The FIDE Council has approved a new set of regulations for the Women's Candidates Tournament, adopting a knock-out system with 8 players to be played between 2022 and 2023. The first two stages of this knock-out will be played as 4-game matches (plus a possible tie-break), with the final being played over the distance of 6 games. The total prize fund will stand at a record 250,000€.

The field includes GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, the runner-up at the FIDE World Championship Match 2020.

GMs Humpy Koneru and Kateryna Lagno as the best players in the overall standings of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2019-20.

Three players qualified for the FIDE World Cup 2021: GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, GM Tan Zhongyi, and GM Anna Muzychuk.

GM Lei Tingjie gets the seventh spot as the winner of the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss Tournament 2021.

GM Mariya Muzychuk got the 8th and final slot as the highest-rated player in the FIDE January 2022 rating list.

The first stage of the event, consisting of Quarter Finals and Semi-Finals, will be held in October-November and will last for two weeks. 

Players were divided into pools based on the rating principle and matched accordingly:

Pool A

Koneru - A.Muzychuk
Lei Tingjie - M. Muzychuk

Pool B

Goryachkina - Kosteniuk
Lagno - Tan Zhonqyi

The exact locations and dates for the respective pool will be announced by FIDE in July 2022.

The second stage will take place in Q1' 2023. It shall consist of a 6-game match between the two finalists of the pools.

The winner of the final match becomes the Challenger to the Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun. The Women's World Championship Match is scheduled for summer 2023.

Several cities have already expressed a firm interest in hosting the Women's Candidates. FIDE thanks all the organizers and federations willing to support women's chess - and will confirm the venue for October pools in a short while. Parties interested to host the Final Match of the Women's Candidates are welcome to address gsc@fide.com and office@fide.com. 

The complete regulations for the event can be found in the FIDE Handbook.