The 1996 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Hungarian Zsuzsa Polgar, who defeated the incumbent champion Xie Jun in the title match. Polgar was seeking American Citizenship at the time.
1993 Interzonal Tournament
As part of the qualification process, an Interzonal tournament was held in Jakarta in July and August 1993, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. 39 players took part with the top seven qualifying for the Candidates Tournament (Sofieva was eliminated after a playoff against Cramling and Foisor). For the second time, the Interzonal was played as a 13-round Swiss system tournament.
{ | class="wikitable" |+ 1993 Women's Interzonal Tournament |- ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! Points !! Tie break |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || || 2440 || +25 || +32 || +7 || =6 || =30 || =3 || +10 || =2 || +5 || =9 || +14 || =4 || =8 || 9½ || |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || || 2435 || +31 || +5 || -6 || +26 || +4 || +12 || -3 || =1 || +13 || -14 || +9 || =8 || +10 || 9 || |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || || 2510 || +14 || =13 || +10 || =30 || +6 || =1 || +2 || =5 || +8 || -4 || =15 || =7 || =12 || 8½ || 65.75 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 4 || || 2405 || =15 || +38 || +13 || =12 || -2 || +22 || =11 || =9 || +18 || +3 || =5 || =1 || =6 || 8½ || 61.00 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 5 || || 2335 || +35 || -2 || +19 || =11 || =22 || +7 || +6 || =3 || -1 || +13 || =4 || +15 || =17 || 8½ || 61.00 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 6 || || 2525 || +18 || +8 || +2 || =1 || -3 || =11 || -5 || +19 || +12 || -15 || =7 || +9 || =4 || 8 || 61.75 |- | 7 || || 2390 || +36 || +23 || -1 || +31 || -12 || -5 || -13 || +32 || +37 || +11 || =6 || =3 || +15 || 8 || 50.25 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 8 || || 2360 || bye || -6 || =14 || +15 || -10 || +38 || =21 || +26 || -3 || +18 || +12 || =2 || =1 || 8 || 47.50 |- | 9 || || 2245 || =12 || -26 || +33 || =13 || +17 || =21 || +30 || =4 || +11 || =1 || -2 || -6 || +20 || 7½ || 51.25 |- | 10 || || 2395 || +24 || +11 || -3 || =22 || +8 || +30 || -1 || -13 || -15 || +21 || +20 || +14 || -2 || 7½ || 50.75 |- | 11 || || 2335 || +37 || -10 || +17 || =5 || +38 || =6 || =4 || =12 || -9 || -7 || =16 || +26 || +13 || 7½ || 49.00 |- | 12 || || 2410 || =9 || =22 || +18 || =4 || +7 || -2 || +14 || =11 || -6 || =17 || -8 || +23 || =3 || 7 || 51.25 |- | 13 || || 2355 || +29 || =3 || -4 || =9 || +28 || =16 || +7 || +10 || -2 || -5 || +19 || =17 || -11 || 7 || 49.00 |- | 14 || || 2285 || -3 || +29 || =8 || =16 || +34 || =26 || -12 || +30 || +21 || +2 || -1 || -10 || =18 || 7 || 46.50 |- | 15 || || 2240 || =4 || =16 || +36 || -8 || -21 || +34 || =17 || +38 || +10 || +6 || =3 || -5 || -7 || 7 || 46.00 |- | 16 || || 2365 || =38 || =15 || =33 || =14 || =31 || =13 || -19 || +27 || -17 || +37 || =11 || =21 || +28 || 7 || 42.75 |- | 17 || || 2345 || =30 || =19 || -11 || +39 || -9 || =27 || =15 || +36 || +16 || =12 || =23 || =13 || =5 || 7 || 41.50 |- | 18 || || 2290 || -6 || +28 || -12 || =36 || +32 || +37 || =26 || +23 || -4 || -8 || =31 || +30 || =14 || 7 || 40.25 |- | 19 || || 2225 || =26 || =17 || -5 || =32 || +24 || =31 || +16 || -6 || =23 || +30 || -13 || -20 || +34 || 6½ || 39.75 |- | 20 || || 2340 || =28 || +21 || -30 || -38 || -37 || =29 || +35 || =22 || +24 || +31 || -10 || +19 || -9 || 6½ || 39.75 |- | 21 || || 2305 || =27 || -20 || +39 || =28 || +15 || =9 || =8 || =31 || -14 || -10 || +34 || =16 || =23 || 6½ || 38.25 |- | 22 || || 2320 || +39 || =12 || =26 || =10 || =5 || -4 || -23 || =20 || =28 || =34 || -30 || +35 || +33 || 6½ || 37.00 |- | 23 || || 2325 || +34 || -7 || =16 || -27 || =36 || +39 || +22 || -18 || =19 || +26 || =17 || -12 || =21 || 6½ || 36.50 |- | 24 || || 2235 || -10 || =37 || -27 || +35 || -19 || -32 || bye || +25 || -20 || =33 || +39 || +31 || =26 || 6½ || 28.25 |- | 25 || || 2270 || -1 || =33 || -28 || -34 || =29 || =35 || +39 || -24 || bye || -38 || +37 || +32 || +31 || 6½ || 27.00 |- | 26 || || 2365 || =19 || +9 || =22 || -2 || +27 || =14 || =18 || -8 || =31 || -23 || +28 || -11 || =24 || 6 || 39.00 |- | 27 || || – || =21 || -30 || +24 || +23 || -26 || =17 || -31 || -16 || +29 || -28 || bye || -33 || +37 || 6 || 30.75 |- | 28 || || 2160 || =20 || -18 || +25 || =21 || -13 || =36 || -38 || bye || =22 || +27 || -26 || +29 || -16 || 6 || 30.75 |- | 29 || || 2190 || -13 || -14 || =35 || =33 || =25 || =20 || =36 || =34 || -27 || bye || +32 || -28 || +30 || 6 || 28.25 |- | 30 || || 2175 || =17 || +27 || +20 || =3 || =1 || -10 || -9 || -14 || +38 || -19 || +22 || -18 || -29 || 5½ || 36.00 |- | 31 || || 2260 || -2 || +35 || +32 || -7 || =16 || =19 || +27 || =21 || =26 || -20 || =18 || -24 || -25 || 5½ || 33.50 |- | 32 || || 2350 || +33 || -1 || -31 || =19 || -18 || +24 || =37