Women's World Championship: Ju Wenjun continues to win

by Johannes Fischer
4/10/2025 – In 2018 Ju Wenjun became Women's World Champion and then she defended her title in 2020 and 2023. Now it seems as if she will be able to defend her title a third time. In the World Championship match against Tan Zhongyi, she won convincingly with Black in the sixth game and now leads 4-2 at halftime. | Photos: Anna Shtourman
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Born on 31 January 1991 in Shanghai, Ju Wenjun has had an outstanding chess career. She became a WGM in 2009 and won the GM title in 2014. She won the Women's World Rapid Championship in 2017 and 2018 and has been the Women's World Champion since 2018. She successfully defended her title in 2020 and 2023. She also won the Women's World Blitz Championship in 2024 and looks set to defend her title for a third time.

After a convincing victory in game 5, she also won the 6th game of the match against challenger Tan Zhongyi in superior style. Ju Wenjun had Black and soon took the initiative after the opening. This led to an endgame in which Ju Wenjun consistently exploited her advantages and won.

Game 6

Tan,Z25550–1Ju,W2561
FIDE Women WCC 20252025
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.b3 d5 4.Bb2 c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 d4 8.0-0 Be7 9.Na3 0-0 10.e3 dxe3 11.dxe3 Bf5 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Qc8 14.Qe2 Bh3 15.Qf3 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qe6 17.Bb2 Ne4 18.Rfd1 Rad8 19.Nc4 b5 20.Ne5 f5 21.Nd3 g5 22.Ne1 Bf6 23.Bxf6 Qxf6 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Rd1 Rxd1 26.Qxd1 Qd6 27.Qh5 Kg7 28.Qe8 a6 29.Nf3 Nf6 30.Qa8 h6 Botvinnik's law Exchanging into an endgame is often a difficult decision: 31.h4? The resulting knight endgame is losing due to Black's activity and queenside majority. It is a good example for Botvinnik's law that knight endgames are like pawn endgames. 31.Qa7+ Kg6 32.Qb7 should be defendable as now Qd5 33.Qxd5 Nxd5 34.Ne5+ Kg7 35.Nd7 c4 36.bxc4 bxc4 37.Kf1 is drawn. 31...g4! 32.Qb7+ 32.Ne1 Qd5+ 33.Qxd5 Nxd5 34.Kf1 Nb4 35.a3 Na2-+ 32...Qd7 33.Qxd7+ Nxd7 34.Nd2 Kf6 35.f4 35.Kf1 Ke5 36.Ke2 Kd5 37.Kd3 Nf6-+ 35...Ke6 36.e4 fxe4 37.Nxe4 Kd5 38.Nf2 Nf6 39.Kf1 Kd4 40.Ke2 h5 41.a4 41.Kd2 c4 42.bxc4 bxc4 43.f5 Nd5 44.Nd1 Ke5 45.Nc3 Nxc3 46.Kxc3 Kxf5 47.Kxc4 Ke4-+ 41...Kc3 42.axb5 axb5 43.Nd3 Ne4 44.Ke3 Nxg3 45.Nxc5 Nf5+ 46.Ke4 Nxh4 47.Ke5 Kb4 48.Ne4 Kxb3 49.Kf6 49.f5 can even be met by Nxf5 50.Kxf5 Kc2 51.Kg5 b4 52.Kxh5 b3-+ 49...Nf3 50.f5 h4 51.Ke7 g3 52.f6 g2 52...g2 53.f7 Ne5 54.f8Q Ng6+-+ 0–1

All games

Loading...
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.

Women's World Chess Championship 2025

Links

<< ChessBase anytime, anywhere – The free app is now available in the App Store (iOS)
101 Uses For A Retired Grandmaster >>
Topics: Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Women's World Championship 2025
Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

Women's World Championship, Game 5: Ju Wenjun takes the lead

4/9/2025 – In the women's world rankings, Ju Wenjun (pictured), ranked 2nd, and Tan Zhongyi, ranked 3rd, are separated by just six Elo points. But in the fifth game of their World Championship match, the defending champion Ju Wenjun came to a clear victory after Tan Zhangyi misplayed the opening. She then tried to stir up trouble by giving material, but Ju Wenjun defended carefully and took a 3-2 lead in the match. | Photo: Anna Shtourman
More...
 3

See also

Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi, Game 4: Another endgame, another draw

4/7/2025 – In all four games of the match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi for the Women's World Championship, an endgame was on the board. In the fourth game, Tan Zhongyi had several good opportunities with White to put Ju Wenjun under pressure with precise play, but she didn't take these chances, and so the game ended in a draw. | Photos: Anna Shtourman
More...
 2

Video

MiddleGame 08594EC Springing pawns

A pawn move can change the character of the whole position. Jussupow-Anand (Linares 1991) is all about such powerful pawn moves.
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.