Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun and two-time Women's Blitz World Champion Anna Muzychuk advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women's Speed Chess Championship on Monday. Ju defeated IM Le Thao Nguyen Pham 9.5-4.5 while Muzychuk beat GM Vaishali Rameshbabu 8.5-5.5.
Ju Wenjun lost just two games in the match, both in the bullet segment. She took a 4-1 lead after the 5+1 portion and extended it to 6.5-2.5 after the 3+1 games.
Anna Muzychuk secured her win with a seven-game winning streak across the blitz segments. She led 2.5-1.5 after the 5+1 portion and then won all five games in the 3+1 segment for a commanding advantage.
The quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Wednesday, July 8. GM Kateryna Lagno faces IM Karina Ambartsumova at 12 p.m. ET, followed by GM Alexandra Kosteniuk against IM Alice Lee at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Ju will next play the winner of Kosteniuk versus Lee. Muzychuk will face the winner of GM Hou Yifan versus IM Dinara Wagner.