The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship was nothing short of a thriller as two elite chess players, both from the same nation, battled for the coveted title. The game saw the defending champion, Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi, the challenger, who played against each other in a series of matches held in Shanghai and Chongqing.
The championship featured a 12-game classical format with the first player to reach 6.5 points crowned as the champion. After an elaborate series of matches between both the players, the Women’s world chess championship 2025 was won by Ju Wenjun, who played the whites.
History Behind Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi
The 2025 match was more than just a contest, it was a rematch that brought together one of the greatest rivalries in chess. Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi first clashed for the crown in 2018 when Ju dethroned Tan to claim her first world championship. Since then, both have remained at the top of women’s chess, with Ju successfully defending her title multiple times and Tan earning a shot at redemption by winning the 2024 Women’s Candidates Tour.
The Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi match began with high drama as Zhongyi won the first match and took the lead for a brief moment. However, her dreams were shattered when Ju Wenjun made a comeback by winning back-to-back matches and only being away from defending her title by 0.5 points or a draw. Yesterday’s match, as fate would have it, ended in a draw only for Ju Wenjun to clinch the title and further solidify the Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi rivalry.
Ju Wenjun began playing chess at the age of seven, and by the age of 13, she was already a big name in chess. Her breakthrough came in 2918 when she won the knockout world championship and then defeated Tan Zhongyi in a match to claim her world title. Since then, she has defended her title four times, with the latest one being against Tan Zhongyi.
Beyond classical, she has excelled in rapid and blitz formats, winning the World Rapid Championship in 2017 and 2018m she also won the Norway Chess Women’s tournament and the Women’s Speed Chess Championship further cementing her legacy as one of the most versatile and accomplished chess players of her generation. The match not only is yet another accolade to her career but a true testament of Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi rivalry.
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