All posts tagged: Ju Wenjun

Norway Chess’ confessional booth has a new star: Divya Deshmukh | Chess News

Norway Chess’ confessional booth has a new star: Divya Deshmukh | Chess News

Published by Webster

5 min readOsloMay 26, 2026 11:26 AM IST After she’s waited a long while for her opponent, reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun, to make a move, Divya Deshmukh drifts off to the confessional booth. It’s her first-ever appearance at the Norway Chess Women’s tournament. And Deshmukh has some unfiltered thoughts she wants to share. “I saw that there are some people sleeping while sitting in the first row,” she quips with a cheeky grin. “Honestly, I don’t blame them. It’s what I would have done too.” She proceeds to drops another nugget. “I’m actually getting a bit hungry,” she says wistfully. “There’s a packet of dried mango kept on the table (in the player’s lounge). But I am unsure if we can eat it. It might be kept there for promotional causes.” An innovation of the Norway Chess tournament, the confessional booth is a special, sound-proof room near the playing hall that players are encouraged to walk into in the middle of their game, and without being asked by anyone, bare their unfiltered thoughts …

‘Need to improve quite a bit’

‘Need to improve quite a bit’

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 16, 2026 11:40 PM IST The strongest woman ever to play chess, Judit Polgar, has given her verdict on who she feels will win the upcoming Women’s World Chess Championship. The legendary Hungarian has placed her bets on the defending and five-time World Champion, China’s Ju Wenjun, to successfully defend her crown for a record sixth time against India’s R Vaishali. Polgar said Ju will be a very big challenge for Vaishali, and the Indian would need to significantly improve her game in order to be ready for the high-stakes event. “Well, it’s a very tough match and very interesting. Ju Wenjun already has experience playing in World Championship matches. She’s very tough, very much ready for long games, and the big experience is something that matters a lot,” she told FIDE, the international chess federation. “For Vaishali, it will be a very big challenge, and I think she will have to improve quite a bit to be ready for the World Championship match. Well, let’s see if experience will win or …

Gukesh: ‘Always amazed at the character Vaishali akka shows at events’ | Chess News

Gukesh: ‘Always amazed at the character Vaishali akka shows at events’ | Chess News

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 1, 2026 08:18 AM IST World champion D Gukesh had praised the character of Vaishali Rameshbabu, who earlier this month, won the Women’s Candidates tournament and will also fight for the Women’s World Championship. This means that while Gukesh defends his crown against Javokhir Sindarov, Vaishali will try to topple Ju Wenjun. Gukesh experienced a rollercoaster of emotions at the previous Candidates tournament in Toronto where he won despite being a first-timer. Vaishali was also playing in her first Candidates that year, and after losing four games in a row, bounced back by winning her last five games on the trot, which almost got her the title. Two years later, in Cyprus, Vaishali managed to survive her own rollercoaster journey to secure the title. Vaishali thus became only the second woman from India to earn a shot at the Women’s World Chess Championship after Koneru Humpy. “I was following her match in the last round of the Candidates. The open section was already done, so I was following Vaishali akka’s game. I …

After Vaishali’s Candidates win, her guru RB Ramesh warns: ‘She can do even better’ | Chess News

After Vaishali’s Candidates win, her guru RB Ramesh warns: ‘She can do even better’ | Chess News

Published by Webster

Barely two days after Vaishali Rameshbabu secured the right to challenge Ju Wenjun at the Women’s World Championship, her long-time guru RB Ramesh has an assessment about the Indian prodigy that should worry the rest of the world: she’s not realised her full potential yet. Far from it! “Chess-wise, I would still say both Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali have not shown all their strength on the board,” Ramesh tells The Indian Express from Cyprus where he rushed after Vaishali’s title was confirmed. “The feeling I always have is that they could still do better. There are still some parts of them that have not realized themselves what they are capable of. So that is something I’m waiting to see.” Vaishali entered the Candidates as the lowest rated player in the eight-woman field, and despite winning the event in a thrilling photo-finish in the final round, she still leaves Cyprus as the lowest-rated player. As she has highlighted in multiple conversations since winning the Candidates, the past two years have seen her experience some wretched form which …

Tan Zhongyi: Women’s Candidates favourite who was stunned by Vaishali, fed Indian-looking chess presenter spicy stir-fry and has interesting take on term ‘loser’ | Chess News

Tan Zhongyi: Women’s Candidates favourite who was stunned by Vaishali, fed Indian-looking chess presenter spicy stir-fry and has interesting take on term ‘loser’ | Chess News

Published by Webster

4 min readUpdated: Mar 30, 2026 05:38 PM IST Tan Zhongyi says she might come from Sichuan and Chongqing region that serves up some spicy fare, but she prefers bland food always. She however served up the spiciest of stir-fries to Lichess.org presenter Greek man Theophilus Wait, who she mistook for an Indian when he visited Chongqing, and chose from the menu expecting him to have a spicy palate. “I thought Yindu people (Indians) loved spice. So I took you to places with spicy stir fry,” she said. Talking to Lichess, ahead of the Candidates, the women’s winner from 2024, who has thrice finished runners up at World’s was all witty and philosophical, speaking about Chinese chess and women’s chess where the Chinese have ruled – so far. She is one amongst two Chinese at Cyprus, alongwith Zhu Jinner, and Tan said where the GMs came from often shaped their style of play. On debutant Zhu Jinner who comes from Zhejiang, Tan said, “She has a very sharp side. She and Ding Liren are from …

What is Hou Yifan, the greatest women’s chess player up to? ‘Making tenure as professor tougher than women’s World title!’ she jokes | Chess News

What is Hou Yifan, the greatest women’s chess player up to? ‘Making tenure as professor tougher than women’s World title!’ she jokes | Chess News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 26, 2026 02:24 PM IST While 8 candidates line up in women to seal the sole spot for the World Championships to take on Ju Wenjun, the woman considered the greatest ever, Hou Yifan has gone on to leave chess behind and become an academician. In an Ask Me Anything organised by FIDE, the lapsed World No 1 – in women – who was never overtaken, answered what was tougher – finding tenure as a professor or winning a world title, she had a hearty laugh. “If we are talking about women’s World championship, then becoming a tenured professor is tougher! But an open world title is much tougher,’ she would quip. “By the way I’m still waiting on it.” Yifan went to Oxford after taking a break in 2018, and earned her masters in public policy at St Hilda’s. She had completed her undergrad in international relations at Peking University. She joined as the youngest prof at Shenzhen Uni at 26. “With what I’m studying I have kept my connection with …

Candidates 2026: Anna Muzychuk to replace Koneru Humpy after Indian GM pulls out | Chess News

Candidates 2026: Anna Muzychuk to replace Koneru Humpy after Indian GM pulls out | Chess News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 23, 2026 11:11 AM IST The global governing body of chess in India, FIDE, has announced that Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk will be replacing Koneru Humpy in the FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament which starts later this week in Cyprus. The Indian grandmaster confirmed that she was pulling out of the event due to fears for her personal safety. In a tweet, FIDE confirmed that Humpy would be replaced by Muzychuk. FIDE wrote on X: “In accordance with the tournament regulations, her place was offered to the next highest finisher in the Women’s Events Series 2024–25 who has not yet secured qualification. As a result, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) will join the tournament as her replacement.” While announcing her withdrawal from the tournament, Humpy wrote on X: “After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances. This is a …

When a teenage Magnus Carlsen skipped the Candidates and wrote an open letter to FIDE chief with suggestions for changes | Chess News

When a teenage Magnus Carlsen skipped the Candidates and wrote an open letter to FIDE chief with suggestions for changes | Chess News

Published by Webster

4 min readUpdated: Mar 19, 2026 10:23 PM IST In about 10 days’ time, the Candidates tournament, the second-most chess tournament in the world, will take centrestage in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The current edition will see 16 of the top players in the world compete in the twin Candidates events, side by side, with the eight men hoping to secure a world championship fight against D Gukesh while the eight women are jockeying to secure a women’s world championship clash with Ju Wenjun. There is a bit of a cloud over the Candidates this year, thanks to the war raging in the Middle East with Israel and the USA fighting Iran, and the latter responding by attacking its Middle Eastern neighbours like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. An attack on a British air force base on the island of Cyprus has also led to Koneru Humpy talking about boycotting the event. This would not be the first time the Candidates sees a high-profile player withdraw from the event. The world might remember Magnus Carlsen’s …

Norway Chess: Koneru Humpy to join Divya Deshmukh, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa at Oslo event | Chess News

Norway Chess: Koneru Humpy to join Divya Deshmukh, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa at Oslo event | Chess News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readUpdated: Feb 12, 2026 06:04 PM IST Koneru Humpy will join the likes of Divya Deshmukh, world champion Gukesh D and Praggnanandhaa to compete at the Norway Chess tournament this year in Oslo. This will be Humpy’s third appearance in the Norway Chess Women tournament. Joining Humpy in Norway Chess Women are reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun, reigning champion of Norway Chess Women Anna Muzychuk, and the reigning Women’s World Blitz Champion Bibisara Assaubayeva. The final female player to compete at Norway Chess Women will be revealed soon. “I’m really happy to be part of Norway Chess Women. It’s a tournament I’ve always enjoyed, not only because of the high level of competition but also the warm atmosphere and excellent organization. I’m looking forward to playing in Oslo and competing against some of the world’s strongest players,” Humpy was quoted as saying in the release by Norway Chess announcing her participation. Humpy will be one of the eight contenders to compete at the Women’s Candidates today. Humpy is widely regarded as one …

Norway Chess full schedule: After Gukesh vs Magnus Carlsen on Monday, here are key dates to track | Chess News

Norway Chess full schedule: After Gukesh vs Magnus Carlsen on Monday, here are key dates to track | Chess News

Published by Parlour News

The 2025 edition of Norway Chess starts off with a blockbuster clash between reigning world champion Gukesh and the world no 1 Magnus Carlsen at Stavanger in Norway on Monday. The clash sees the 18-year-old from Chennai face off against the man from Norway who abdicated the throne without a pawn marching down the chessboard in 2023 for the first time since 2023. “Whether it’s against Gukesh or somebody else here, I’m not really quite sure what to expect from those games in particular,” Carlsen said at the press conference on Sunday. “I certainly want to do well in those games and he (Gukesh) does as well.” Carlsen indicated that since he rarely plays classical chess these days, he expected to start slow. Story continues below this ad “It’s going to take a little time for me to get into the speed of the game. I don’t expect necessarily to be at my sharpest in the first couple of games. I feel like I’m never that unless I’ve had very recent playing experience. I hope …