Ju Wenjun: Achieving a Historical Chess Grand Slam

On December 31st, 2024, Ju Wenjun made history by winning the blitz women’s final of the 2024 World Chess Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York. This marks the first time a Chinese chess player has claimed the blitz world championship. With this victory, Ju Wenjun has achieved a rare Grand Slam, becoming only the second female chess player after Judit Polgar to win world titles in classical, rapid, and blitz formats.


A Dream Come True

Reporter: Have you processed the feeling of success yet, or do you still relive the moment of lifting the trophy? Achieving a Grand Slam is remarkable.

Ju Wenjun: That was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Winning the blitz championship was a long-held dream.

Reporter: Why was this your ultimate dream?

Ju Wenjun: Blitz chess is especially challenging because of the limited time. Players need to strive for precision while minimizing mistakes, making it an intense and rewarding pursuit.


A Unique Perspective

Reporter: If you could compare a chessboard to something familiar, what would it be?

Ju Wenjun: Sometimes, when I drive, I imagine myself as a car. Similarly, on the chessboard, I think of myself as a chess piece.

Reporter: Which chess piece would you say you are?

Ju Wenjun: Perhaps the rook, because my last name, Ju, means rook in Chinese chess. Like the rook, I enjoy freedom of movement.


The Road to Victory

The 2024 championship followed a “3 minutes + 2 seconds” format, where each player has three minutes, with two seconds added per move. After 11 rounds of preliminaries, top players like Lei Tingjie, Ju Wenjun, and Zhu Jiner advanced to the knockout stage. In the quarterfinals, Ju Wenjun defeated the previous champion, Valentina Gunina, with a score of 2-0-1.

Reporter: Gunina was the reigning champion. Were you nervous facing her?

Ju Wenjun: Normally, I might have been worried, but I had prepared extensively. Her moves fell within my expectations.

The semifinals saw Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie, both Chinese players, emerge victorious over their respective opponents, setting up an all-Chinese final.

Reporter: As rivals and friends, how did you approach the final?

Ju Wenjun: We supported each other leading up to the match, but once the game began, we focused entirely on being opponents.

The final was closely contested, with all regular games ending in draws. Ju Wenjun secured victory in the tiebreaks, winning with precise and steady play.

Reporter: What was your mindset during those tense moments?

Ju Wenjun: I felt fully immersed in the game, thinking only of how to respond to each move. Nothing outside the board mattered.


A Lifelong Dedication to Chess

Ju Wenjun was born in Shanghai in 1991, the same year Xie Jun became the first Chinese women’s world chess champion. Inspired by this milestone, Ju Wenjun started learning chess in elementary school.

Reporter: What drew you to chess at such a young age?

Ju Wenjun: I was a quiet child, and chess suited my calm personality. I loved thinking and solving problems.

Reporter: Did you show talent early on?

Ju Wenjun: Yes. I often won local competitions and later excelled in national tournaments.

At 13, Ju Wenjun joined the national team, transitioning to professional chess.

Reporter: What’s the biggest challenge of becoming a professional chess player?

Ju Wenjun: It’s like a full-time job. You dedicate most of your energy to training and competing, learning from both successes and failures.


A Champion’s Growth

Ju Wenjun’s journey has been marked by perseverance and improvement. In 2016, she and her teammates won the Chess Olympiad Team Championship, ending a 12-year drought for China. They defended the title in 2018, solidifying their legacy.

Ju Wenjun: Each competition teaches me something new. Success comes from continual learning and adapting.

As Ju Wenjun steps into 2025, she remains focused on new challenges, determined to keep progressing while inspiring the next generation of chess players.