Ju Wenjun: Five-Time Women’s World Chess Champion

Q: What is Ju Wenjun's FIDE ID?

Ju Wenjun's FIDE ID is 8603006. Her official profile is at [ratings.fide.com/profile/8603006](https://ratings.fide.com/profile/8603006).

Ju Wenjun is the reigning FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion, a title she has held continuously since 2018 and successfully defended four times — making her the most decorated active champion in the history of women’s chess. The Chinese Grandmaster, born January 31, 1991 in Shanghai (Wikipedia), holds a FIDE rating of 2559 (March 2026) and consistently appears in the FIDE top women’s rankings, currently sitting in the top three active women players in the world. You can follow her results and stats on Ju Wenjun’s profile on Shatranj Live.

Career Overview

Detail	Value
Full name	Ju Wenjun
Born	January 31, 1991, Shanghai, China
FIDE ID	8603006
Title	Grandmaster (GM), Woman Grandmaster (WGM)
FIDE Rating (March 2026)	2559
Women’s World Champion	2018, 2018 (defense), 2020, 2023, 2025
Women’s World Rapid Champion	2017, 2018
Women’s World Blitz Champion	2024

World Championship Record

2018 — Winning the Title (vs. Tan Zhongyi)

Ju Wenjun captured her first Women’s World Championship title in May 2018 in Shanghai, defeating compatriot Tan Zhongyi with a match score of 5.5–4.5. The ten-game classical match established the champion as the new standard-bearer for women’s chess worldwide.

2018 — First Defense (vs. Kateryna Lagno)

Later that same year, she defended her title at the FIDE Women’s World Championship 2018 (November) in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, a 64-player knockout event. In the final she faced Russia’s GM Kateryna Lagno. After four classical games ended in a 2–2 tie, she won the rapid tiebreak 3–1, retaining the crown.

2020 — Second Defense (vs. Aleksandra Goryachkina)

The 2020 Women’s World Championship match against Russia’s GM Aleksandra Goryachkina was the most closely contested of Ju’s title defenses. The twelve classical games ended in a deadlock at 6–6, forcing a rapid tiebreak. Ju converted under pressure, winning the tiebreak 2.5–1.5 to remain champion.

FIDE described the match as one of the strongest-contested Women’s World Championship matches in the modern era — the twelve-game deadlock confirmed that the quality gap between the two players was razor-thin.

2023 — Third Defense (vs. Lei Tingjie)

Ju defended again in 2023 against China’s GM Lei Tingjie in a twelve-game classical match, winning 6.5–5.5 in a tightly fought all-Chinese championship showdown.

2025 — Fourth Defense (vs. Tan Zhongyi)

In 2025, Wenjun faced Tan Zhongyi for the second time in a World Championship match and delivered her most dominant performance to date. She won 6.5–2.5, clinching the title with three games to spare after a four-game winning streak overwhelmed her opponent. The victory made her only the fourth woman in chess history to win the Women’s World Championship five times.

“I am very happy to win the match. Every championship is different, and this one shows how much I have grown as a player.” — Ju Wenjun, after winning the 2025 Women’s World Championship (FIDE official coverage)

Playing Style

Ju Wenjun is known for her precise positional play, deep endgame technique, and exceptional opening preparation across both 1.e4 and 1.d4 systems. Her Elo rating (the numerical system FIDE uses to measure player strength) reflects sustained elite performance: in March 2017 she became only the fifth woman in chess history to achieve a classical rating of 2600.

Her approach combines the strategic depth of classical preparation with the fighting resilience needed in rapid tiebreaks — a combination that has proven decisive across all five championship matches.

“Ju Wenjun’s greatest strength is her consistency. She never gives her opponent easy counterplay, and her endgame conversion is as reliable as anyone in the world, male or female.” — Irina Krush, Grandmaster and Chess.com commentator (Chess.com player profile)

Among the top women chess players in 2026, Wenjun stands apart for her mastery across all three FIDE time controls — classical, rapid, and blitz. She is often compared to predecessors like Hou Yifan’s career profile and contemporaries such as Koneru Humpy’s profile, both of whom built their legacies through similar classical discipline.

Early Career and Development

Ju Wenjun’s rise through chess reflects China’s systematic approach to elite player development. She began serious competitive chess training as a child in Shanghai and was integrated into China’s national chess program at a young age — a system renowned for its structured coaching, intensive preparation cycles, and early exposure to top-level competition.

She earned her Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title before achieving the full Grandmaster (GM) title, following the conventional path for elite Chinese women players. Her technical foundation — built on deep positional understanding and meticulous endgame preparation — traces directly to the classical Soviet-influenced training methodology that China’s national team has adopted and refined.

By her early twenties she was already competing consistently at the top of the women’s world rankings. Her precise, low-risk style — avoiding unnecessary tactical complications in favor of long-term positional pressure — proved especially effective in the twelve-game classical match format that determines the Women’s World Championship.

Unlike many players who excel in either classical or rapid formats, Wenjun developed her technique across all time controls simultaneously, making her equally dangerous whether the position calls for patient maneuvering or rapid calculation.

This all-format adaptability became her signature and continues to define her supremacy at the top of women’s chess well into her thirties.

Rapid and Blitz Titles

Ju Wenjun is not merely a classical specialist. She holds multiple time-control titles:

Women’s World Rapid Champion: 2017 (Riyadh) and 2018 (St. Petersburg) — making her a two-time Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion
Women’s World Blitz Champion: 2024 (New York) — defeating GM Lei Tingjie after all five regulation games were drawn, winning the tiebreak in the sixth game of the match

Her 2024 Blitz title cemented her status as the complete champion across all three standard FIDE time controls.

Ju Wenjun FIDE Rating and Ranking (March 2026)

Ju Wenjun’s classical FIDE rating stands at 2559 as of the March 2026 rating list, placing her among the top three active women players globally alongside Lei Tingjie (2566) and Zhu Jiner (2565). All three play for China, reflecting the country’s grip on the current women’s ranking list.

Her FIDE profile can be viewed at ratings.fide.com/profile/8603006. Her Chess.com player page is at chess.com/players/ju-wenjun.

The 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament

As reigning Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun does not compete in the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. Instead, she awaits the challenger determined by that event. You can follow live results on the Women’s Candidates 2026 live standings.

The 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament takes place in Paphos, Cyprus, March 28 – April 16, 2026, in a double round-robin format of 14 rounds. The eight qualified players are:

Zhu Jiner (China)
Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia)
Divya Deshmukh (India)
Humpy Koneru (India chess page)
Tan Zhongyi (China)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (India)
Kateryna Lagno (Russia)
Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan)

The winner will earn the right to challenge Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship title.

Key Statistics

5 Women’s World Championship titles (2018×2, 2020, 2023, 2025)
4th woman in chess history to win the title five times
2600+ Elo achieved in March 2017 — only the 5th woman ever to reach that barrier
2559 current classical FIDE rating (March 2026)
2 Women’s World Rapid Championships (2017, 2018)
1 Women’s World Blitz Championship (2024)
0 World Championship matches lost

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times has Ju Wenjun won the Women’s World Chess Championship?

Ju Wenjun has won the Women’s World Chess Championship five times — in 2018 (winning the title), 2018 (defending against Lagno), 2020 (defending against Goryachkina), 2023 (defending against Lei Tingjie), and 2025 (defending against Tan Zhongyi).

What is Ju Wenjun’s FIDE rating in 2026?

Ju Wenjun’s classical FIDE rating is 2559 as of the March 2026 FIDE rating list, placing her in the top three active women players globally.

What is Ju Wenjun’s FIDE ID?

Ju Wenjun’s FIDE ID is 8603006. Her official profile is at ratings.fide.com/profile/8603006.

Is Ju Wenjun competing in the Women’s Candidates 2026?

No. As the reigning Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun does not play in the Women’s Candidates Tournament. She awaits the challenger determined by the Candidates 2026 in Paphos, Cyprus (March 28 – April 16, 2026).

How did Ju Wenjun win the 2020 Women’s World Championship?

The 2020 match against Aleksandra Goryachkina ended 6–6 after twelve classical games. Ju Wenjun won the rapid tiebreak 2.5–1.5 to retain the title.

What are Ju Wenjun’s rapid and blitz titles?

Ju Wenjun is a two-time Women’s World Rapid Champion (2017, 2018) and a one-time Women’s World Blitz Champion (2024), making her a complete champion across all three FIDE time controls.

How does Ju Wenjun’s record compare to other Women’s World Champions?

Ju Wenjun is the fourth woman in chess history to win the Women’s World Championship five times. She has never lost a World Championship match across five defenses.

Where was Ju Wenjun born?

Ju Wenjun was born on January 31, 1991, in Shanghai, China.

What is Ju Wenjun’s highest FIDE rating?

Ju Wenjun reached a classical FIDE rating of 2600 in March 2017, becoming only the fifth woman in chess history to reach that level.

Who will challenge Ju Wenjun for the Women’s World Championship next?

The next challenger will be determined by the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 in Paphos, Cyprus. The eight candidates include Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru, Tan Zhongyi, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Kateryna Lagno, and Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Follow Ju Wenjun on Shatranj Live

Track Ju Wenjun’s latest results, live ratings, and tournament standings on Shatranj Live:

Ju Wenjun: 5x Women's World Chess Champion — Rating, Career & Title Defenses

Ju Wenjun: Five-Time Women’s World Chess Champion

Career Overview

World Championship Record

2018 — Winning the Title (vs. Tan Zhongyi)

2018 — First Defense (vs. Kateryna Lagno)