Former world champion Hou Yifan’s next novel move – A PhD in Neuroscience
The difference between Hou Yifan and her rivals, for much of her career, has been Bradmanesque.
She became the World chess champion at the age of 16, and retained her title in the next three editions, without losing a single game. After being the World champion from 2010 to 2017, she chose not to defend her title.
Hou is only one of the three women in history to have broken into the top-100 in the open rankings. She took time off from chess at the peak of her career to pursue education, and was a Rhodes scholar, securing a Masters in Public Policy at Oxford University.
The 31-year-old is now a professor at Peking University. Her next move is, in chess parlance, a novelty: a PhD in Neuroscience.
“I know it is a bit cross-field, but I want to research the connection between brain and chess patterns,” Hou told Sportstar here on Wednesday. “I feel like if you want to find something scientifically connected with chess, this is one of the obvious parts, right?”
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For the moment, though, she is more concerned about finding the right moves for her team, Alpine SG Pipers, at the third edition of the Global Chess League. She has been part of the two previous seasons as well.
“This league is very important for the chess world, no matter the format, which is innovative,” Hou said. “The world’s top players are there, and there are women and juniors. In an elite event, girls and juniors usually don’t get the chance. And here there is the entertainment aspect of chess too, even as keeping intact the professionalism of the sport.”
Looking back at her World titles, she said the match against Koneru Humpy in 2011 was the most difficult one. “Not just rating wise at that time, she was at her peak,” Hou said. “She had a very good home preparation, because I remember most of the games after the opening, I was really in trouble. But I think I was lucky, I tried my best to fight back in the middle game.”
(The writer is in Mumbai at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)
Published on Dec 17, 2025