WIM (2001); WGM (2003); IM (2007); GM (2012).

Early years

Ushenina was born in Kharkov where she still lives. She learned chess at the age of 7 from her mother and she attended what was then the Sport School of Olympic Reserves and is now called the Kharkov School of Physical Culture and Sports from 2000 and graduated in 2002. Her coach from 2000 until 2002 was Artiom Tsepotan, who is the founder of the live ratings site http://www.2700chess.com/.

Championships:

After winning a number of age based national girls championships, Ushenina won the Ukrainian Championship (Girls U20) in 2002 and the Ukrainian Women’s Championship in 2005. She participated in the FIDE Women's World Championship (2006) and defeated 2004 Women’s U20 World Champion Ekaterina Korbut in the first round before losing to the eventual winner and Women’s World Champion of 2006, Yuhua Xu. Two years later at the Women's World Championship (2008) held in Nalchik, Ushenina defeated Vietnam’s Thanh Tu Le, Germany’s Elisabeth Paehtz, and Russia’s Svetlana Matveeva before losing in the quarter finals to the eventual winner and 2008 Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Also in 2008, she came third in the European Individual Championship (Women) (2008) held in Plovdiv.

In 2012, she came =1st at the Ukrainian Women's Championship, but placed third on tiebreak behind Mariya Muzychuk and Kateryna Lahno respectively. She qualified for the FIDE Knock-Out Women's World Championship (2012) and defeated Peruvian WGM Deysi Estela Cori Tello, Slovenian GM Anna Muzychuk, Russian WGM Natalia Pogonina, Russian GM Nadezhda Kosintseva and WGM Ju Wenjun to reach the final where she played and defeated former Women's World Champion, Bulgarian GM Antoaneta Stefanova, in the first set of tiebreakers after drawing the classical portion of the match 2-2. Her victory also gained her the Grandmaster title.

Ushenina is currently competing in the first event of the Women's Grand Prix series 2013-14, the Women Grand Prix Geneva (2013).

Classical Tournaments:

She won the Rudenko Memorial held in Saint Petersburg in 2004 and placed 2nd at the North Urals Cup (2008). She won the round robin Rector's Cup event in 2010.

Team play:

Ushenina won a Team Gold Medal playing reserve for Ukraine in the 37th Chess Olympiad: Women (2006) held in Turin, a Team Silver Medal playing board 3 for her country in the Women's Olympiad (2008) played in Dresden, and a Team Bronze Medal playing board 4 for Ukraine at the Chess Olympiad (Women) (2012). Other noteworthy achievements include Team and Individual Bronze Medals at the inaugural Women's World Team Championship (2007) held in Ekaterinburg and from top board she led Ukraine to a bronze medal in the 2nd Women’s World Team Championships in 2009 in Ningbo, China. In addition, she won individual gold at the European Team Chess Championships (Women) (2007), team bronze at the 17th European Team Championship (Women) (2009) and individual gold for board three at the European Team Championship (Women) (2011).

Ushenina played in the Women's World Team Championship (2013) in Astana, Kazakhstan in March 2013, helping her team to a team gold and herself to an individual silver with a 6/8 result on board 2. She also helped her team Ugra to a gold medal in the Russian Team Championships (Women) (2013).

Award:

In January 2013, the President of Ukraine awarded Ushenina the Order of Princess Olga, 2nd Class, in recognition of her winning the Women's World Championship.*

FIDE ratings and rankings:

<Classical> As of 1 May 2013, Ushenina’s rating was 2491, making her the 2nd ranked woman in Ukraine and number 19 in the world. Her peak rating was 2502 in July 2007 when she was ranked number 8 woman in the world;

<Rapid> 2485 (women's world #16); and

<Blitz> 2489 (women's world #13).

Sources and references