Women's World Chess Championship 2020

The 2020 Women's World Chess Championship was a chess match for the Women's World Chess Championship title. It was contested by Ju Wenjun (world champion as winner of the 2018 knock-out championship) and her challenger, Aleksandra Goryachkina, the winner of a newly established Candidates Tournament that was held in 2019.[2]

Defending champion Challenger
 Ju Wenjun (CHN)  Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS)
Born 31 January 1991
28 years old
Born 28 September 1998
21 years old
6 (2½) 6 (1½)
Winner of the
2018 World Championship
Winner of the
2019 Candidates Tournament
Rating: 2584
(Women's World No. 2)[1]
Rating: 2578
(Women's World No. 4)
2018 tournament 2022

The match was planned in two parts, one held in Shanghai (China) and one in Vladivostok (Russia), from 3 to 24 January 2020. It marked the return to a match only format for the title with qualifying Candidates Tournament, after new FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich had expressed his dissatisfaction with the knock-out tournaments and resulting frequently changing world champions.

Ju Wenjun defended her title.

Candidates Tournament

The newly established candidates tournament started 29 May 2019 in Kazan, Russia. The format was an eight player double round-robin tournament.[3]

Three players qualified by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the last championship.[4] One spot would have been reserved for Ju Wenjun as 2018 World Championship match winner. All remaining players came from the rating list, by taking the average of all twelve monthly ratings in 2018.[5] Aleksandra Goryachkina replaced Hou Yifan, who declined an invitation.[6]

Qualifiers

PlacePlayerPointsWomen's
world no.
Elo
(May 2019)
Women's World champion
1 Aleksandra Goryachkina9.592522
2 Anna Muzychuk872539
3 Tan Zhongyi71025132017
4 Kateryna Lagno742554
5 Mariya Muzychuk6.5325632015
6 Nana Dzagnidze6.5112510
7 Alexandra Kosteniuk6625462008
8 Valentina Gunina5.5132506

Goryachkina won with two rounds to spare.[7][8]

Crosstable

Leading player after each round in green.

No.PlayerElo
(May 2019)[9]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PtsTie-breaksResults by roundPlace
H2HWins 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 Valentina Gunina (RUS) 2506 10 00 ½½ 01 ½1 00 10 ½½223 8
2 Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) 2546 01 ½0 ½½ 10 01 ½½ ½0 6 ½11336 7
3 Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) 2522 11 ½1 1½ 1½ ½0 ½½ 1½ ½34589 1
4 Kateryna Lagno (RUS) 2554 ½½ ½½ 0½ ½½ 1½ ½0 1½ 7 ½11245667 3
5 Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) 2510 10 01 0½ ½½ 1½ 10 ½0 ½4446 5
6 Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) 2563 ½0 10 ½1 0½ 0½ ½½ ½1 ½ ½11135 6
7 Anna Muzychuk (UKR) 2539 11 ½½ ½½ ½1 01 ½½ 0½ 8 ½½½1358 2
8 Tan Zhongyi (CHN) 2513 01 ½1 0½ 0½ ½1 ½0 1½ 7½ ½124567 4

Championship match

As in 2018, the match was divided into two parts, hosted by the countries of the players. One stage was held in Shanghai, China and the other in Vladivostok, Russia.[10] In Shanghai the match was played in the InterContinental Shanghai Jing'An Hotel, in Vladivostok at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.[11] The format was increased to twelve games, the last championships consisted of only 10 scheduled games.

The classical time-control portion of the match ended with a tied score of 6-6, after 3 victories of Ju, 3 victories of Goryachkina, and 6 draws. On 24 January, 4 games of rapid chess were used as a tie-breaker; and Ju Wenjun retained the title with 1 win and 3 draws.

Schedule

Match started off in Shanghai and ended in Vladivostok.

Shanghai4 JanOpening ceremony
5–6 JanGames 1–2
8–9 JanGames 3–4
11–12 JanGames 5–6
Vladivostok15 JanOpening ceremony
16–17 JanGames 7–8
19–20 JanGames 9–10
22–23 JanGames 11–12
24 JanTiebreak games and closing ceremony

Results

Women's World Chess Championship 2020
PlayerRatingStandard Time ControlPointsRapid Tie-BreaksTie-Break
Points
123456789101112R1R2R3R4
 Ju Wenjun (China)2584 ½½ ½1 0½ ½0 11 ½06 ½½ 1½
 Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia)2578 ½½ ½0 1½ ½1 00 ½16 ½½ 0½
Game Links

References

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