Xie Jun

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

Reign: 1991-1996, 1999-2001
Country: China
Title Wins: 1991, 1993, 1999

Bio

Xie Jun defeated Chiburdanidze in 1991 and became China's first chess world champion. Her win was a turning point for the global geography of the women's championship.

She defended the title, lost it to Susan Polgar, and then regained it in 1999. That second reign confirmed that her first title was not a one-event breakthrough but part of a deeper shift.

Xie Jun's success helped make elite chess a national strength in China. The line from Xie to Zhu Chen, Xu Yuhua, Hou Yifan, Tan Zhongyi, and Ju Wenjun is one of the defining stories of modern women's chess.

Style

Combative, flexible, and strong in practical complications.

Legacy

Xie Jun began China's world championship era and changed the balance of women's chess.

Study Focus

Study practical decision-making when the position becomes tactically unbalanced.

Sources

Last reviewed: May 21, 2026.