| Header: | Women's World Chess Championship 2020 |
| Dates: | 5–24 January 2020 |
| Location: | Shanghai, China & Vladivostok, Russia |
| Comp1: | Ju Wenjun |
| Comp2: | Aleksandra Goryachkina |
| Title1: | Defending champion |
| Title2: | Challenger |
| Flag1: | CHN |
| Flag2: | RUS |
| Dob1: | 31 January 1991 |
| Age1: | 28 years old |
| Dob2: | 28 September 1998 |
| Age2: | 21 years old |
| Qual1: | Winner of the Women's World Chess Championship 2018 |
| Qual2: | Winner of the Women's Candidates Tournament 2019 |
| Elo1: | 2584 |
| Elo2: | 2578 |
| Rank1: | 2 |
| Rank2: | 4 |
| Prev: | Nov 2018 |
| Prev Link: | Women's World Chess Championship 2018 (November) |
| Next: | 2023 |
| Next Link: | Women's World Chess Championship 2023 |
| Score1: | 6 |
| Score2: | 6 |
| Game1: | -b97 |
| Game2: | -w40 |
| Game3: | -b85 |
| Game4: | |
| Game5: | >b51 |
| Game6: | -w105 |
| Game7: | -w67 |
| Game8: | >b45 |
| Game9: | |
| Game10: | |
| Game11: | -w40 |
| Game12: | >b60 |
| Game13: | -w67 |
| Type13: | Tiebreak Game |
| Game14: | -b72 |
| Type14: | Tiebreak Game |
| Game15: | |
| Type15: | Tiebreak Game |
| Game16: | -b77 |
| Type16: | Tiebreak Game |
The 2020 Women's World Chess Championship was a chess match for the Women's World Chess Championship title. It was contested by Ju Wenjun (world champion as winner of the 2018 knock-out championship) and her challenger, Aleksandra Goryachkina, the winner of a newly established Candidates Tournament that was held in 2019.[1]
The match was planned in two parts, one held in Shanghai (China) and one in Vladivostok (Russia), from 3 to 24 January 2020. It marked a return to a match-only format for the title with a qualifying Candidates Tournament, after new FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich had expressed his dissatisfaction with the knock-out tournaments and resulting frequently changing world champions.
Ju Wenjun successfully defended her title.
See main article: Women's Candidates Tournament 2019. The newly-established Candidates Tournament was held from 29 May to 19 June 2019 in Kazan, Russia. The format was an eight-player double round-robin tournament.[2]
Three players qualified by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the last championship.[3] All remaining players came from the rating list, by taking the average of all twelve monthly ratings in 2018.[4] Aleksandra Goryachkina replaced Hou Yifan, who declined an invitation.[5]
| Place | Player | Points | Women's world no. | Elo (May 2019) | Women's World champion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Aleksandra Goryachkina | 9.5 | 9 | 2522 | ||
| 2 | 8 | 7 | 2539 | |||
| 3 | 7 | 4 | 2554 | |||
| 4 | 7 | 10 | 2513 | 2017 | ||
| 5 | 6.5 | 11 | 2510 | |||
| 6 | 6.5 | 3 | 2563 | 2015 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 6 | 2546 | 2008 | ||
| 8 | 5.5 | 13 | 2506 |
Goryachkina won with two rounds to spare.[6] [7]
Leading player after each round in green.
| No. | Player | Elo (May 2019)[8] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pts | Tie-breaks | Results by round | Place | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H2H | Wins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2506 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5½ | ½ | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4½ | 5½ | 5½ | 5½ | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 2546 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 6 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 2½ | 2½ | 3 | 3 | 3½ | 4½ | 4½ | 4½ | 5½ | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 2522 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 9½ | ½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 1½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 2½ | 3 | bgcolor=#cfc | 4 | bgcolor=#cfc | 5 | bgcolor=#cfc | 5½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 6½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 7½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 8 | bgcolor=#cfc | 8½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 9 | bgcolor=#cfc | 9½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 9½ | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 2554 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 7 | 1½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2½ | 3½ | 4 | 4½ | 5 | 5½ | 6 | 6 | 6½ | 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 2510 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 6½ | 1½ | ½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 1½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 2½ | bgcolor=#cfc | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4½ | 4½ | 5½ | 6 | 6½ | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 2563 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 4½ | 5 | 5½ | 5½ | 5½ | 6½ | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 2539 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 8 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 4½ | 5 | 5½ | 6½ | 7½ | 8 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 2513 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 7 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 2 | 2½ | 2½ | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4 | 5 | 5½ | 6 | 7 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
As in 2018, the match was divided into two parts, hosted by the countries of the players. One stage was held in Shanghai, China and the other in Vladivostok, Russia.[9] In Shanghai the match was played in the InterContinental Shanghai Jing'An Hotel, in Vladivostok at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.[10] The format was increased to twelve games, the last championships having consisted of only 10 scheduled games.
The classical time-control portion of the match ended with a tied score of 6-6, after 3 victories for Ju, 3 victories for Goryachkina, and 6 draws. On 24 January, 4 games of rapid chess were used as a tie-breaker; and Ju Wenjun retained the title with 1 win and 3 draws.
The match started off in Shanghai and ended in Vladivostok.
| Shanghai | 4 Jan | Opening ceremony |
| 5–6 Jan | Games 1–2 | |
| 8–9 Jan | Games 3–4 | |
| 11–12 Jan | Games 5–6 | |
| Vladivostok | 15 Jan | Opening ceremony |
| 16–17 Jan | Games 7–8 | |
| 19–20 Jan | Games 9–10 | |
| 22–23 Jan | Games 11–12 | |
| 24 Jan | Tiebreak games and closing ceremony |
| Player | Rating | Standard Time Control | Points | Rapid Tie-Breaks | Tie-Break Points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=20 | 1 ! | width=20 | 2 ! | width=20 | 3 ! | width=20 | 4 ! | width=20 | 5 ! | width=20 | 6 ! | width=20 | 7 ! | width=20 | 8 ! | width=20 | 9 ! | width=20 | 10 ! | width=20 | 11 ! | width=20 | 12 ! | width=20 | R1 ! | width=20 | R2 ! | width=20 | R3 ! | width=20 | R4 |
| align=left | 2584 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 6 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2½ | ||||||||||||
| align=left | 2578 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 6 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1½ | ||||||||||||
| Game Links | [11] | [12] | [13] | [14] | [15] | [16] | [17] | [18] | [19] | [20] | [21] | [22] | [23] | [24] | [25] | [26] | |||||||||||||||