FIDE Women’s World Championship 2025: Ju Wenjun in the driver’s seat after third successive win

Ju Wenjun secured a compelling win over Tan Zhongyi in Game 7 of the 2025 Women’s World Championship. Opting for the Rossolimo Variation early on — where Ju advanced her bishop to attack Tan’s knight on c6 — she steadily built central control while launching sharp queenside play. Ju’s queen move on turn 14 proved critical, allowing her to transition smoothly into a strong endgame. 

Tan’s king grew increasingly exposed as the game progressed, with Ju’s rooks dominating until Tan resigned. With effective moves like 36.Bc5 and 43.Rg4+, Ju converted her advantage with technical finesse, staying composed under time pressure. The win now gives the defending champion a solid 5–2 lead, with just five games remaining. Game 8, with Tan playing the white pieces, begins on April 14 at 12:30 p.m. IST.

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Ju is the reigning Women’s World Chess Champion as of 2025. She won the title in 2018 and successfully defended it in 2020 and 2023. Her consistent performances at the highest level of women’s chess has established her as one of the strongest female players in history.

What is the format of the Women’s World Chess Championship 2025?

The current edition follows a 12-game format. The first player to score 6.5 points will win the title. The time control for each game is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. If the match is tied at 6-6 after all 12 games, a tiebreak will determine the champion. The tiebreak procedure involves a series of rapid and, if necessary, blitz games to ensure a decisive outcome.