[Event "WCh Women 2025"] [Site "Shanghai Chongqing CHN"] [Date "2025.04.10"] [Round "6.1"] [White "Tan, Zhongyi"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "A13"] [WhiteElo "2555"] [BlackElo "2561"] [PlyCount "104"] [GameId "2165143139013644"] [EventDate "2025.04.03"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.01.05"] 1. c4 Nf6 (1... e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 {was Ju's choice in game 4.}) 2. Nf3 (2. Nc3 e5 {was played in game 2.}) 2... e6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 c5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 (7. d4 {aims for a version of the Tarrasch, but it's a good version for Black:} cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bb4+) 7... d4 ({The AlphaZero-style} 7... h5 $5 {is worth considering and has been tried a handful of times.}) 8. O-O Be7 9. Na3 O-O 10. e3 (10. Nc4 {first and only next e3 is more common.}) 10... dxe3 (10... Bg4) (10... Bf5) 11. dxe3 Bf5 12. Ne5 $146 (12. Nc4 {has occurred in previous games, and probably improves, as White is better off with a knight on e5 instead of a bishop.} Qc7 (12... Qxd1 13. Rfxd1 Rfd8 14. Nfe5 Rxd1+ 15. Rxd1 Rd8 16. Rxd8+ Nxd8 17. Kf1 Be4 18. Na5 Bxg2+ 19. Kxg2 Ne8 20. f4 f6 21. Nd3 f5 22. Kf3 Kf7 23. e4 g6 24. h3 Ke6 25. Nc4 fxe4+ 26. Kxe4 b5 27. Ne3 Nd6+ 28. Kf3 Nf5 29. Nc2 Nb7 30. g4 Nfd6 31. Ne3 c4 32. f5+ gxf5 33. gxf5+ Kf7 34. Ne5+ Ke8 35. bxc4 Bf6 36. cxb5 Nxb5 37. N3g4 Bxe5 38. Bxe5 Nc5 39. Nf6+ Ke7 40. Nxh7 Nd7 41. Bb2 Nb6 42. Ng5 Nd7 43. h4 Ke8 44. h5 Nd6 45. Kf4 Nf8 46. h6 {1-0 Bok,B (2620)-Giri,A (2762) Chessable Masters Div 2 Lose Chess.com INT rapid 2024 (4.2)}) (12... Be4 13. Nh4 (13. Nfe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxd1 15. Rfxd1 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Rfd8 17. Kf3 Kf8 18. g4 Ke8 19. Nc4 b5 20. Na5 Rac8 21. g5 Rxd1 22. Rxd1 Nd7 23. Bxg7 Bxg5 24. Nb7 Be7 25. Nd6+ Bxd6 26. Rxd6 c4 27. bxc4 bxc4 28. Bc3 Nc5 29. Bf6 Nd7 30. Bc3 Nc5 31. Rd4 Na4 32. Bb4 c3 33. Ba3 Nb2 34. Ke2 Rc6 35. Re4+ Kd8 36. Rd4+ Ke8 37. Re4+ Kd8 38. Rd4+ Ke8 {½-½ Donchenko,A (2676)-Kraemer,M (2579) Bundesliga 2324 Germany 2023 (4.4)}) 13... Bxg2 14. Kxg2 b5 15. Qf3 Qc8 16. Nd2 Rd8 17. Rfd1 Qe6 18. Nf5 Ne5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. a4 bxa4 21. Nc4 Qe6 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Rxa4 Bf8 24. Rxa7 Rd5 25. e4 Qxe4 26. Qxe4 Nxe4 27. Ne7+ Bxe7 28. Rxe7 Nf6 29. Ne3 Rd3 30. Rc7 g6 31. Rxc5 Rxb3 32. Kf3 Kg7 33. g4 Rb2 34. Rc2 Rxc2 35. Nxc2 h5 36. h3 hxg4+ 37. hxg4 g5 38. Ne3 Kg6 39. Nf5 Nd7 40. Ke4 Nf6+ 41. Kf3 Nd7 42. Ke4 Nf6+ 43. Kf3 {½-½ Adhiban,B (2603)-Praggnanandhaa,R (2676) Julius Baer GenCup Prelim chess24.com INT rapid 2022 (9)}) 13. Nfe5 Rad8 (13... Rfd8 14. Qe2 Nb4 15. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 16. Rxd1 Rd8 17. a3 Rxd1+ 18. Qxd1 Na6 19. g4 Be6 20. g5 Ne8 21. h4 b5 22. Nd2 Bd6 23. f4 c4 24. bxc4 bxc4 25. Qc2 Qa5 26. Nexc4 Qc5 27. Bd4 Qc7 28. Qc3 Nc5 29. Nxd6 Qxd6 30. Qxc5 Qd7 31. Ne4 Qa4 32. Kf2 Qb3 33. Qc6 Qa2+ 34. Kg3 {1-0 Dzagnidze,N (2517)-Kiolbasa,O (2410) Tata Steel India Blitz (Women) Kolkata 2022 (12)}) 14. Qe2 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Qc8 16. Rfd1 Bg4 17. f3 Be6 18. Nd6 Bxd6 19. Bxd6 Rfe8 20. Rac1 b6 21. e4 Bh3 22. b4 Bxg2 23. Qxg2 c4 24. e5 Nd7 25. f4 b5 26. Rd5 a6 27. Rcd1 Nb6 28. R5d4 Na4 29. Qf3 Nb2 30. R1d2 Nd3 31. R2xd3 cxd3 32. Qxd3 Qc1+ 33. Kg2 Qb2+ 34. Kh3 Re6 35. Qd2 Rh6+ 36. Kg2 Qxd2+ 37. Rxd2 f5 38. h3 Rg6 39. Kf3 h5 40. Rd5 Re6 41. g4 hxg4+ 42. hxg4 g6 43. g5 Ree8 44. Rd1 Kf7 45. a4 Ke6 46. axb5 axb5 47. Ke3 Rh8 48. Kd4 Rc8 49. Bc5 Rhd8+ 50. Bd6 Rc4+ 51. Ke3 Rh8 52. Bc5 Rh3+ 53. Kf2 Rxf4+ 54. Kg2 Rb3 55. Rd6+ Kxe5 56. Rxg6 Rg4+ 57. Kf2 f4 58. Rg8 Rb2+ 59. Kf1 Rh4 {0-1 Duda,J (2732)-Anand,V (2754) Global Chess League Dubai rapid 2023 (6.1)}) 12... Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Qc8 $1 $11 {It's a new position, but this sort of structure (3 and 3 for Black vs. 2 and 4 for White) is as common as ants at a picnic. Whichever side can get her pawn majority rolling first will generally have the advantage (all else being equal), with control of the d-file (if possible) another important factor.} 14. Qe2 Bh3 15. Qf3 (15. Bxh3 $142 Qxh3 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Rad1 a6 18. Nc4 $11 {is a good alternative. White's knight will reach a good square (e.g. d5 after Nb6) while Black's bishop isn't terribly useful.}) 15... Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Qe6 17. Bb2 (17. Bxf6 $142) 17... Ne4 $15 18. Rfd1 Rad8 19. Nc4 b5 20. Ne5 f5 $1 {The battle for d-file is a push, but Black is clearly ahead in the race to mobilize her pawn majority.} 21. Nd3 $2 (21. Qe2 $142) 21... g5 $1 22. Ne1 Bf6 $2 {The exchanges and the loss of time give White the chance to restore the balance.} (22... c4 $1 23. bxc4 bxc4 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Bd4 g4 26. Qe2 Bb4 $19 {White has no kingside play - if anything, her king could face serious danger after moves like ...Qd5 and ...Ng5. Black's c-pawn cramps White and is an asset in its own right, looking to further its career as a passer.}) 23. Bxf6 Qxf6 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Rd1 Rxd1 26. Qxd1 Qd6 $11 27. Qh5 {It's still only Black who will have the chance to be better, but the exposure of her king should allow White enough counterplay to draw.} Kg7 28. Qe8 $1 a6 29. Nf3 (29. h3 $142 c4 30. bxc4 bxc4 31. Qa8 $11 {This prevents Black from setting up attacking ideas with ...Qd5. As stated above, only Black can play for a win here, but White has enough resources to hold the draw.}) 29... Nf6 30. Qa8 h6 31. h4 $2 {Now White can't meet ...g4 with Nh4, which would give her even more counterplay. Now the knight is sent to a bad square.} (31. a4 $11) 31... g4 $19 32. Qb7+ {This gives Black the opportunity to trade queens, which favors her. White's kingside majority cannot readily advance, so the knight ending will be all about Black's queenside majority.} Qd7 $1 33. Qxd7+ Nxd7 34. Nd2 Kf6 (34... Ne5) 35. f4 Ke6 (35... gxf3+ $4 36. Kxf3 $11 {liberates White's kingside, and now she'll easily have enough counterplay to draw.}) 36. e4 {Else ...Kd5 will stymie White's kingside majority forever while supporting ...c4.} fxe4 37. Nxe4 Kd5 38. Nf2 Nf6 39. Kf1 Kd4 40. Ke2 h5 41. a4 (41. Kd2 {stops ...Kc3 (at least for the moment), but Black can break through easily enough.} c4 {Not the only winning move. The following isn't forced either, but representative.} 42. bxc4 bxc4 43. Ke2 Nd5 44. Kd2 Ne3 {Threatening ...Nf1+.} 45. Nh1 c3+ 46. Kc1 Ke4 $19 {followed by ...Kf3-g2 (or ...Kf3xg3 if White plays 47.Nf2+).}) 41... Kc3 42. axb5 axb5 43. Nd3 Ne4 44. Ke3 Nxg3 45. Nxc5 Nf5+ 46. Ke4 Nxh4 47. Ke5 (47. f5 g3 48. Ke3 (48. f6 g2 49. f7 g1=Q (49... Ng6 $19) 50. f8=Q Qd4#) 48... Nxf5+ $19) 47... Kb4 48. Ne4 Kxb3 49. Kf6 Nf3 {Preventing Kg5. Black has nothing to worry about from White's f-pawn, so the knight needn't remain on h4.} 50. f5 h4 51. Ke7 g3 52. f6 g2 {No need for the panicky 52...Ne5.} (52... g2 53. f7 Ne5 $1 54. f8=Q Ng6+ $19 {White doesn't get to keep her queen, but Black will get to keep hers - maybe even multiple queens. Time to throw in the towel.}) 0-1