GM Ju Wenjun has taken a 3-2 lead in the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Championship after GM Tan Zhongyi‘s ambitious opening play backfired in game five. Ju dodged her opponent’s preparation and was soon able to pick up a pawn. Tan almost got compensation, but her quick and bold play only saw her drop another pawn, after which Ju brilliantly navigated all the tricks to score a crucial win.
This is a flash report—come back later for player quotes and analysis!
Game six, when Tan will have the white pieces, starts on Thursday, April 10, at 3:00 a.m. ET / 09:00 CEST / 12:30 p.m. IST. That will be the last game before the players switch to Chongqing for the second half of the match.
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 | ½ | 0 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 2 |
| Ju Wenjun | 2561 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 3 |
GM Rafael Leitao will analyze game five of the match below.
Ju Wenjun finishes with the flourish 59.Ne7+! to win Game 5 and take a 3-2 lead in the 2025 Women’s World Championship match!https://t.co/FjSYXJ6zHv#JuTan pic.twitter.com/K9Ul54oGPh
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 9, 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 started on April 3 in Shanghai and boasts a €500,000 ($540k) prize fund.
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