The FIDE Women's World Championship Match is due to take place in the home cities of both champion and challenger ©FIDE

Challenger Lei Tingjie is set to make the first move of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women’s World Championship match against Ju Wenjun after drawing the white pieces for the opening match in an elaborate ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai.

"I want to win, but I am here to improve myself," Lei said.

"I have a good team, and things are going well, my mood is good, I am happy to be here and ready to fight."

Lei, now 26, qualified from the Grand Swiss Tournament held in 2019 and went on to win the FIDE Women's Candidates competition to take her place in this match.

"I will try my best to play good chess, I am the challenger so I don't feel any pressure at all," Lei insisted.

"I learnt a lot about chess from Ju, she is one of the top players in the world, and I have been following her games closely."

It will be a third world title match for Ju.

"It will be exciting and a lot of fighting spirit for the next three weeks," Ju promised.

"The first time I met Lei, she was a kid.

"She is an excellent chess player, especially taking into account her young age."

World champion Ju Wenjun is to play with black pieces in the opening game of the FIDE Women's World Championship match in Shanghai ©Getty Images
World champion Ju Wenjun is to play with black pieces in the opening game of the FIDE Women's World Championship match in Shanghai ©Getty Images

The match is due to begin in Ju’s home Shanghai, but the second half of the series from July 14 will be played in Lei’s home city of Chongqing.

Twelve matches in all are scheduled and play is set to run until July 25.

Ju’s last successful defence came in 2020 when she defeated Russian Aleksandra Goryachkina on a tie-break.

"Every match is very important and tells its own story," Ju said.

"I will consider this as a new match and will do my best. I will do everything to fight and win every game."

The FIDE Women's World Championship match is an all Chinese affair for the fourth time this century and the second in five years.

"This is the fourth time that two Chinese players compete for the Women's World Chess title after 2000, 2010 and 2018," China Chess Association President Tian Hongwei said.

"This is enough to prove that the level of Chinese women's chess is at the top of the world, which is also the inevitable result of the popularisation and development of Chinese chess."

Six of the 17 women’s world champions so far have been Chinese.

"It's a special moment for FIDE as next year we will be celebrating our 100th anniversary," head of the Appeal Jury Dana Reizniece-Ozola said.

FIDE was founded in July 1924, with the winner of this match, the champion in the year the organisation marks its first centenary.

It will also mean that both world champions in centenary year will be from China after Ding Liren won the men’s crown earlier this year.