The 34-year-old now joins a legendary trio—Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Maia Chiburdanidze—as only the fourth woman ever to win the world championship five times. She also becomes the first Chinese player to reach this milestone, underscoring her dominant presence in women’s chess over the past decade.
Ju’s path to victory in this year’s best-of-12 match wasn’t entirely smooth. After an early stumble, she rebounded with a four-game winning streak to firmly take control of the contest. The final scoreline—6.5 to 2.5—reflects her ability to not just recover, but to dominate. A draw in the ninth game sealed her championship, extending her reign as world champion into its eighth year.
“In this match, initially the beginning wasn’t very smooth for me,” Ju reflected. “But I caught up on the score, and I was playing more and more in the zone.”
Her opponent, world No. 3 Tan Zhongyi, put up a valiant fight. The match rekindled a rivalry that has defined recent Women’s World Championships. Tan, who first defeated Ju in the 2017 quarterfinals en route to winning the title, fell to Ju in the 2018 final—and now again in 2024. Despite her defeat, Tan remained gracious and focused on growth: “I exposed some of my weaknesses. In my training, I will continue to try to fix them if I want to continue in this professional chess player journey.”
This latest victory also adds a significant financial reward to Ju’s résumé. She takes home 300,000 euros ($341,000), while Tan earns 200,000 euros ($227,000) as runner-up.
Ju’s consistency and composure have redefined excellence in the sport. With world titles in 2018, two successful defenses in the same year, and additional victories in 2020 and 2023, she’s built a legacy of resilience and brilliance. As the chess world looks ahead, Ju Wenjun’s dominance remains a powerful reminder of the heights possible in the women’s game—and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.