About WWCC

RegulationsWWCC

Qualifiers

There are 64 qualifiers (in order of priority):

  1. The winner, the runner up and the two other semi-finalists of the Women’s World Championship 2016 (4 players)
  2. The World Junior Girl Champions U-20 of 2016 & 2017. (2 players)
  3. The five best rated players from the average of the FIDE rating lists (5 players).
  4. Fifty-one qualifiers from the Women’s Continental Championships and Zones (51 players).
  5. Two nominees of the FIDE President (2 players)

Tournament format

There shall be five rounds of matches, comprising two games per round, with the winners progressing to the next round. The 6th (final) round shall be played over four games and the winner will be declared Women’s World Champion.

Round 1: there shall be 64 players

Round 2: there shall be 32 players

Round 3: there shall be 16 players

Round 4: there shall be 8 players

Round 5: there shall be 4 players

Round 6: there shall be 2 players

Conditions of victory

For rounds 1-5, each match shall be played over two games and the winner of every match shall be the first player to score 1.5 or more points. The final match, or round 6, shall be played over four games and the winner of the match shall be the first player to score 2.5 or more points.

The winner of the final match will be declared Women’s World Champion.

Tie-breaks

Rounds 1-5

If the scores are level after the regular games, after a new drawing of colours, two tie break games shall be played. The games shall be played using the electronic clock starting with 25 minutes on the clock for each player with an addition of 10 seconds after each move.

If the scores are still level, players are having then, after a new drawing of colours, two ten-minute games shall be played with the addition of 10 seconds after each move.

If the scores are level after the games, then, after a new drawing of colours, two (2) five-minute games shall be played with the addition of 3 seconds after each move.

If the score is still level after the games, the players shall play one sudden death game. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the color. The player with the white pieces shall receive 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes whereupon, after the 60th move, both players shall receive an increment of 3 seconds from move 61. The winner qualifies for the next round. In case of a draw the player with the black pieces qualifies for the next round.

Round 6 (Final Match)

If the scores are level after the regular games, after a new drawing of colours, two (2) tie break games shall be played. The games shall be played using the electronic clock starting with 25 minutes on the clock for each player with an addition of 10 seconds after each move.

If the scores are level after the games in paragraph 3. 8. 2. 1, then, after a new drawing of colours, two (2) ten-minute games shall be played with the addition of 10 seconds after each move.

If the scores are level after the games in paragraph 3. 8. 2. 2, then, after a new drawing of colours, two (2) five-minute games shall be played with the addition of 10 seconds after each move.

If the score is still level after the games in paragraph 3.8.2.3, the players shall play one sudden death game. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the color. The player with the white pieces shall receive 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes whereupon, after the 60th move, both players shall receive an increment of 3 seconds from move 61.

The winner shall be declared Women’s World Champion. In case of a draw the player with the black pieces shall be declared Women’s World Champion.

Prizes for the Women’s World Championship

Prize list (minimum 450.000 USD in total)

1 st round 32 losers x 3.750 = 120.000

2 nd round 16 losers x 5.500 = 88.000

3 rd round 8 losers x 8.000 = 64.000

4 th round 4 losers x 12.000 = 48.000

5 th round 2 losers x 20.000 = 40.000

6 th round 1 loser x 30.000 = 30.000

Women’s World Champion = 60.000

TOTAL: 450.000 USD

Women’s World Chess Championship 2019

The winner of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series 2017-2018 will play the Women’s World Champion in the second half of 2019 in a ten game match for the Women’s World Championship title. Should the overall winner of the Women’s Grand Prix also be the Women’s World Champion at the end of the Grand Prix series in 2018, then the challenger rights will go to the second placed overall in the Grand Prix.