Anna ushenina chess pictures of checkmate

Hi kids! Did you know a couple of really exciting things are going on in the chess world? Number one is that Magnus Carlsen has just earned the highest ratingin history, beating Garry Kasparov who held the world record for 12 years.

Magnus is 22 years old and his new rating is !! That number is HUGE.

Chess art prints

(Most children start around or so and you gain points every time you win. Once your rating is high, it's much harder to win a lot of points!) (Here is Magnus in London; pic from chessbase.)

The second piece of news is that Anna Ushenina has just become the new Women's World Chess Champion!

She is 27 years old, and the first woman from Ukraine to ever win the honor. She was sort of an underdog in the event, but she crushed her opponents and never got knocked out. (Even the amazing Hou Yifan, former WWCh got knocked out earlier!)  Here is Ushenina.

Today Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl) will show you some of Ushenina's w