FIDE Women’s World Championship: Ju Wenjun defends her title after a cautious draw against Tan Zhongyi

Ju Wenjun has etched her name in history by winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Championship, defeating Tan Zhongyi 6.5–2.5 on Wednesday.

This marks the fifth time she has claimed the world title, placing her alongside legends such as Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Maia Chiburdanidze, who have each won the title five times or more.

The tournament was decided in Game 9, which ended in a draw — enough for Ju to seal the championship. In contrast, Tan faced an uphill battle, needing to win all the remaining games to force the tournament into tiebreaks.

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Playing White, Ju took a cautious approach from the outset, castling early on move four after employing the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo attack against a Sicilian defence, thus guiding the game into positional territory.

Following a series of exchanges in the centre, both players proceeded carefully—Ju was looking for small positional edges with her rooks, while Tan held firm in defence.

The game further evolved into a rook-and-pawn endgame where neither side had realistic winning chances; it was clear that Ju wanted to avoid unnecessary risks while maintaining control.

The 34-year-old, who has held the title since 2018, secures a prize of €300,000, with Tan receiving €200,000. With her reign now guaranteed until at least 2026–27, Ju remains a model of consistency at the highest level of women’s chess.