Women's World Chess Championship 2026

Women's World Chess Championship 2026

2026
	Defending champion	Challenger
	Ju Wenjun
	Born 31 January 1991 34 years old
	Winner of the Women's World Chess Championship 2025	Winner of the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026
←  2025

The Women's World Chess Championship 2026 is an upcoming chess match which will determine the new Women's World Chess Champion. It will be played between the defending champion Ju Wenjun, the winner of the Women's World Chess Championship 2025, and a challenger, who will be the winner of the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026. ^{[1] [2]} The dates and host city are yet to be decided.

Candidates Tournament

Main article: Women's Candidates Tournament 2026

The challenger will qualify by winning the eight-player Women's Candidates Tournament 2026, which will be held in April 2026. The following players will qualify:

Qualification method	Player	Age	Rating	World ranking
		(January 2026)
The top two finishers in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024–25	Zhu Jiner (winner)	23	2579	2
	Aleksandra Goryachkina (runner-up)	27	2534	6
The top three finishers in the Women's Chess World Cup 2025	Divya Deshmukh (winner)	20	2497	12
	Koneru Humpy (runner-up)	38	2535	5
	Tan Zhongyi (third place)	34	2524	7
The top two finishers in the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss Tournament 2025	Vaishali Rameshbabu (winner)	24	2470	16
	Kateryna Lagno (runner-up)	36	2508	9
The highest eligible player of the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25	Bibisara Assaubayeva	21	2497	11

Top 25 players as of December 2025

No.	Player	Points	Events	World Rapid 2024	World Blitz 2024	World Champ	Grand Prix	World Cup	Grand Swiss	World Rapid 2025	World Blitz 2025
1	Koneru Humpy	280.00	4	1st 84.00	—N/a	—N/a	4th 60.00	2nd 80.00	—N/a	T 2nd-3rd 56.00	—N/a
2	Tan Zhongyi	216.10	5	T 2nd-7th 38.50	—N/a	2nd 25.00	5th 40.00	3rd 50.00	T 3rd-5th 60.00	T 7th-14th 2.60	—N/a
3	Zhu Jiner	214.00	4	—N/a	T 5th-8th 8.00	—N/a	1st 120.00	—N/a	—N/a	2nd 70.00	T 3rd-4th 16.00
4	Aleksandra Goryachkina	185.78	3	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	2nd 100.00	—N/a	—N/a	1st 84.00	T 7th-15th 1.78
5	Vaishali Rameshbabu	176.30	4	—N/a	T 3rd-4th 16.00	—N/a	—N/a	T 5th-8th 20.00	T 1st-2nd 110.00	T 4th-6th 30.30	—N/a
6	Kateryna Lagno	167.10	4	T 2nd-7th 38.50	T 3rd-4th 16.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 1st-2nd 110.00	T 7th-14th 2.60	—N/a
7	Bibisara Assaubayeva	147.40	5	T 8th-12th 1.40	T 5th-8th 8.00	—N/a	6th 30.00	—N/a	T 3rd-5th 60.00	—N/a	1st 48.00
8	Divya Deshmukh	142.60	3	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	7th 20.00	1st 120.00	—N/a	T 7th-14th 2.60	—N/a
9	Anna Muzychuk	114.60	3	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	3rd 80.00	—N/a	—N/a	T 7th-14th 2.60	2nd 32.00
10	Ju Wenjun	86.50	2 [a]	T 2nd-7th 38.50	1st 48.00	1st 0.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
11	Song Yuxin	81.78	3	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 5th-8th 20.00	T 3rd-5th 60.00	—N/a	T 7th-15th 1.78
12	Lei Tingjie	64.60	3	—N/a	2nd 32.00	—N/a	—N/a	4th 30.00	—N/a	T 7th-14th 2.60	—N/a
13	Harika Dronavalli	58.50	2	T 2nd-7th 38.50	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 5th-8th 20.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
14	Afruza Khamdamova	38.50	1	T 2nd-7th 38.50	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
	Alexandra Kosteniuk	41.10	2	T 2nd-7th 38.50	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 7th-14th 2.60	—N/a
16	Savitha Shri Baskar	30.30	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 4th-6th 30.30	—N/a
	Ekaterina Atalik	30.30	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 4th-6th 30.30	—N/a
18	Mariya Muzychuk	26.40	3	T 8th-12th 1.40	—N/a	—N/a	T 8th-9th 5.00	—N/a	T 6th-8th 20.00	—N/a	—N/a
19	Nana Dzagnidze	25.00	2	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 8th-9th 5.00	T 5th-8th 20.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
20	Irina Krush	20.00	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 6th-8th 20.00	—N/a	—N/a
	Ulviyya Fataliyeva	20.00	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 6th-8th 20.00	—N/a	—N/a
22	Valentina Gunina	16.00	1	—N/a	T 5th-8th 8.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	5th 8.00
	Eline Roebers	16.00	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	T 3rd-4th 16.00
24	Carissa Yip	8.00	1	—N/a	T 5th-8th 8.00	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
	Antoaneta Stefanova	8.00	1	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	6th 8.00

References

• Chess portal
• Sports portal
• Games portal

1. "Mediterranean Stage Set for Chess History: The 2026 FIDE Candidates Come to Cyprus". FIDE. 10 November 2025. Archived from the original on 10 November 2025.
2. "Regulations for the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026" (PDF). FIDE. Retrieved 14 November 2025.

Notes

1. Does not include the World Championship match that awarded Ju zero points.