The rise of young women continues!

The best women in the world are improving and the statistics below demonstrate the fact. Many are still quite youthful and I expect to see several more 2600+ women in the next few years.

There have been no changes in the top five, but Nana Dzagnidze (up from 9th to 6th) and Pia Cramling (up from 14th to 9th) have risen strongly into the top ten. Six players have their career highest, including Dzagnidze, the Kosintseva sisters and Hou Yifan. A sign perhaps that the general level is going up, as is the fact that eleven of the fifteen involved gained rating points. The youthful Asian pair Dronavalli Harika and Wenjun Ju continue to advance, as of course are the Kosintseva sisters.

Humpy Koneru has regained her 2600 status, but the race to see who will be the third 2600 woman in history is hotting up.

Humpy Koneru: 2600 again (chessbase)

Hou Yifan: career highest (chessanytime)

Tatiana Kosintseva: racing her sister towards 2600 (chessanytime)

Nadezhda Kosintseva: edging always upwards (chessanytime)

Nana Dzagnidze: up to sixth (chessanytime)

Antoaneta Stefanova: a consistent 2010 (chessanytime)

Ranking	Previous Ranking	Name	Country	Age	Rating 1/11/10	Rating 1/9/10	Rating 1/7/10	Rating 1/5/10	rating 1/3/10	Career Highest
1	1	Judit Polgar	HUN	34	2686	2682	2682	2682	2682	2735
2	2	Humpy Koneru	IND	23	2600	2593	2600	2622	2622	2623
3	3	Hou Yifan	CHN	16	2591	2578	2577	2589	2570	2591
4	4	Tatiana Kosintseva	RUS	24	2581	2573	2562	2534	2524	2581
5	5	Nadezhda Kosintseva (IM)	RUS	25	2576	2565	2551	2553	2554	2576
6	9	Nana Dzagnidze	GEO	23	2551	2534	2498	2478	2479	2551
7	6	Antoaneta Stefanova	BUL	31	2548	2551	2560	2560	2555	2560
8	8	Anna Muzychuk (IM)	SLO	20	2530	2535	2527	2529	2533	2542
9	14	Pia Cramling	SWE	47	2526	2509	2517	2536	2523	2550
10	12	Dronavalli Harika (IM)	IND	19	2525	2515	2504	2491	2473	2525
11	11	Wenjun Ju (WGM)	CHN	19	2524	2516	2496	2500	2500	2524
12	7	Kateryna Lahno	UKR	20	2522	2539	2535	2527	2518	2539
13	13	Viktorija Cmilyte	LTU	27	2514	2513	2527	2514	2485	2527
14	10	Alexandra Kosteniuk	RUS	26	2507	2524	2519	2519	2524	2540
15	15	Maia Chiburdanidze	GEO	49	2502	2500	2514	2514	2514	2560

The same fifteen players occupy the 2500+ arena as two months ago.

Just below, and within one victory of the magic 2500 mark, are the following three players Monika Socko (Poland, 2495), Irina Krush (USA, 2495) and Marie Sebag (FRA 2494). Each of whom are the top ranking player in their respective countries.

Anna Muzychuk: well-established in the top ten, but not yet a GM (chessanytime)

Pia Cramling: forever young (chessgames)

Dronavalli Harika: Top Ten for the first time (chessanytime)

Irina Krush: Can she make it to 2500? (chessanytime)