GM Tan Zhongyi

Tan Zhongyi is a Chinese grandmaster who was the women’s world chess champion from 2017 to 2018. She won the most notable title in women’s chess by defeating GM Anna Muzychuk in rapid tiebreaks, but then lost the title in her 2018 match with GM Ju Wenjun. Six years later, Tan won the 2024 FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament, and now has an opportunity to defeat Ju and regain the title of world champion.

Tan also has three girls' youth world titles and won the Chinese Women’s Championship in 2015. She won individual gold for her performance on board four at the 2016 Chess Olympiad, and at the 2020 Gibraltar Masters, Tan won the top women’s prize.

In 2022, she won the Women's Rapid Championship and nearly returned to the Women's World Championship in 2023. The next cycle was even more successful, as Tan qualified for the 2024 Women's Candidates Tournament by finishing in second place in the 2023 Women's Grand Swiss. Tan resoundingly won the 2024 Candidates, scoring nine points out of a possible 14, which was 1.5 points more than anyone else achieved. After 10 rounds, Tan only shared first place, but co-leader GM Lei Tingjie—the very opponent who stopped Tan from playing in the previous World Championship—faded late, and no one else emerged to challenge Tan. Her 11th-round win against GM Kateryna Lagno ended up decisive.