Race to the 2026 Women’s Candidates: Ju Wenjun Leads the Charge
Press Release by FIDE
Fresh off her fifth world title, Ju Wenjun tops the leaderboard in the 2024–25 women’s series, setting an intense pace for her rivals. The highest-placed player of FIDE Women’s Events qualifies for the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, if she has not qualified by any other track. Three of the eight qualifying events of the series have been completed, and the race for the top spots is heating up.
Fighting for a Spot in the Women’s Candidates
Press Release by FIDE
In an electrifying start to the 2024–25 women’s chess series, reigning champion Ju Wenjun has emerged as a formidable leader, fresh off her fifth world title. With an impressive 86.5 ranking points (RP), Ju is setting a blistering pace for her competitors in the race for a coveted spot in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.
The stakes are high: the highest-placed player in FIDE Women’s Events qualifies for the Candidates Tournament, provided she hasn’t secured a spot through other means. With three of the eight qualifying events already completed, the competition is intensifying.
Ju Wenjun’s dominance is evident, having amassed 48 points from her victory at the 2024 Women’s World Blitz Championship and an additional 38.5 points from her shared 2nd-7th place finish in the Women’s World Rapid. Her performance has solidified her position at the top of the leaderboard.
Trailing closely behind is Humpy Koneru, who sits in second place with 84 points, all earned from her triumph at the 2024 Women’s World Rapid in New York. The competition is fierce, with Tan Zhongyi in third place, holding 63.5 points. Tan, a former Women’s World Champion, gained 38.5 points from her shared finish in the World Rapid and an additional 25 points from her recent match against Ju, which she lost 6½-2½.
Kateryna Lagno | Photo: Michal Walusza
In fifth place is Kateryna Lagno, a multiple-time rapid and blitz world champion, with 54.4 points. Lagno secured 16 points from a third-place finish in the Blitz and 38.5 points from her shared second in the 2024 World Rapid.
Further down the leaderboard, a trio of players—former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, India’s Harika Dronavalli, and 16-year-old rising star Afruza Khamdamova—are tied at 38.5 RP, all having gained points in the Women’s World Rapid last December.
Afruza Khamdamova | Photo: Michal Walusza
With 17 players still in contention, the standings are poised for change as the Grand Prix series approaches its finale in Austria this May. Dana Reizniece, a Woman GM and Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, emphasized the significance of this series:
"Every event in this series carries serious weight. This isn’t just a race to the 2026 Candidates—it’s where careers are forged, history is made, and records fall. The field is a clash of generations and styles, driving innovation and pushing women’s chess to new heights."
The cycle continues with the conclusion of the Women’s Grand Prix Series in May, followed by the Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Grand Swiss, and the 2025 editions of the Rapid and Blitz World Championships.
With former champions like Alexandra Kosteniuk and Lei Tingjie still in the mix, and seasoned contenders such as Harika Dronavalli and Humpy Koneru battling against rising stars like Bibisara Assaubayeva and Carissa Yip, the race for qualifying spots remains wide open.
How Points Are Calculated
Under FIDE regulations, a player’s final score is determined by the sum of their best five tournament results in the cycle. In the event of a tie, the lowest-scoring event is removed in a stepwise tiebreak process. The top player in the overall standings, who has not otherwise qualified, earns a coveted place in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Events in the 2024–25 Series
The FIDE Women’s Events 2025–2026 is an official ranking series that encompasses the most prestigious FIDE-organized women’s tournaments over a two-year cycle. The series includes:
- Women’s World Rapid Championship 2024
- Women’s World Blitz Championship 2024
- Women’s World Championship Match 2025 (only runner-up earns RP)
- Women’s Grand Prix Series 2024–25 (final standings used)
- Women’s World Cup 2025
- Women’s Grand Swiss 2025
- Women’s World Rapid Championship 2025
- Women’s World Blitz Championship 2025
For the full leaderboard and more information about the regulations, visit FIDE Women’s Events.
As the competition heats up, chess enthusiasts worldwide are eagerly watching to see who will emerge victorious and secure their place in the prestigious Candidates Tournament.