A busy year, a 70-point rating gain

Statistical overview (classical chess)

• Rating in January 2025: 2384
• Rating in January 2026: 2454
• Rating gain: +70 Elo points

• Total classical games: 118
• Total points: 72½
• Score percentage: 61.44%

• Wins: 42
• Draws: 61
• Losses: 15

The golden rules of chess strategy

This “60 Minutes” is aimed at providing the reader with a guide to positional and strategic play in the middlegame.

Song Yuxin entered 2025 ranked 62^nd among women worldwide. In what was her final year as a junior - i.e. the year of her 20^th birthday - she also began the season 5^th in the girls' under-20 rankings. Twelve months later, she had climbed to 22^nd place in the women's world ranking and finished 2^nd among juniors, behind only Divya Deshmukh. This advance was underpinned by a rating gain of around 70 points, achieved across an exceptionally busy schedule of 118 classical games, alongside a few appearances in rapid and blitz events.

Born on 18 October 2005, Song had shown early promise well before her breakthrough year. She earned the WIM title at the age of 14 in 2019 and had already claimed a silver medal at the World Youth Chess Championship in the girls' under-14 category in 2018. In the January 2019 FIDE rating list, at just 13 years old, she crossed the 2300 mark for the first time. That initial rise proved difficult to sustain, as she later slipped below 2300 and only returned to the 2300–2400 range in 2021. Although she briefly reached 2405 at the start of 2024, it was only after her sustained results in 2025 that she firmly established herself as a 2400-plus player.

Given her rating profile, Song spent most of 2025 competing in open tournaments. Of the 13 classical events she played, eight were Swiss opens, including the Women's Grand Swiss, which has more restrictive entry criteria. She also took part in two team competitions - the Chinese League and the World Women's Team Championship -, a knockout event at the FIDE Women's World Cup, and two invitational tournaments, the Palle Skov Memorial in Denmark and the main section of the Pilsen Open in Poland (a 10-player round-robin).

Song Yuxin at the 2025 Women's World Cup | Photo: Anna Shtourman

Several tournaments stood out as particularly influential in her rating rise.

• At the Menorca Open, Song finished undefeated on 5½/9, despite facing higher-rated opposition in eight of her nine games. In the Spanish event, she scored a notable win there over compatriot Zeng Chongsheng, rated 2574.
• A tournament victory came later, at the Asian Women's Championship, where she scored 7/9 and secured first place on tiebreaks ahead of three other players on the same score, with average rating of opponents proving decisive.
• Song also impressed at the Masters section of the Fujairah Global Chess Festival. Entering the event as the 65^th seed, she finished 7^th overall, recording several strong results, including a win in round four against 2470-rated IM Maksim Tsaruk.
• Her final success of the year in classical chess came at the Women's Grand Swiss, where she started as the 21^st seed and finished 5^th, just half a point behind the winners. In fact, a final-round victory with black against Irina Krush might have been enough to secure a place in the Women's Candidates Tournament, but the balanced game ended without a decisive result.

Overall, 2025 represented a demanding but productive year for Song Yuxin. Through sustained participation in open tournaments and consistent scoring against higher-rated opponents, she converted heavy competitive exposure into tangible rating progress.

With her junior eligibility now concluded and her rating firmly established above 2400, the season positioned her as a likely recipient of more invitations and as a player ready to test herself regularly against stronger opposition.

Song Yuxin defeated Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova in the final round of the Asian Women's Chess Championship | Photo: Asian Chess Federation

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The Leningrad Dutch Defence is a dynamic and aggressive opening choice for Black, perfect for players who want to add some adventure and spice to their repertoire.

Song Yuxin - Classical chess games 2025

Missing games from the Reykjavik Open (1) and the Menorca Open (7)

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