From Setback to Triumph: Inside Ju Wenjun’s 5th World Championship Win

Becoming a World Champion is a rare achievement, but securing that title five times is as rare as a perfect game in chess. Only a handful of players in history can claim such dominance, and in women’s chess, three names stand above the rest: Vera Menchik, the pioneering first-ever world champion with an extraordinary eight titles, and the Georgian legends Maria Chiburdanidze and Nona Gaprindashvili, each with five. Now, joining their ranks is China’s own Ju Wenjun, who, after her dominant victory over former world champion Tan Zhongyi, has claimed her fifth Women’s World Chess Championship title.

As the excitement of the championship match settled, we had the privilege of catching up with Ju Wenjun for a follow-up interview to reflect on her victory, her preparation, and what lies ahead in her incredible chess journey. Along with our own questions, Ju kindly answered several submitted by Chessify followers on X.com, which you’ll find at the end of this blog. If you missed our previous interview with Ju before the match, where we discussed her World Blitz win and expectations for the championship, be sure to check it out here.

All photos by © Anna Shtourman / FIDE

An Early Setback. The Power of Resilience

Although both contenders were in great form after their successful tournament years, it came as a surprise when Ju Wenjun, the reigning world champion and the favorite for the match, suffered an early loss in Round 2. Not only was it a loss, but it was also a painful one, as Ju blundered in what appeared to be a drawn endgame.

Being behind on the score comes with immense psychological pressure; now, it’s up to you to take the bigger risks and fight to recover the lost point. The wait for the next game was long, with a rest day in between the rounds, and fans wondered how the world champion would handle the challenge ahead.

“Luckily, I had a rest day after that loss. So on the rest day, Ni Hua, Maxim, and I decided to relax a bit and try to forget about the previous game. We did look at some chess in the afternoon, but mostly we were just relaxing and trying to focus on what’s ahead—knowing there were still 10 rounds to go, and if I prepare and perform well, I still have a good chance to win the match.”

Ju Wenjun didn’t keep us waiting long, as she brought back the lost point in the very next round. In an objectively drawn endgame with opposite-colored bishops, Ju persisted long enough for Tan Zhongyi to eventually err on move 60, allowing Ju to convert her advantage into a win and leveling the match at 1.5–1.5.

Ju’s calmness in the face of adversity proved pivotal. Even after a four-game win streak and a dominant performance overall, Ju still singled out Game 3 as the turning point. “Game 3 helped me get back in form and gain my confidence back hugely, even though it was the start of the match.” She continued, “It was the longest game of the championship, and I played quite well in the endgame—I kept pressing my opponent.”

While the following game ended in a draw, making the score even as they went into the second rest day, things began to shift dramatically after that. Tan Zhongyi, known for her aggressive style, came out strong in Game 5. But as the game unfolded, Ju remained unshaken, steadily controlling the position and weathering the storm. She secured her king, then transitioned to applying pressure on the opponent’s king in a bishop and knight versus rook endgame, with queens still on the board, to secure a crucial victory in style.

“I think her play after Game 5 became a bit more aggressive, and she wasn’t in really good shape after that. For me, I just liked how I was playing in the match. I tried to stay focused, not to give too much time advantage, because she was often ahead of me by over 20 minutes on the clock. Time was important. I just tried to stay focused on the tournament, on each game, and not think too long on one move.”

Win after win, it seemed that Tan Zhongyi’s game quality deteriorated significantly after Game 5, and the match shifted from a tight contest to a one-sided battle. Eventually, the match ended prematurely with a 6.5-2.5 score, meaning Tan Zhongyi couldn’t even the score, even if she won every remaining game.

Though from the outside, it might have seemed that Tan had little chance to recover, Ju Wenjun kept her focus and maintained the tension until the very end. It was only at the end of the ninth and final game that she let go of the stress. “The final day was definitely the best one of the match. Only knowing that I finally won the match for sure, I could release the stress and start feeling the excitement,” she revealed.

Ju Wenjun’s pre-match preparation, seconds, and training approach

If you expected to hear Ju Wenjun say, “I train 6-8 hours per day,” you might be in for a surprise. As a dedicated chess player, she actively follows top tournaments but doesn’t really have a rigid, structured approach to her training. Instead, she relies on feeling and consistency:

"I guess training is mostly about the openings. Rest is also important—I practice with blitz games and puzzles. In general, if I have enough time in the day, I’ll work on some chess. It also depends on how I feel. For example, if I watch a tournament and find a game really interesting, I might end up working on it for hours."

While Ju’s training might seem flexible, her approach to opening preparation before the World Championship was far more focused. She worked closely with her team, including Ni Hua and Maxim Matlakov, who helped her build her repertoire and choose which openings to use in each game.

“Before the game, they decided which opening I needed to play, did some analysis, and organized everything to show me the lines on the board. But it’s hard to predict which opening your opponent will choose, so there are always some surprises.”

Despite these potential surprises, and facing a formidable opponent with the experience of a former world champion, Ju was unfazed. She entered the match in excellent form, crediting it to the high-level tournaments she participated in throughout the year leading up to the championship.

“The training is always concentrated and really dedicated,” she said. “But this year, I also played a lot of strong chess tournaments and competitions. That helped me a lot.”

What’s Next for Ju Wenjun

For Ju Wenjun, the future isn't defined by records or accolades, but by the simple pursuit of improvement and the joy of the game. When asked about the significance of her fifth Women’s World Chess Championship title, which tied her with Nona Gaprindashvili and Maria Chiburdanidze, and whether breaking their record mattered to her, Ju's response was humble, as always: “I didn’t want to break records or anything. I think I just want to play really well in the match, and you know, just try to have good games.”

Her focus remains firmly on the present, continually striving to improve as a chess player rather than chasing numbers or comparisons to others. This mindset is what drives her, allowing her to maintain consistency at the highest levels of chess.

Looking ahead, Ju’s immediate goals are focused on her upcoming competitions. She’s currently preparing for her next challenge, Norway Chess, which starts on May 26th. Her next big event is going to be the Chinese National Games, a multi-sport event similar to the Olympics, but for China.

As Ju continues to seek growth, it’s clear that her next steps are always grounded in the present moment—improving her game, embracing the next tournament, and focusing on the task at hand. For Ju, success lies in the process, not the accolades.

Fan Questions

As part of the interview, we invited some of Ju’s fans to submit questions via X (formerly Twitter). Ju kindly agreed to answer them after our conversation, so here are the highlights:

• 1. How do you decide which Swiss Open tournaments to play? - @OnTheQueenside

"In general, I think there are more rapid and blitz tournaments these days, so I’m particularly interested in those formats. For classical tournaments, I’d try to play in events with really strong players. I wouldn’t consider playing too many tournaments in one month—maybe just one tournament, not two. I don’t want to play too often."

• 2. How did you choose your non-Chinese seconds? How come Harikrishna wasn't part of the team this time? @OnTheQueenside

"Before Maxim joined our team, he played in the Chinese League and was part of the Shanghai Chess Team. So, we had already been teammates for some time before we started working together. And Harikrishna was helping Gukesh with his match this time, so he didn’t have the time to join my team."

• 3. Is your win vs Firouzja the biggest win of your career? - @Ghassanareyli

"Yes, he is the strongest player I’ve ever beaten. I was very lucky. I’ve also beaten some strong grandmasters in rapid and blitz, but in classical chess, he is the strongest. It definitely helped me gain more confidence and get more credit. But it’s not the most important game in my life.

I’ve played some beautiful games, and one very important game for me was Game 4 in my 2020 match against Goryachkina. It was a very nice and practical win. Apart from that match, I’ve had other good games, but if I had to choose just one, I think that would be the best."

• 4. What’s one thing that could easily change to help women’s chess grow? - @biophilo

"Maybe just having more tournaments for women. We already have many women’s tournaments like the Women’s Grand Prix and Grand Swiss. But I think more invitational tournaments like that would be great. Both women-only tournaments and open tournaments would be good. Right now, only a few female players get invited to the strong tournaments."

• 5. What is your mantra both in life and in chess? - @kriz_salvana

I don't think I have any.

• 6. Now that you're a five-time world champion, what's your next goal? Like reaching 2700 or holding the triple crown again. Or anything non-chess related you'd want to share? - @harmonica8634

"I think my main goal, if I’m still in good shape, is to keep improving my chess. Reaching 2700 is not very realistic and I don’t really focus on numbers. I’d like to perform well in my next match and continue improving. I’ll also aim to do well in rapid and blitz events."