-10½117½ 16 Ljubica Zivkovic (Yugoslavia)000½0½00½1½10½0-½1017 17 Ruth Volgl Cardoso (Brazil)000000½00½01001½-½0½4½ 18 Eva Aronson (USA)000000000½000½½0½-1½3½20.25 19 Linda Maddern (Australia)0000000000000½0110-13½17.75 20 Ruth Donnelly (USA)0½000½0000000000½½0-2
    1974 Kislovodsk playoff 1234Total 1 Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union) x x x x 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 8½ 2 Irina Levitina (Soviet Union) 0 ½ ½ ½ x x x x ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 7 3 Marta Shul (Soviet Union) 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 x x x x 1 1 1 1 6½ 4 Natalia Konopleva (Soviet Union) 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 x x x x 2

## 1974-75 Candidates matches

The top three from the Interzonal were supposed to have been joined by Alla Kushnir, the loser of the last championship match. However, Kushnir had recently fled the Soviet Union and was unable to participate, so instead four players qualified from the Interzonal (Kushnir later settled in Israel and went on to represent her new country in the next championship cycle).
These four players contested a knock-out series of matches. Alexandria won, earning the right to challenge reigning champion Gaprindashvili.
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| Riga, May–June 1974 | Riga, May–June 1974 | Riga, May–June 1974 | | | |
| Nana Alexandria | Nana Alexandria | 5½ | | | |
| Nana Alexandria | Nana Alexandria | 5½ | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 |
| Marta Shul | Marta Shul | 2½ | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 | Moscow, Feb-Mar 1975 |
| Marta Shul | Marta Shul | 2½ | Nana Alexandria | Nana Alexandria | 9 |
| Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Nana Alexandria | Nana Alexandria | 9 |
| Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Kislovodsk, May–June 1974 | Irina Levitina | Irina Levitina | 8 |
| Irina Levitina | Irina Levitina | 6½ | Irina Levitina | Irina Levitina | 8 |
| Valentina Kozlovskaya | Valentina Kozlovskaya | 5½ | | | |

## 1975 Championship Match

The championship match was played in Pitsunda and Tbilisi in 1975. In the end, Alexandria was no match for Gaprindashvili, who retained her title by a comfortable margin.
    Women's World Championship Match 1975 123456789101112Total  Nona Gaprindashvili (Soviet Union) 1011½11010118½  Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union) 0100½00101003½