The 2025 FIDE World Women’s Chess Championship is over! Ju Wenjun retains her title in a dominant fashion against the brave and daring challenger, Tan Zhongyi.
However, Ju Wenjun’s road to victory was not smooth sailing, as Tan proved a tough nut to crack early on in the game.
Let’s recap the brilliance and dominance displayed in this event.
How The Whole Thing Went Down
The match took place in China, a familiar hunting ground for both players. The prize fund was an added incentive: €500,000, with the winner receiving either 60% or 55%, depending on whether the match was won in the classical or tie-break portion.
Game 1
Day 1 started on a gentle note, with both players not too keen on unleashing fireworks right off the bat. After some maneuvering, the players shook hands and agreed to a draw.
Game 2
Day 2 presented a stark contrast to Day 1. The chess world was shocked as the challenger, Tan Zhongyi, stunned the World Champion, drawing first blood in the match.
Game 3
Ju Wenjun needed to step up to avoid going behind in the match. And step up, she did! The reigning champion rallied her forces and impressively won day 3.
Game 4
Day 4 was a calm day, as both players eased the intensity and ultimately settled for a textbook draw in the endgame.
Game 5
On Day 5, Ju Wenjun stepped up and demonstrated why she was the reigning and defending world champion.
Ju played solid chess in the opening, and when Tan Zhongyi tried to push too much in the middlegame, she made a mistake.
Ju took full advantage of Tan’s slip-up and rode to victory.
Game 6
Day 6 was when Ju started to shine. The world champion again showed dominance by winning game six and stretching her lead to two points.
Game 7
Tan Zhongyi’s urge to get back into the game got the better of her. The challenger pushed too hard, leaving cracks in her position that Ju took full advantage of.
The world champion took her chances and stretched her lead to 3 points.
Game 8
Ju Wenjun demonstrated to the world that she was an expert at capitalizing on momentum.
Seeing that Tan Zhongyi was reeling from the past defeats, she soaked in the early pressure from the challenger and launched a counterattack.
The counterattack worked, and Ju picked up another win in Game 8.
Game 9
By Day 9, it became almost certain Ju Wenjun would retain her title. She only needed a draw to confirm her status as the defending world champion. For Tan, a comeback looked like an impossible task.
The game turned out as many expected. It ended in a draw for both players, and Ju Wenjun retained her title as Women’s World Chess Champion.
Conclusion
Ju Wenjun’s match win recorded the first time a player had won four straight games in a world chess championship since the Women’s World Chess Championship of 1958, when Elisaveta Bykova won six consecutive games against Olga Rubtsova.
Congratulations to the Women’s World Chess Champion!
join the conversation