Hou Yifan (born February 27, 1994, in Xinghua, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China) is a Chinese chess prodigy, who in 2008, became the youngest ever female in history (at the age of 14 years 6 months) to qualify for the title of Grandmaster, the highest a chess player can attain. In June 2007, she became China's youngest ever National Women's Champion, and in September 2008 she became the youngest ever finalist for the Women's World Championship title. At the age of 12, she became and still holds the record for being the youngest ever player to participate at the FIDE Women's World Championship (Yekaterinburg 2006), and at the Chess Olympiad (Torino 2006). In the most recent (September 2009) FIDE rating list, she is ranked the no. 1 girl player and the no. 3 female player in the world.