Is there a separate women's world xiangqi championship?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.
Direct answer
Yes. The World Xiangqi Federation runs separate individual and team women's events at the World Xiangqi Championship, run alongside the open competition and various age-group categories. This mirrors how most international mind-sport federations structure their flagship events.
Why a separate category exists at all
Historically, competitive xiangqi in China and other strongholds developed with strong participation from women players, and a dedicated women's championship gives that participation its own top-level stage rather than folding it entirely into a single open field. Several individual players have built long, well-known competitive careers specifically in the women's events.
How this fits the wider competitive calendar
National and continental federations generally run their own women's championships too, feeding into the world event the same way the open categories do. It is a normal part of the sport's structure rather than an occasional exception.
Related questions
Do women also compete in the open championship?
Open events are generally open to all players regardless of gender; the women's event exists alongside it, not instead of it.
Is this structure unique to xiangqi?
No, it is a common pattern across chess, go and most other major mind sports with international federations.