The 2025 women’s women’s world championship is officially begins today, April 3, with an entirely “at home” challenge between two of the strongest Chinese players in recent history: the reigning champion Ju Wenjun and the challenger Tan Zhongyi.
The competition, organized by the Fide, is held in 12 games on a classical basis, divided between Shanghai (from 3 to 11 April) e Chongqing (from 13 to 23 April), the Christmas cities of the two contenders. The first that will reach 6.5 points will be crowned champion. In the event of a tie after 12 games, the title will be decided through rapid play -offs and blitz.
A rivalry that is renewed
Ju Wenjun, born in 1991 in Shanghai, started playing chess at 7 years. He has been the undisputed queen of the maximum female competition for years. He conquered the world title in 2018 by beating Tan Zhongyi, and then successfully defended him in 2020 against Aleksandra Goryachkina and in 2023 against her Tingjie. If he won again, he would become one of the very few women in history to hold the title five times. He will play the first game with the whites.
On the other side of the chessboard there is Tan Zhongyi, also born in 1991, originally from Chongqing. She became world champion for the first time in 2017, when she defeated GM Anna Muzychuk. But the crown did not last for a long time on his head, since Ju Wenjun defeated him a year later, subtracting the crown. It is therefore understandable how this new challenge lives in a very felt way with the possibility of “taking revenge”.
The format and the calendar
Each game is played with a cadence of 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes extra for the rest of the game, with an increase of 30 seconds in move from the first. The calendar provides for a regular alternation between play days and rest days. The first six games will be held in Shanghai, then the match will move to Chongqing for the remaining six. Any play -offs will be played on April 24th. The match is broadcast live streaming on the official Fide website, with technical commentary and analysis. The games start every day at 15:00 local (9:00 Italian).