Xu Yuhua (born October 29, 1976) is a Chinese chess Grandmaster who was the Women's World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2008. She was the tenth woman to hold the title. She also won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship in 1994.
Xu was born in Jinhua, Zhejiang, and started playing chess when she was ten years old. In 1998 she was awarded the title of International Master and in 2000, that of Grandmaster. She was Chinese women's champion on two occasions, in 1998 and 2000. In addition, she represented China in ten Women's Chess Olympiads from 1994 to 2014.
In March 2006, Xu won the Women's World Championship tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia. She defended her legacy by remaining among the top female players in the world even after her reign as a world champion ended in 2008. After retiring from competitive chess, she dedicated herself to teaching the game. Despite her retirement, Xu is still one of the highest-ranking female players in the world.
Xu became the first Women's World Chess Champion to give birth while holding the title when she had a daughter in September 2007. In the last years, she has been active in promoting chess education in primary and secondary schools in China.