Afruza Hamdamova in the Top Ten: Asaubayeva Leads the Race
In the crucial race in women's chess for a place in the 2028 Candidates Tournament, Central Asian representatives occupy the leading positions. Kazakhstan's Bibisara Asaubayeva remains at the top of the FIDE Women's Circuit 2026–2027 standings, while Uzbekistan's Afruza Hamdamova has entered the top ten.
As of August 4, Asaubayeva leads with 51.30 points. She is 11.47 points ahead of her closest rival, Zhu Jiner. FIDE also confirmed that the top three remained unchanged after the Asian Rapid and Blitz Championships in July.
How did Asaubayeva take the lead?
Bibisara Asaubayeva moved into first place in the Women's Circuit standings on June 8, 2026. Her victory at Norway Chess Women was the main reason.
The Kazakh grandmaster earned 29.7 ranking points for her result in Norway, overtaking Vaishali Rameshbabu, who had led until then. Zhu Jiner also scored 21.6 points at the event and moved into second place.
According to the latest calculations, the top three are as follows:
Bibisara Asaubayeva — 51.30 points;
Zhu Jiner — 39.83 points;
Vaishali Rameshbabu — 29.70 points.
Asaubayeva currently leads by a significant margin. However, since the cycle continues until the end of 2027, the lead does not yet guarantee a qualifying spot.
Afruza Hamdamova in eighth place
Uzbekistan's Afruza Hamdamova sits eighth in the overall standings with 14.79 points. She is one of the youngest and most promising players in the top ten, competing alongside established stars.
Afruza is just 0.58 points behind seventh-placed Azerbaijani player Ulviyya Fataliyeva. She is 0.90 points ahead of Dutch player Eline Robers in ninth place.
These margins show that one successful international tournament can move a player several places up the standings. At the same time, Hamdamova's current position is not final, as many qualifying events remain ahead.
The full top-ten standings
FIDE Women's Circuit standings as of August 4:
Bibisara Asaubayeva (Kazakhstan) — 51.30;
Zhu Jiner (China) — 39.83;
Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) — 29.70;
Harika Dronavalli (India) — 20.55;
Anastasia Goryachkina (Ukraine) — 18.97;
Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE) — 16.88;
Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Azerbaijan) — 15.37;
Afruza Hamdamova (Uzbekistan) — 14.79;
Eline Robers (Netherlands) — 13.89;
Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia) — 13.86.
Competition in the standings is especially tight after fourth place. The gap between Harika Dronavalli and Batsiashvili in tenth is 6.69 points.
This is not the regular FIDE rating
The Women's Circuit standings should not be confused with players' classical ratings, which are updated every month.
The regular FIDE rating reflects a player's overall playing strength through Elo points. The Women's Circuit is based on special qualifying points awarded according to finishes in specific events, the strength of the field and the importance of the tournament.
The cycle may include major women's classical chess events, national championships, FIDE Grand Prix legs, as well as World and continental rapid and blitz championships. Unlike a football league table, simply playing many tournaments is not enough — players must achieve strong results against tough opposition.
First place alone is not enough for qualification
The 2026–2027 Women's Circuit runs from January 1, 2026, to December 21, 2027. A player's final score is calculated from the sum of points earned in no more than 12 of their best tournaments.
The cycle winner qualifies for the 2028 Women's Candidates Tournament. However, the final score must be based on at least eight tournaments, at least five of which must be played under classical time controls.
Therefore, although the current lead is a significant advantage, qualification for the Candidates Tournament is not yet decided. Asaubayeva can repeat her strong results in several more events, while her rivals still have a chance to close the points gap.
Why is the Candidates Tournament important?
Eight players will compete in the Women's Candidates Tournament. The winner earns the right to play a match against the reigning world champion for the chess crown.
In this sense, the Women's Circuit standings are more than a seasonal ranking. They are part of a two-year qualification path that can lead to a world championship match.
Asaubayeva currently leads this race. For Uzbek chess, Afruza Hamdamova's place in the top ten is especially significant: every successful tournament ahead could move her higher in one of the most important qualification contests in world chess. Share your opinion in the comments and share the article with sports fans on Telegram or other social networks!
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