Zhao competed in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2013–14. In January 2015, she won the New Zealand Open with a score of 8/9. Zhao took part in the Women's World Chess Championship 2015, where she reached the quarterfinals, losing to the eventual runner-up, Natalia Pogonina. In the 2017 edition, she lost in the second round to Padmini Rout. In December of the same year, Zhao won the gold medal in the women's Basque chess event at the IMSA Elite Mind Games in Huai'an. In November 2018, she took part again in the Women's World Championship; Zhao defeated Carolina Lujan in the first round by 2-0, then went out in the second after losing to Zhansaya Abdumalik in the tiebreakers.