Explanation
The Women's Candidates Tournament belongs to the FIDE Women's World Championship cycle. FIDE is the International Chess Federation. The tournament brings together players who qualified through the routes established for that cycle and selects one challenger for the world title.
Winning the Candidates does not make a player World Champion. It earns her the right to play a later match, meaning a multi-game contest, against the reigning champion. These are therefore separate achievements: qualifying for the Candidates, winning the Candidates, and winning the title match.
The number of players, competition format, tie-break procedures, and qualification paths can change from one cycle to another. One edition may use a round-robin, where every participant plays every other participant, while future regulations may differ. The official rules for the relevant cycle are the authority for edition-specific details.
Usage and context
In reports and qualification tables, Women's Candidates usually means this specific event, not every woman who may seek the world title.
Common confusions
Candidates tournament and world title match
The Candidates selects the challenger. The later match determines who holds the Women's World Championship title.
