Stavanger (Norway), May 12 : As the clock ticks closer to Norway Chess Women 2025, the second edition of the prestigious tournament, defending champion Ju Wenjun shared her excitement and expectations ahead of the event, scheduled to take place from May 26 to June 6 at Finansparken (SR-Bank) in Stavanger City, Norway.

"I'm thrilled and excited to play in Norway Chess Women 2025. This will be my second time competing in the event. We have some very strong chess players and opponents this time. I think people are also more familiar now with the Armageddon and the time control format, so I feel the tournament will be even more exciting," the Chinese Grandmaster shared as she gears up for the tournament.

Wenjun, the undisputed queen of chess, clinched her historic fifth consecutive World Championship title earlier this year. Having started playing chess at the age of seven, she turned professional in 2004, earned her Grandmaster title in 2014, and won her first World Championship in 2018. Since then, she has remained unbeaten in women's classical chess. She is also the reigning Women's World Blitz Champion and a two-time Women's World Rapid Champion.

Reflecting on her journey, the 34-year-old said, "Every match is very memorable and a unique experience in my life. I think it's about taking it one game at a time, staying focused, and putting in a lot of hard work and teamwork. But when I'm playing chess, I think it's best to just focus on chess and enjoy the match."

Last year, she made history again by clinching the inaugural Norway Chess Women title. The tournament itself has been groundbreaking as it was the first to offer female players equal prize funds, setting a new benchmark for the future of chess.

Praising the tournament organisers, the World Champion said, "I think it is a huge success and hugely inspiring, not just for women in chess, but for women in sports overall. It's really encouraging more women to get into chess and provides a great platform for us."

Beyond chess, Wenjun enjoys playing and watching table tennis. She draws inspiration from her fellow countryman and table tennis World and Olympic Champion Fan Zhendong. While she plans her sightseeing itinerary for Norway, she also spoke about the level of competition she is expecting to face in the competition.

"I guess there will be some pressure to defend the title, but in general, I'm just really looking forward to enjoying my time playing in Stavanger. The line-up is very strong this year. We also have a new player, Sara (Khadem), who is very good in rapid and blitz. She seems to have a lot of potential to win this tournament," she concluded.

Last year's runner-up Anna Muzychuk, Indian legend Koneru Humpy, along with Lei Tingjie, Vaishali R and Saras Khadem will be up against Wenjun at the Norway Chess Women 2025, starting from May 26.

/IANS