Women’s Speed Chess Championship 2025: Ju Wenjun, Hou Yifan, Divya in contention
The 2025 Women’s Speed Chess Championship is one of Chess.com‘s prime events of the calendar, which is set to take place from August 4 to 29. Boasting a prize fund of $75,000, the tournament will crown one female star from a 16-player single-elimination bracket.
The opening matches showcased contrasting outcomes. Undisputed world number-one GM Hou Yifan dominated GM Karina Ambartsumova, winning 11-3 in a one-sided affair. In contrast, American prodigy IM Alice Lee staged a thrilling comeback against Indian GM R. Vaishali, overcoming a 3.5-0.5 deficit in the 5+1 segment to win 8-6, excelling as the time controls tightened to 3+1 and 1+1.
Top contenders include defending champion and current Women’s World Champion GM Ju Wenjun, who aims to retain her title, and Hou Yifan, a two-time WSCC champion and the highest-rated female player. Indian GM Divya Deshmukh, the newly crowned 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup champion, would hope to bring the momentum from her recent successes. Other notable players include GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, GM Lei Tingjie, GM Kateryna Lagno, and another American prodigy, IM Carissa Yip. The tournament features a fast-paced format with 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1 time controls, promising intense battles. The upcoming round of 16 clash will feature Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun as she takes on FM Anastasia Avramidou on August 7 at 13:30 UTC.
