En Passant Cup 2014/15

Born in Xinghua China in 1994, Hou developed an interest in the game from the very tender age of three and by the age of five she was beating all her immediate family. Her father then engaged a chinese IM to tutor her and she began playing competitive chess from the age of six. She was a member of the Chinese women's national team from the age of nine and won the national women's title in 2007 at the age of thirteen.

In 2008 at the age of fourteen Hou emulated Judit Polgar when she was awarded the Grand Master title. Two years later, at the age of sixteen in 2010 she won the Women's World Championship for the first time, the youngest player to have ever attained the title. She lost the title in 2012 only to regain it the following year. Also in 2012 she defeated four GMs included Judit Polgar when she tied for first place with Nigel Short (although she lost the blitz playoff to Nigel) in the Gibraltar Chess Festival.