Women's champions

Women's World Chess Champions

This complete Women's World Chess Champions list covers every title holder from Vera Menchik to Ju Wenjun, including reign dates, countries, playing styles, legacy notes, and practical study ideas for improving players.

Last reviewed: May 21, 2026.

Champion 1

Vera Menchik

1927-1944

The first Women's World Chess Champion and the dominant player of the pre-war era.

Champion 2

Lyudmila Rudenko

1950-1953

The first post-war Women's World Champion and a key figure in the Soviet school of women's chess.

Champion 3

Elisabeth Bykova

1953-1956, 1958-1962

A two-time Women's World Champion known for match toughness and controlled positional play.

Champion 4

Olga Rubtsova

1956-1958

A world champion over the board and in correspondence chess, with a career built on calculation and endurance.

Champion 5

Nona Gaprindashvili

1962-1978

A legendary attacking champion and the first woman awarded the FIDE Grandmaster title.

Champion 6

Maia Chiburdanidze

1978-1991

A teenage champion whose universal style kept her at the top for more than a decade.

Champion 7

Xie Jun

1991-1996, 1999-2001

China's first chess world champion and the player who opened a new era in the women's title.

Champion 8

Susan Polgar

1996-1999

A pioneering grandmaster champion from the Polgar family, known for preparation and broad chess influence.

Champion 9

Zhu Chen

2001-2004

A Chinese champion whose 2001 knockout victory continued China's rise in women's chess.

Champion 10

Antoaneta Stefanova

2004-2006

Bulgaria's Women's World Champion, known for creativity and tactical resourcefulness.

Champion 11

Xu Yuhua

2006-2008

A Chinese grandmaster who won the 2006 knockout title with mature practical play.

Champion 12

Alexandra Kosteniuk

2008-2010

A popular champion whose energetic play and public presence helped broaden the audience for women's chess.

Champion 13

Hou Yifan

2010-2012, 2013-2015, 2016-2017

One of the strongest female players in chess history and a four-time Women's World Champion.

Champion 14

Anna Ushenina

2012-2013

Ukraine's Women's World Champion, crowned after winning the 2012 knockout championship.

Champion 15

Mariya Muzychuk

2015-2016

A Ukrainian champion who won the 2015 knockout title with disciplined match play.

Champion 16

Tan Zhongyi

2017-2018

A Chinese champion who won the 2017 knockout title and later returned as a world championship challenger.

Champion 17

Ju Wenjun

2018-present

The current Women's World Chess Champion, a five-time title winner with a calm and universal style.

Current Women's World Chess Champion

Ju Wenjun is the current Women's World Chess Champion. Her reign is listed as 2018-present, after she retained the title again in 2025.

Longest-Reigning Women's Champion

Vera Menchik held the title from 1927-1944, the longest reign in the women's championship line.

Youngest Modern Champion

Hou Yifan became champion as a teenager and set a modern standard for elite women's chess.