Women's World Chess Championship 2026

Last updated
Women's World Chess Championship 2026
2026
 
Defending champion
Challenger
  Ju Wenjun in 2024 (cropped).jpg
  Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ju Wenjun Flag placeholder.svg
  Born 31 January 1991
34 years old
  Winner of the Women's World Chess Championship 2025 Winner of the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026
  Rating: 2561
(World No. 2)
←  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. The dates and host city are yet to be decided.

Contents

Candidates Tournament

The challenger will qualify by winning the eight-player Women's Candidates Tournament 2026, which will be held in April 2026. [1] The following players will qualify:

Qualification methodPlayerAge Rating World
ranking
(August 2025)
The top two finishers in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024–25 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhu Jiner (winner)2225365
FIDE flag icon.png Aleksandra Goryachkina (runner-up)2625288
The top three finishers in the Women's Chess World Cup 2025 Flag of India.svg Divya Deshmukh (winner)19247815
Flag of India.svg Koneru Humpy (runner-up)3825356
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Tan Zhongyi (third place)3425394
The top two finishers in the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss Tournament 2025 TBD
TBD
The winner of the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25 TBD

FIDE Women's Events 2024–25

In conjunction with the Open Candidates Tournament 2026, the runner-up of the previous championship match no longer automatically qualifies, unlike any previous Women's Candidates Tournament. Instead, the 2025 match is part of the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25, a new qualification path which is a circuit that includes the 2024 and 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Grand Prix series, the World Cup and the Grand Swiss. [2] A player's score is the sum of her highest scores in up to 5 qualifying events. [3]

Ranking point system for the FIDE Women's Events 2024-25 FIDE Women's Events 2024 2025 and Ranking Points.png
Ranking point system for the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25
Top 25 as of July 28, 2025 [3]
No.PlayerPointsEvents12345
1 Flag of India.svg Koneru Humpy 224.003 World Rapid 2024
1st – 84.00		 Grand Prix
4th – 60.00
World Cup
2nd – 80.00
2 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Tan Zhongyi 153.504 World Champ
2nd – 25.00		 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50		 Grand Prix
5th – 40.00
World Cup
3rd – 50.00
3 Flag of India.svg Divya Deshmukh 140.002 Grand Prix
7th – 20.00
World Cup
1st – 120.00
4 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhu Jiner 128.002 World Blitz 2024
T 5th-8th – 8.00		 Grand Prix
1st – 120.00
5 FIDE flag icon.png Aleksandra Goryachkina 100.001 Grand Prix
2nd – 100.00
6 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ju Wenjun 86.502 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50		 World Blitz 2024
1st – 48.00
7 Flag of Ukraine.svg Anna Muzychuk 80.001 Grand Prix
3rd – 80.00
8 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Lei Tingjie 62.002 World Blitz 2024
2nd – 32.00		 World Cup
4th – 30.00
9 Flag of India.svg Harika Dronavalli 58.502 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50		 World Cup
T 5th-8th – 20.00
10 FIDE flag icon.png Kateryna Lagno 54.502 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50		 World Blitz 2024
T 3rd-4th – 16.00
11 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Bibisara Assaubayeva 39.403 World Rapid 2024
T 8th-12th – 1.40		 World Blitz 2024
T 5th-8th – 8.00		 Grand Prix
6th – 30.00
12 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Afruza Khamdamova 38.501 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50
13 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Alexandra Kosteniuk 38.501 World Rapid 2024
T 2nd-7th – 38.50
14 Flag of India.svg Vaishali Rameshbabu 36.002 World Blitz 2024
T 3rd-4th – 16.00		 World Cup
T 5th-8th – 20.00
15

Flag of Georgia.svg Nana Dzagnidze

25.002 Grand Prix
T 8th-9th – 5.00
World Cup
T 5th-8th – 20.00
16

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Song Yuxin

20.001 World Cup
T 5th-8th – 20.00
17 FIDE flag icon.png Valentina Gunina 8.001 World Blitz 2024
T 5th-8th – 8.00
18 Flag of the United States.svg Carissa Yip 8.001 World Blitz 2024
T 5th-8th – 8.00
19 Flag of Ukraine.svg Mariya Muzychuk 6.402 World Rapid 2024
T 8th-12th – 1.40		 Grand Prix
T 8th-9th – 5.00
20 Flag of Indonesia.svg Irene Kharisma Sukandar 1.401 World Rapid 2024
T 8th-12th – 1.40
21 Flag of Peru.svg Deysi Cori 1.401 World Rapid 2024
T 8th-12th – 1.40
22 Flag of Greece.svg Stavroula Tsolakidou 1.401 World Rapid 2024
T 8th-12th – 1.40

References

  1. ↑ "FIDE WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLE 2025-2026". FIDE . Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  2. ↑ "Qualification paths for FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 finalized". FIDE . 2024-12-03. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  3. 1 2 "FIDE WOMEN'S EVENTS 2024-2025". FIDE . Retrieved 2025-07-23.

Notes

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