FIDE WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLE 2025-2026

FIDE WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

DATES AND HOST CITY TO BE ANNOUNCED

The Women’s World Championship Match consists of 12 games. The player who scores 6.5 points or more wins the Match, and no further games are played. If the score after 12 games is equal, the winner is decided on a tiebreak.

Reigning World Champion

Winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026

FIDE WOMEN’S CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT

April 2026. Date and time TBD.

The winner of this 8-player double round-robin (all-play-all twice) becomes the Challenger for the chess crown. In case of a tie for first place after 14 rounds, the playoff determines the winner.

Qualification Paths

2024-25 WGP 1st​

2024-25 WGP 2nd

2025 Women's World Cup 1st

2025 Women's World Cup 2nd

2025 Women's World Cup 3rd

2025 Grand Swiss 1st

2025 Grand Swiss 2nd

FIDE Women’s Events 2024-25 series 1st

QUALIFIERS

2024-25 FIDE WOMEN’S GRAND PRIX SERIES

Tbilisi, Georgia
14-25 August 2025

Shymkent, Kazakhstan
29 October – 09 November 2025

Monaco
17-28 February 2025

Cyprus
14-25 March 2025

Pune, India
13-24 April 2025

Austria
06-17 May 2025

Winner

Runner-up​

 

The Women’s Grand Prix Series 2024-25 features a total of 20 players, and each one of them will participate in three out of six WGP tournaments.

Each WGP tournament is played with ten (10) players round robin. In each WGP tournament, every player scores WGP points according to her position in the final standings; the winner of the WGP Series is a player who scores the most cumulative points earned in all three WGP tournaments she played.

Regulations

2025 FIDE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Batumi, Georgia
05-29 July, 2025

Winner

Runner-up

Third place

103 players. Knock-out tournament, 7 rounds. All rounds shall be played with 2-game matches.

Regulations

TDB

FIDE WOMEN’S GRAND SWISS

Samarkand, Uzbekistan
3-15 September, 2025

Winner

Runner-up

‘FIDE Women’s Events 2024-25’ series

Winner