Ju Wenjun retains her crown with fourth Women’s World Chess Championship title

The 2023 FIDE Women’s World Championship ended in dramatic fashion as title holder Ju Wenjun won the final classical game in the match just as tiebreakers loomed large, overhauling a one-game disadvantage in full at the last possible moment to defeat fellow Chinese player Lei Tingjie.

Grandmaster Ju Wenjun first earned herself the prestigious title in 2018, first defeating Tan Zhongyi and then topping a 64-player knockout bracket in the same year. Then, two match format finals followed, with a victory over Aleksandra Goryachkina in 2020 and this year’s triumph making her a four-time champion.