Two Chinese stars fight for the world crown
Information provided by FIDE
The 2025 FIDE Women's World Chess Championshipis the culmination of the FIDE Women’s World Championship Cycle 2023-2025. It will feature a highly anticipated rematch between two of China's top grandmasters: the reigning Champion, Ju Wenjun, and the Challenger, Tan Zhongyi. The title of the Women's World Chess Champion is decided in 12 games and a tiebreak in case of a tie.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.
The title match is scheduled to take place from April 1 to 23, 2025, across two Chinese cities: Shanghai and Chongqing.
The time control for each game is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.
For the first stage in Shanghai, the official venue is Shanghai Chess Academy. For the second stage in Chongqing, the official venue is Fuling District Library.
Read the match regulations (PDF)...

The contenders
Ju Wenjun

Photo: Stev Bonhage
A native of Shanghai, Ju Wenjun started playing chess at seven, and success came early. In 2004, at just 13, Wenjun won a silver medal in the Asian Women's Chess Championship and qualified for her first Women's World Championship. Although she was one of the lower-rated participants, she impressively made it to the third round.
She won the Women's Chinese Chess Championship twice, in 2010 and 2014, and was awarded the coveted grandmaster title the same year. By that time, Ju Wenjun had firmly established herself as one of the top female players in the world. Ranked #5 in the women's list for most of 2015, she entered FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2015–16 series as one of the favourites. She finished on top, winning two out of five tournaments and qualified for the World Championship Match against her compatriot Tan Zhongyi, who had won the 2017 knockout championship.
In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Judit Polgar. Let them show you which openings Polgar chose to play, where her strength in middlegames were, or how she outplayed her opponents in the endgame.
Ju Wenjun's meteoric rise continued as she became only the fifth woman to cross the 2600 rating threshold, reaching a peak rating of 2604 in March 2017. A year later, in her seventh attempt at the Women's World Championship, she defeated Tan Zhongyi 5½-4½ to become the Women's World Chess Champion. The match was played in two cities, with the first half in Shanghai and the second in Chongqing.
Ju has since defended her title thrice. In 2018, she entered a 64-player knockout tournament as the top seed, winning every round before the final without needing tiebreaks. She then defeated Kateryna Lagno in a tiebreak after making a dramatic comeback in the last classical game with black.
In 2020, she faced GM Aleksandra Goryachkina in a match that ended 6-6 in classical games. Ju clinched the title by winning the third game of a rapid tiebreak. Three years later, Ju Wenjun successfully defended her title against Lei Tingjie sealing the match by winning the twelfth and final game.
Just like in her first match that brought her the precious crown, Ju Wenjun is set to face her compatriot Tan Zhongyi again in the competition once more split between the same two cities, Shanghai and Chongqing. Filled with drama, the 2018 match saw five consecutive victories in games 2-6. Spectators expect no less this time, as there is no escape from memories and comparisons from their previous encounter. However, unlike in 2018, Ju Wenjun will now defend her title against a determined challenger eager to reclaim the crown.
All games - Ju Wenjun v. Lei Tingjie (2023 match)
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.Nc3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Bxd4 13.Bd3 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Ne8 15.b3 15...d5N 15...d6 16.Bb2 Bd7 17.Qb4 Bc6 18.Qf4 Qe7 19.Bc3 Nf6 20.Re1 Nd5 21.Bxh7+ 16.Bf4 Be6 17.Re1 Qd7 18.a4 Nd6 19.Re3 Ne4 20.Qxc7 20.Bxe4 d4 21.Qd3 21.Qxc7 Qxc7 22.Bxc7 dxe3 21...dxe3 22.Bxh7+ Kh8 23.Qxd7 Bxd7 20...Qxc7 21.Bxc7 Nc5 22.Bf1 Rc8 23.Be5 Nd7 24.Bd3 Nc5 25.Be2 Nd7 26.Bc3 a6 27.h4 Nf8 28.g4 f5 28...Bd7 29.gxf5 29.Bb4± Rc6 30.gxf5 Bxf5 31.Bf3 29...Bxf5 30.Bf3 Be4 31.Bxe4 dxe4 32.Bb4! Re8 33.Bxf8 Kxf8 34.Kf1 Kf7 34...b5= 35.Ke2 Kf6 36.Rg3 36.Rc3± 36...b5 37.axb5 axb5 38.Rg5 Rc8 39.Kd2 Rd8+ 39...b4 40.Rg4 40.Ke3 Rc8 41.Rxb5 41...Rxc2 42.b4 Rc3+ 43.Kxe4 Rc4+ 44.Kf3 Rxh4 45.Rb6+ Kg5 46.Rb7 g6 47.b5 Rb4 48.Rxh7 Rxb5 49.Kg3 Rb3+ 50.f3 Kf6 ½–½ - Start an analysis engine:
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Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2566 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 1.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2566 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 2.1 |
Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2566 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 3.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2566 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 4.1 |
Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2566 | 1–0 | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 5.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2566 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 6.1 |
Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2564 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 7.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2564 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | 1–0 | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 8.1 |
Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2564 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 9.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2564 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 10.1 |
Lei Tingjie | 2554 | Ju Wenjun | 2564 | ½–½ | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 11.1 |
Ju Wenjun | 2564 | Lei Tingjie | 2554 | 1–0 | 2023 | | WWCCM 2023 | 12.1 |
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Tan Zhongyi

Photo: Michal Walusza
Tan Zhongyi, the accomplished Chinese grandmaster, already left her mark on the chess landscape by being the Women's World Chess Champion from 2017 to 2018 and clinching the Chinese women's championship four times.
A native of Chongqing, she learned chess at the age of six and showed a great promise early on. Tan won the World Youth U10 Girls Chess Championship twice, in 2000 and 2001, both held in Oropesa del Mar. In 2002, she won the World Youth U12 Girls Chess Championship in Heraklion.
Over the years, Tan steadily rose through the ranks, winning the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, the 2012 Women's World University Chess Championship, and the 3rd China Women Masters Tournament in Wuxi (2013).
In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.
In 2015, Tan Zhongyi clinched her fist national title in Xinghua and went on to win 5th China Women Masters Tournament and the Asian Women's Rapid Championship in Al Ain. Playing for her national team, she seized individual gold at the 2016 Chess Olympiad.
Her pivotal moment came in 2017, when Tan triumphed over GM Anna Muzychuk in a rapid tiebreak at the knockout edition of the Women's World Championship in Iran. However, her reign was short-lived, as she lost the title to her compatriot Ju Wenjun in 2018. Despite this setback, Tan has maintained her place among the elite women players in the world.
Showcasing her versatility, Tan claimed the coveted top women's prize at the 2020 Gibraltar Masters, and a year later she achieved third place in the Women's World Cup. Tan won another world crown in 2022 - the Women's Rapid Championship. Her stellar performance secured her a runner-up finish in the 2023 Women's Grand Swiss, thereby earning a coveted spot in the 2024 Women's Candidates.
At the 2024 Toronto Candidates Tournament, Tan led from start to finish, securing her place as the challenger for the Women's World Championship. Now, she has a great opportunity to reclaim the crown she lost to Ju Wenjun seven years ago.
All games - Women's Candidates Tournament 2024
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 e5 8.Na3 8.h3 8...Be7= 9.Nc2 0-0 10.h3 Re8 11.d3 h6 12.Ne3 Bf8 13.Nh2 Be6 14.Qf3 Ne7 15.Nhg4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 g6 16...Qd7 17.Nf5 Kh7 18.Ng3 Bg7 19.g5 19.Nf5= 19...h5 20.Be2 Rf8 21.Bd1 Qd7 22.Bb3 Bxb3 23.axb3 Qe6 24.Qd1 Rad8 25.Be3 Nc6 26.Nf1 f5 27.gxf6 Qxf6 28.Qd2 Qe6 29.Bg5 Bf6 30.Bxf6 Rxf6 31.Ne3 Rdf8 32.Re2 R6f7 32...Qxb3?! 33.Nd5 a5 34.Ra3± 34.Nxf6+ Rxf6 35.Qg5 Kg7 33.Nd5 Qg4 34.Ne3 Qe6 35.Nd5 Qg4 36.Ne3 Qe6 36...Qh4 ½–½ - 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.
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Lagno,K | 2542 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 1.1 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Salimova,N | 2432 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 1.2 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Tan,Z | 2521 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 1.3 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Koneru,H | 2546 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 1.4 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 2.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Koneru,H | 2546 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 2.2 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Lei,T | 2550 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 2.3 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 2.4 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Tan,Z | 2521 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 3.1 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Lagno,K | 2542 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 3.2 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 3.3 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Salimova,N | 2432 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 3.4 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 4.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Tan,Z | 2521 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 4.2 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Koneru,H | 2546 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 4.3 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Lei,T | 2550 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 4.4 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Salimova,N | 2432 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 5.1 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Lagno,K | 2542 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 5.2 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 5.3 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 5.4 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 6.1 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 6.2 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Lei,T | 2550 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 6.3 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Lagno,K | 2542 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 6.4 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Tan,Z | 2521 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 7.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Salimova,N | 2432 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 7.2 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Koneru,H | 2546 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 7.3 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 7.4 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Lei,T | 2550 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 8.1 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 8.2 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 8.3 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 8.4 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Salimova,N | 2432 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 9.1 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Lagno,K | 2542 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 9.2 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Tan,Z | 2521 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 9.3 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 9.4 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Koneru,H | 2546 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 10.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 10.2 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Lei,T | 2550 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 10.3 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 10.4 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 11.1 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Lagno,K | 2542 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 11.2 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Salimova,N | 2432 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 11.3 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 11.4 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Tan,Z | 2521 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 12.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Lei,T | 2550 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 12.2 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 12.3 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Koneru,H | 2546 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 12.4 |
Vaishali,R | 2475 | Lei,T | 2550 | 1–0 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 13.1 |
Salimova,N | 2432 | Lagno,K | 2542 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 13.2 |
Tan,Z | 2521 | Goryachkina,A | 2553 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 13.3 |
Koneru,H | 2546 | Muzychuk,A | 2520 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 13.4 |
Muzychuk,A | 2520 | Tan,Z | 2521 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 14.1 |
Lagno,K | 2542 | Vaishali,R | 2475 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 14.2 |
Lei,T | 2550 | Koneru,H | 2546 | 0–1 | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 14.3 |
Goryachkina,A | 2553 | Salimova,N | 2432 | ½–½ | 2024 | | FIDE Womens Candidates 2024 | 14.4 |
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