World Women's Chess Championship 1959

For the women's chess world championship in 1959 , a candidate tournament with 15 participants was initially held. The tournament winner and the current world champion then contested the match for the world championship.

Candidates tournament

The candidates' tournament took place in Plovdiv in May 1959 .

	Surname	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	total
1.	Kira Sworykina		½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	11½
2.	Verica Nedeljković	½		½	1	1	1	1	½	1	0	1	1	1	½	½	10½
3.	Larissa Volpert	½	½		½	½	0	1	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	9½
4th	Salme Rootare	½	0	½		½	0	1	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	9
5.	Edith Keller-Herrmann	½	0	½	½		0	½	1	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	9
6th	Milunka Lazarevic	0	0	1	1	1		0	1	0	1	0	½	½	1	1	8th
7th	Éva Ladanyike-Karakas	½	0	0	0	½	1		0	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	7½
8th.	Valentina Borisenko	0	½	½	½	0	0	1		0	½	½	1	1	1	½	7th
9.	Olga Rubzowa	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	1		0	½	1	½	1	1	6½
10.	Květa Eretová	0	1	0	0	½	0	0	½	1		½	½	1	½	½	6th
11.	Gisela Gresser	0	0	0	½	0	1	½	½	½	½		½	½	0	1	5½
12.	Friedl cattle	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½		0	½	0	4½
13.	Maria Pogorevici	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	½	1		1	1	4½
14th	Paunka Todorova	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	0		1	3½
15th	Soledad Gonzalez de Huguet	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	0	0		2½

World Championship

The world championship began on December 4, 1959 in Moscow . It was scheduled for 16 games, but ended early when the overall winner was determined. Although the last two games were only played in January 1960, the competition is assigned to the year 1959 in all sources in order to maintain the 3-year cycle that has been in effect since 1950. Defending champion Bykowa prevailed safely in the second half of the tournament. The main referee was Nina Hrušková-Bělská from Czechoslovakia .

	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	Total
Yelisaveta Bykova	0	1	½	1	0	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	½	8½
Kira Sworykina	1	0	½	0	1	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	4½

Web links

• Final table of the candidates tournament on mark-weeks.com (English)