Women’s Candidates Race: Grand Swiss to grant two of the three remaining spots

Three spots still up for grabs

The Women’s World Championship cycle 2024–2026 has entered its final stage of qualification, with most of the Candidates Tournament lineup for 2026 already known. Five of the eight places are secured: Zhu Jiner and Aleksandra Goryachkina qualified through the Women’s Grand Prix, while Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru and Tan Zhongyi earned their tickets at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year. The remaining three places will be decided through the Women’s Grand Swiss starting this week (two spots) and the overall winner of the FIDE Women’s Events 2024–25 circuit.

The FIDE Women’s Events series was introduced as part of the broader restructuring of the qualification system. The runner-up of the previous World Championship no longer qualifies automatically for the Candidates. Instead, results from major competitions – including the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Grand Prix, the World Cup and the Grand Swiss – are converted into points. A player’s final tally is the sum of her best five results across these events. The top player not already qualified secures the final Candidates place.

At present, the five players leading the standings of the Women’s Events cycle are already Candidates-bound, which has shifted the focus to those immediately below them. Reigning world champion Ju Wenjun, despite having led earlier in the cycle, now sits sixth. She skipped the Women’s World Cup, which caused her to lose ground, though as defending champion she does not require a Candidates spot. This leaves the battle for the series win open among players lower in the table.

Anna Muzychuk is currently the strongest contender to claim qualification via the Women’s Events. With 80 points, she stands above the rest of the field not yet qualified. She came close to securing a direct place by winning the final stage of the Women’s Grand Prix, but ultimately missed out (barely) on the required finish. The cumulative system now gives her another route, provided she can maintain her lead against those trailing her.

Behind Muzychuk, three players remain in close pursuit. Lei Tingjie is in eighth place on 62 points, Harika Dronavalli is on 58.5, and Kateryna Lagno has 54.5.

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Lei, the winner of the previous Candidates cycle and Ju’s challenger in 2023, is not listed among the participants of the Women’s Grand Swiss. That means her only chance to qualify lies in overtaking rivals through strong results at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships later this year. Both Harika and Lagno, however, are expected in Samarkand, where even results short of direct qualification might add enough points to surpass Muzychuk if she underperforms.

Also notably absent from the Grand Swiss lineup is Nana Dzagnidze, who still retained chances of qualifying through either of the two available paths. Her absence reduces the pool of contenders and sharpens the focus on the handful of experienced players still vying for the last open places in the Candidates.

Women’s Grand Swiss – Participants

…56 players

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