Women's World Chess Championship 2018 (May)

The 2018 Women's World Chess Championship Match was a match held between Tan Zhongyi, the 2017 Women's World Chess champion, and her challenger Ju Wenjun[2] to determine the new women's world chess champion. Ju Wenjun qualified by winning the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2015–16.[3]

For the knock-out style World Championship played in November, see Women's World Chess Championship 2018 (November).
Defending champion Challenger
 Tan Zhongyi (CHN)  Ju Wenjun (CHN)
4½ 5½
Winner of the
2017 World Championship		 Winner of the
2015–16 Grand Prix
Rating: 2522
(Women's World No.10)[1]		 Rating: 2571
(Women's World No.2)
← 2017 2018 tournament →

The match took place from 2 to 20 May 2018 and was played in two halves, the first in Shanghai, the latter in Chongqing.[4] Ju Wenjun won 5½ - 4½.

Competitors

2015–16 Grand Prix winner

The challenger qualified by winning the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2015–16. Hou Yifan had won the first tournament but then withdrew from the Grand Prix. After four of five tournaments, the leader was Koneru Humpy with 335 points, who had already played her three tournaments.[5] In second place followed Ju Wenjun with 253⅓ and one event left. The final tournament was held from 11 to 31 October 2016, and Ju Wenjun won the tournament convincingly, thus overtaking Koneru Humpy.[6] Koneru Humpy thereby finished overall runner-up for the fourth time.

2017 knock-out world champion

The winner of the Women's World Chess Championship 2017 has the right to defend her title in the match. The 64 player knockout tournament was initially scheduled for October 2016, but postponed due to a lack of an organizer.[7] The tournament was played in Teheran, Iran, from 10 to 28 February 2017.[8]

Ju Wenjun advanced to the quarter-finals, where she was knocked-out. Had she won, challenger would have been the Grand Prix runner-up Koneru Humpy.

The final was played between Tan Zhongyi and Anna Muzychuk as a four-game match. After a calm draw in game 1, Tan Zhongyi won game 2 with the white pieces.[9]

Head-to-head record

Prior to the match the two players had met 16 times at classical time control. Tan Zhongyi lead the pairing having won 3, drawn 11 and lost 2 games.[10]

Match

The match was contested over ten games at classical time control, with additional rapid and blitz tie-breaks if needed.

Colors were drawn at the opening ceremony.[11] Colors are also reversed after game 4 to even out an advantage of first playing white. The time control is set at 90 minutes for the first 40 moves with addition of 30 minutes for the rest of the game. There is an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1.

Schedule

Results
Women's World Chess Championship Match 2018[12]
PlayerRating12345678910Points
 Tan Zhongyi (China)2522 ½0 01 01 ½½ ½½4½
 Ju Wenjun (China)2571 ½1 10 10 ½½ ½½5½
Game Links

Future

Due to various hosting and timing issues, the championships had varied from their intended annual calendar, pushing the 2017 event into early 2018.[2] FIDE's plan is to get back on schedule by holding a second Women's World Chess Championship 2018 (tournament), with the full 64 player knock-out in November, culminating with the final two players competing for the championship title.[13] The event was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.[2] Ju Wenjun entered the tournament as top rated player.

References
  1. Administrator. "FIDE Online. FIDE Top players - Standard Top 100 Women November 2018". ratings.fide.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  2. FIDE General Assembly Agenda (5.20.8)
  3. "FIDE Women's Grand Prix Regulations". FIDE. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  4. "World Chess Federation - FIDE". fide.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  5. (MikeKlein), Mike Klein. "Double Indian Win At Women's GP, Koneru Leads Overall". Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  6. "Ju Wenjun is triumphant in Khanty-Mansiysk". FIDE. 1 December 2016.
  7. FIDE General Assembly Agenda (5.20.7)
  8. "2017 Women's World Championship Awarded To Iran; Other FIDE Decisions". chess.com. 28 September 2016.
  9. "Frauen-WM: Tan gewinnt 2. Finalpartie". 28 February 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  10. "CHESSGAMES.COM * Chess game search engine". www.chessgames.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  11. AM. "Ju Wenjun became the new Women`s World Champion!". www.fide.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  12. "Women's World Championship (2018)". www.chessgames.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  13. "World Chess Federation - FIDE". www.fide.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
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