Photos: A 22-year-old grandmaster wins the Women’s World Chess Championship

Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan has been crowned the Women’s World Chess Champion.

On March 14, in the elegant Potocki Palace of Lviv, Ukraine, 22-year-old Hou beat Mariya Muzychuk for the top title in a 46-move game. Muzychuk, a 23-year-old Ukrainian grandmaster, won the championship last year.

Female chess players may be overlooked on the global stage, but locals fans and media flocked to the event for a glimpse of the players. ”The Chinese delegation team imposed security measures, afraid that locals would find a way to help the Ukrainian player,” says photographer Misha Friedman, who dedicated nearly a week to photographing the nine-game contest. “I used to be a chess player. That’s how I got the access.”