# 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.

## 1971 Interzonal Tournament

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.
    1971 Women's Interzonal Tournament Player123456789101112131415161718PointsTie break 1 Nana Alexandria (Soviet Union)-0½11½½1½01111111113 2 Milunka Lazarević (Yugoslavia)1-0½010½11½11½11111291.75 3 Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Soviet Union)½1-0½½½½½½11½111111291.25 4 Natalia Konopleva (Soviet Union)0½1-1½10½10½111½½11187.50 5 Mária Ivánka (Hungary)01½0-½½1½01½½111111182.00 6 Valentina Kozlovskaya (Soviet Union)½0½½½-½½11½111½01½10½ 7 Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska (Poland)½1½0½½-½1½0½½½01119½77.50 8 Elisabeta Polihroniade (Romania)0½½10½½-½11½½½½½½19½75.50 9 Katarina Jovanović-Blagojević (Yugoslavia)½0½½½00½-1½1½½11½½9 10 Olga Rubtsova (Soviet Union)10½010½00-101½01118½ 11 Ružica Jovanović (Yugoslavia)0½010½10½0-½½11½½07½59.25 12 Tanja Belamarić (Yugoslavia)000½½0½½01½-½½11½½7½54.00 13 Tereza Štadler (Yugoslavia)00½0½0½½½0½½-½½1½½6½ 14 Corry Vreeken (Netherlands)0½0000½½½½0½½-1½0½5½41.50 15 Mona May Karff (USA)00000½1½0100½0-½½15½40.75 16 Gertrude Baumstark (Romania)000½010½00½00½½-½1537.00 17 Ruth Volgl Cardoso (Brazil)000½000½½0½½½1½½-0536.25 18 Gisela Kahn Gresser (USA)00000½00½01½½½001-4½

## 1971 Candidates matches

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

## 1972 Championship Match

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.
    Women's World Championship Match 1972 12345678910111213141516Total  Nona Gaprindashvili (Soviet Union) 1101½1½01½0½½0½½8½  Alla Kushnir (Soviet Union) 0010½0½10½1½½1½½7½