Organizers of WR Chess announced the start of the online qualifier for the Asian leg of the WR Chess Women’s Tour. The qualifier started on April 30 and consists of three stages:

• Stage 1: Qualifier arena (April 30th)
• Stage 2: Swiss semifinals (May 3rd, 13:00 UTC)
• Stage 3: Knockout final (May 6th, 13:00 UTC)

30 players from the 1st stage qualified for the Swiss semifinals. The 2nd stage will feature an 11-round Swiss format with Blitz 3+2 time control. Top 8 players from stage 2 will advance to the Knockout final with 3+2 time control. The winner of the Knockout will join Vaishali Rameshbabu, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Antoaneta Stefanova in the WR Chess Women’s Tour Asia player field.

The Asian event will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from June 6-7. The tour will take place across 5 locations, including Asia, Americas, Africa and Europe, from June 6 to the end of 2026.

WR Chess is a high-profile chess organization and tournament organizer founded by German entrepreneur Wadim Rosenstein. The company is based in Germany and focuses on organizing elite international events and promoting chess as a social tool. WR Chess is a major supporter and participant in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship.

Credit: Lennart Ootes