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At the end of the year, we again invite our readers to vote for the player of the year, the female player of the year, the game of the year, the combination of the year, the endgame of the year, and for the "newcomer" of the year.
For every poll, our editorial team made nominations — which are, of course, subjective even though selected by a panel. To make things easier we whittled down the candidates, and we know some of you might miss your favourites — this is just one of many possible lists.
Here we want to find the best endgame of the year 2018. Our editors have put together the following shortlist. Now make your choice! Who was the best female player of 2018?
Vote:
2018playerfemaleoftheyear
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Anand, So, Gelfand, Duda, Shankland, Navara, Adams, etc. annotate the games of the WCh match. Chess Olympiad with video specials by Pelletier. Plus 11 opening articles with new repertoire idesas, e.g. 1.e4 Nc6 or a new recipe in the London System!
Ju Wenjun is number two in the world rankings behind only her compatriot Yifan Hou. Ju won the Women's World Championship title in the spring of 2018 in the match against Tan Zhonqi. In November, she had to defend the title again, this time as a participant in a 64-player knockout tournament. Her final victory over Kateryna Lagno in a rivetting tiebreak was a very special achievement.
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili
Kateryna Lagno made it to the finals at the Women's World Championship knockout in Khanty-Mansyisk, where she lost Ju Wenjun after a hard fight in the tiebreak. Her achievements are all the more noteworthy this year given that she has become a mother for the fourth time just weeks before the tournament began.
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili
Hou Yifan remains first in the world ranking among women by some distance and has won the title of Women's World Champion several times. Out of annoyance about the world championship format (which FIDE is changing), she has dropped out of competition in women-only events and is currently concentrating on her studies at Oxford University, where she is a Rhodes Scholar. Nevertheless, Yifan Hou is the best active female player in the world.
Photo: Alina L'Ami
Valentina Gunina is perhaps the most uncompromising player on the planet. Most of the time she draws games when there is really no other way. This year, she was rewarded for her fighting spirit with a victory in the European Women's Championship.
Photo: Alina L'Ami
Behind Yifan Hou and Ju Wenjun, Anna Muzychuk takes third place in the world rankings and has narrowly failed to win the World Championship title. She lost the 2017 final to Tan Zhongyi in Tehran. In 2018, she made it "only" to the semifinals where she lost to Alexandra Kosteniuk. Nevertheless, she always proved her irreproachable sportsmanship and followed her moral compass.
Photo: Alina L'Ami
