Xie Jun

Born on 30 October 1970 in Baoding, Hebei province, China, and raised in Beijing.

Began playing Chinese chess (xiangqi) at age six; by age ten, she had become the girls' champion of Beijing.

At the urging of government authorities, she soon began playing Western chess despite indifferent training opportunities.

Learned Western chess guided by coach Wang Bigun, studying games of former World Champion Anatoly Karpov.

Studied English as a student, balancing her academic pursuits with her chess career.

Later earned a PhD in Civil and Commercial Law and became a partner at a law firm.

The first Asian female to become a chess Grandmaster and the first Chinese player to win the Women's World Chess Championship.

Women's World Chess Champion from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001.

Won the right to challenge for the world title at age 20; in 1991, she defeated Maia Chiburdanidze decisively to become champion.

Her victory over Chiburdanidze was a watershed moment for chess in China, inspiring a generation of players.

Known for her fighting spirit and her ability to regain her title after losing it — an old saying goes: "It is hard to win a championship, to defend it is harder, but to regain it after failure is the hardest."

After retiring from competitive play, she became a chess official, author, and lawyer.

Xie Jun's meteoric rise to stardom was virtually unprecedented in chess history.

Her 1996 match with Zsuzsa Polgar was fateful and controversial, and she lost her title before regaining it in 1999.

She has said: "Chess is life, and this game of chess will never come to an end."

"It is hard to win a championship, to defend it is harder, but to regain it after failure is the hardest."

"Chess is life, and this game of chess will never come to an end."

Chess Champion from China: The Life and Games of Xie Jun (1998) — her autobiography, providing a fascinating and frequently amusing look at the chess world through her eyes.