Hou is another graduate of the Corus 2007 C group (7/13), and once again will be the youngest participant in all 3 GM groups in Wijk aan Zee. Despite her young age, Yifan is quite an accomplished player with proven talent. She is the 2003 under 10 girls’ world champion, and took the bronze (despite tying for first) at the same group’s overall championship in 2004.

A student of Ye Jiangchuan, one of China’s top GMs, Yifan’s meteoric rise of nearly 200 Elo points in 2006 came to a pause in 2007, but it is most likely a delay rather than stagnation. Her results in Women’s events are quite strong: +3 at the Russian Womens’ team competition, and an even better 6.5/8 at the world women’s teams. The one exception was the strong Urals Cup where she finished with 4/10.

In other tourneys Hou didn’t do as well: She finished in clear last place in the Ruy Magistral in Spain (a dismal 2/7), a so-so 3.5/9 in Aeroflot, and a disappointing 3.5/10 in the Gyorgy Marx memorial. Could she make it in a super strong B group in January?