GM Ju Wenjun ground out a win in a pawn-up endgame to defeat GM Tan Zhongyi and level the scores at 1.5-1.5 after three games of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Championship. Tan played fast in a Sicilian to pressure her opponent, but in the run-up to the time control Ju grabbed a pawn. The opposite-colored bishop endgame should have been drawn, but Tan cracked at move 60 and Ju went on to win a nerve-wracking clash in 5.5 hours and 87 moves.
This is a flash report—come back later for full player quotes and analysis!
Game four, when Tan will have the white pieces, starts on Monday, April 7, at 3:00 a.m. ET / 09:00 CEST / 12:30 p.m. IST.
2025 Women’s World Championship Match
| Name | Rating | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Score |
| Tan Zhongyi | 2555 | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1.5 |
| Ju Wenjun | 2561 | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1.5 |
GM Rafael Leitao will analyze game three of the match below.
A nerve-wracking finish, but in 5.5 hours & 87 moves, Ju Wenjun has bounced straight back to level the Women’s World Championship at 1.5-1.5 after Game 3! https://t.co/p55UvAaVXM#JuTan pic.twitter.com/lT3nPuMcFK
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 6, 2025
How to watch the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship
The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Championship is the most important women’s over-the-board event of the year. The defending women’s world champion, GM Ju Wenjun, faces the challenger, GM Tan Zhongyi, to see who will be crowned world champion. The championship starts on April 3 in Shanghai and boasts a €500,000 ($540k) prize fund.
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