The FIDE Council 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 event will be played in a knock-out system with 4-game matches (plus a possible tie-break) with the finals being played over the distance of 6 games. See the regulations here: Women’s Candidates Chess Tournament 2022/23 – The new system, Pools & Participants list
The eight participants of the Women’s Candidates Chess Tournament 2022 are divided into two pools: A and B. Pool A consists of Ukrainian GMs- Anna Muzychuk and Mariya Muzychuk, Indian GM Koneru Humpy, and the Chinese GM Lei Tingjie, while the Pool B gathers three Russian GMs: Aleksandra Goryachkina, Aleksandra Kosteniuk, and Kateryna Lagno, with the Chinese GM Tan Zhonqyi as the fourth player. FIDE explained the players were divided into pools based on the rating principle, but it is noticeable that any potential Russian-Ukrainian clash is delayed until 2023.
Alexandra Kosteniuk shared a short comment on the new regulations, obviously not happy about the fact that only one Russian can reach the 2023 Women’s Candidates Chess Finals. Kosteniuk’s opponent in the 4 games semi-final match will be Aleksandra Goryachkina – the highest-ever rated Russian woman and the Challenger in the 2020 Women’s World Chess Championship Match.
