Competition had been scheduled to take place from January 17 to 29.

It followed FIDE announcing Gibraltar as hosts for the event in November, with the competition planned to be held as part of the Gibraltar Chess Festival.

A rise in the number of coronavirus cases has led to postponement of the event.

"The decision is taken in response to the development of the coronavirus pandemic in Gibraltar, where, unfortunately, the number of cases has increased significantly in recent weeks," a FIDE statement said.

"In view of this, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo announced a new lockdown on January 2, which will be in place until at least January 16.

"During his press conference, Mr. Picardo said that 'the numbers of new infections with COVID-19 in our community are remarkably high and concerning.'

"To ensure the safety and well-being of the players and all the staff involved in the event, we have decided to postpone it."

FIDE said the tournament will be held in late February if conditions allow.

The governing body added that it was working with the Organising Committee and authorities in Gibraltar to ensure that the competition meets and exceeds the recommendations of the local Government and health authorities.

The top two players from the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series will qualify directly to the FIDE Candidates Tournament.

The Candidates Tournament determines the player who will challenge for the Women’s World Chess Championship.

Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina currently tops the Grand Prix Series standings.

Goryachkina has already qualified for the Candidates Tournament after finishing as the runner-up in the 2020 World Championship.

India’s Humpy Koneru and Russia’s Alexandra Kosteniuk occupy the two qualifying positions at this stage.