FIDE Announces Rules for Women’s Circuit 2026–2027
FIDE has officially released the regulations for the Women’s Circuit 2026–2027. The rules were approved by the FIDE Council. They will be valid from 1 January 2026 to 21 December 2027.
The Women’s Circuit is a series of major women’s chess tournaments. Players earn Ranking Points based on their performance. These points help decide future qualifications. The new circuit structure is similar to the Open Circuit. More tournaments are now included. This gives more opportunities to women players worldwide.
Key Rules of the Women’s Circuit 2026–2027
The circuit runs from 1 January 2026 to 21 December 2027. The Women’s World Rapid and Blitz Championships of 2026 and 2027 will count, even if they fall outside these dates.
To be eligible for the circuit, a tournament must meet rating requirements. Most events must have a Tournament Average Rating (TAR) of at least 2300. Some special FIDE-approved women’s events must have a TAR of at least 2400. TAR is now calculated using the top 12 players in a tournament. If there are fewer than 12 players, the average rating of all players will be used instead.
A player’s final score will include their best 12 tournament results. If they play fewer than 12 events, all their results will be counted. To qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2028, a player must play at least eight tournaments. At least five of these must be classical chess events.
Full regulations are available on the official FIDE website.
Current Women’s Circuit Leaderboard
After the European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championships, 16 players are now on the leaderboard. Nino Batsiashvili of Georgia leads with 13.86 points after winning the rapid title. She is followed by Eline Roebers, the blitz champion, with 11.81 points. Former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk is in third place with 10.48 points. All other players currently have single-digit scores.
Warrior Chess Academy will continue to follow the Women’s Circuit closely. We will keep our readers updated with the latest standings, results, and regulations.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
