Announcing The 2024 Julius Baer Women's Speed Chess Championship

Chess.com is excited to announce the 2024 edition of the Julius Baer Women's Speed Chess Championship, Chess.com's premier chess event for women. This year's event will feature an expanded field of 16 of the strongest women chess players in the world, including the current women's world champion, all competing for a $75,000 prize fund.

The event starts on August 12, with titled women from across the globe participating in four Play-in events. The winner of each Play-in will qualify for the coveted Main Event, which kicks off on August 22 and runs through September 5.

"The 2024 Julius Baer Women's Speed Chess Championship showcases the incredible talent and competitive spirit of women in chess," said Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com. "Julius Baer's continued support has been instrumental in making this championship a reality, and we appreciate their leadership in helping to ensure that chess is for everyone."

Among the confirmed players for the Main Event is four-time World Champion GM Ju Wenjun. Ju is the second-highest-rated woman in the world across all time controls and one of the favorites to win it all.

Fans can also look forward to watching GM Kateryna Lagno. The three-time Women's World Blitz Champion will be looking to repeat her 2021 Women's Speed Chess Championship performance when she defeated GM Hou Yifan to win the event. 

Also confirmed to play is the star from India, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu. Her meteoric rise has led her to the 2024 Candidates Tournament, and recent victories propelled her to the top 10 of women's worldwide. Can momentum help her win her first Women's Speed Chess Championship title? 

“We are delighted to continue supporting the Women’s Speed Chess Championship, empowering women, and contributing to a more diverse, equitable, and vibrant chess scene,” said Antje Hembd, Head of Global Brand Partnerships & Sponsoring at Julius Baer. “Women, like in the chess world, are still underrepresented in senior management in our industry. This is why our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, and our focus on fostering a caring and inclusive environment, is integral to our corporate strategy and culture at Julius Baer.”

The Main Event features the format fans know and love. The players race against a countdown timer clock to rake up wins across three different time controls: 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1.

This is the second consecutive year that Swiss private bank Julius Baer has presented the WSCC, continuing their strong support of women's chess. Julius Baer was also a founding partner of Chess.com's premier event, the Champions Chess Tour, presenting the Julius Baer Generation Cup since 2020.

Make sure you tune in to Chess.com/TV or our Twitch and YouTube channels to watch the event's live broadcast and enjoy the usual (and unusual) brilliancies, drama, and swindles that the Speed Chess Championship series provides.

Who do you think will win the event this year? Let us know in the comment section below.