# 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.
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 a return to a match-only format for the title with a 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 successfully defended her title.

## Candidates Tournament

The newly-established Candidates Tournament was held from 29 May to 19 June 2019 in Kazan, Russia. The format was an eight-player double round-robin tournament.
Three players qualified by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the last championship. All remaining players came from the rating list, by taking the average of all twelve monthly ratings in 2018. Aleksandra Goryachkina replaced Hou Yifan, who declined an invitation.

### Qualifiers

| Place | Player | Points | Women's world no. | Elo (May 2019) | Women's World champion |
| 1 | Aleksandra Goryachkina | 9.5 | 9 | 2522 | |
| 2 | Anna Muzychuk | 8 | 7 | 2539 | |
| 3 | Kateryna Lagno | 7 | 4 | 2554 | |
| 4 | Tan Zhongyi | 7 | 10 | 2513 | 2017 |
| 5 | Nana Dzagnidze | 6.5 | 11 | 2510 | |
| 6 | Mariya Muzychuk | 6.5 | 3 | 2563 | 2015 |
| 7 | Alexandra Kosteniuk | 6 | 6 | 2546 | 2008 |
| 8 | Valentina Gunina | 5.5 | 13 | 2506 | |
Goryachkina won with two rounds to spare.

### Crosstable

Leading player after each round in green.
    No.PlayerElo (May 2019) 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 5½ ½½1½1½2233½3½3½4½5½5½5½ 8 2 Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) 2546 01 ½0 ½½ 10 01 ½½ ½0 6 ½111½2½2½333½4½4½4½5½6 7 3 Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) 2522 11 ½1 1½ 1½ ½0 ½½ 1½ 9½ ½1½2½3455½6½7½88½99½9½ 1 4 Kateryna Lagno (RUS) 2554 ½½ ½½ 0½ ½½ 1½ ½0 1½ 71½ ½1122½3½44½55½666½7 3 5 Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) 2510 10 01 0½ ½½ 1½ 10 ½0 6½1½ ½1½2½3½3½3½4444½4½5½66½ 5 6 Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) 2563 ½0 10 ½1 0½ 0½ ½½ ½1 6½½ ½1111½2½33½4½55½5½5½6½ 6 7 Anna Muzychuk (UKR) 2539 11 ½½ ½½ ½1 01 ½½ 0½ 8 ½½½11½2½33½4½55½6½7½8 2 8 Tan Zhongyi (CHN) 2513 01 ½1 0½ 0½ ½1 ½0 1½ 7½ ½122½2½2½2½3½3½455½67 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. In Shanghai the match was played in the InterContinental Shanghai Jing'An Hotel, in Vladivostok at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island. The format was increased to twelve games, the last championships having 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 for Ju, 3 victories for 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

The match started off in Shanghai and ended in Vladivostok.
| Shanghai | 4 Jan | Opening ceremony |
| Shanghai | 5–6 Jan | Games 1–2 |
| Shanghai | 8–9 Jan | Games 3–4 |
| Shanghai | 11–12 Jan | Games 5–6 |
| Vladivostok | 15 Jan | Opening ceremony |
| Vladivostok | 16–17 Jan | Games 7–8 |
| Vladivostok | 19–20 Jan | Games 9–10 |
| Vladivostok | 22–23 Jan | Games 11–12 |
| Vladivostok | 24 Jan | Tiebreak games and closing ceremony |

### Results

Women's World Chess Championship 2020 :
| Player | Rating | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Standard Time Control | Points | Rapid Tie-Breaks | Rapid Tie-Breaks | Rapid Tie-Breaks | Rapid Tie-Breaks | Tie-Break Points |
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Tie-Break Points |
| Ju Wenjun (China) | 2584 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 6 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia) | 2578 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 6 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
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