[Event "WCh Women 2025"] [Site "Shanghai Chongqing CHN"] [Date "2025.04.13"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Tan, Zhongyi"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "B30"] [WhiteElo "2561"] [BlackElo "2555"] [PlyCount "93"] [GameId "2166276655700552"] [EventDate "2025.04.03"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.01.05"] {[%evp 0,93,19,34,30,-3,25,18,19,27,3,39,-13,28,21,38,34,24,29,28,24,38,19,11,13,4,-12,12,2,-23,-11,-8,0,25,24,-7,-106,-42,-37,-21,-65,-35,-91,-46,-47,-63,-118,-44,-40,-50,-71,-69,-99,-24,-198,-28,-73,-23,-65,-45,-64,-28,-39,-42,18,-35,-32,-42,-16,7,-7,-12,-12,37,51,52,108,88,125,75,110,123,-9,121,140,176,170,165,284,282,449,348,319,413,270,418]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. d4 {This has been popular for several years now. I recall being quite surprised to discover that this was a "thing"; isn't the point of the Rossolimo (3.Bb5) to avoid the Open Sicilian? The counter-argument is that the knight is slightly misplaced on e7, or at least not as well placed as it would be on f6, so even if White ends up losing a tempo with her bishop it's worth it overall.} cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qb6 (6... Ng6 {is less popular overall than 6...Qb6, but far more popular at the moment.} 7. Be3 Be7 8. c3 O-O 9. Nd2 {is fairly standard, though there are alternatives along the way.}) 7. Nxc6 bxc6 {The most popular, though the other two (sane) recaptures are also played.} 8. Bd3 (8. Be2 {is also played, though Bd3 is most common at the moment.}) 8... Ng6 ({Trying to achieve} 8... d5 $6 {before White plays c4 doesn't seem to work:} 9. c4 {all the same, and if} ({Stockfish likes} 9. Nc3 $16 {even more.}) 9... d4 {White finds it very easy to work around the d-pawn.} 10. c5 $1 (10. Nd2 e5 $6 (10... c5 {was better, preventing the c4-c5 idea.} 11. b4 $1 $14 {/?}) 11. c5 $1 Qc7 12. Nc4 Ng6 13. b4 Be7 14. f4 Nxf4 15. Bxf4 exf4 16. e5 $16 {/+- A very thematic series of moves by Zvjaginsev. White has a tremendous grip for the two pawns (likely just one pawn, as neither ...Bg5 nor ...g5 is at all advisable).} O-O 17. Rxf4 $2 (17. Nd6 $142) 17... Bg5 $2 (17... Be6 $14) 18. Rxd4 $18 (18. Qh5 $1 $18) 18... Be6 19. Qe2 Bxc4 20. Bxc4 Rae8 21. Re4 Kh8 22. Rf1 a5 23. h4 Bh6 24. a3 axb4 25. axb4 g6 26. h5 Bg5 27. Qg4 Rxe5 28. Qg3 Rfe8 29. Qxg5 Rxg5 30. Rxe8+ Kg7 31. Rxf7+ Qxf7 32. h6+ Kf6 33. Bxf7 Kxf7 34. Rh8 Rh5 35. Rxh7+ Ke6 36. Rh8 {1-0 Zvjaginsev,V (2540)-Kataev,A (2247) Chigorin Memorial 31st St Petersburg 2024 (5)}) 10... Qc7 $2 (10... Qxc5 $142 11. Nd2 $16 {followed by some combination of f4 and Nc4 looks pretty terrible for Black, especially on the dark squares.}) 11. Bc4 (11. Qa4 $142 $18) 11... Ng6 (11... Qd7 $142) 12. Qxd4 $18 {1-0 Hector,J (2457)-Ostergaard,J (2273) Nordsjalland Weekend op-A Allerod 2023 (1)}) 9. c4 Be7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Na4 Qc7 12. c5 d5 13. cxd6 Bxd6 $11 {White has the better structure, but the tempi required to achieve this has given Black enough time to develop harmoniously.} 14. Qh5 $146 {Letting Black play ...Nf4 doesn't seem the path to an objective advantage, but for one game it's a reasonable attempt to surprise the challenger and give her fresh problems to solve.} ({The obvious} 14. g3 {had been played 11 of the 12 games to get this far (h3 was played in the other), and White has gone an undefeated +3 from here.} c5 15. Be3 Ne5 (15... c4 {seems the current consensus move, and has achieved five draws in five games.} 16. Rc1 Ba6 17. Bxc4 Bxc4 18. b3 Bxb3 $1 $11 19. axb3 Qe7 20. Qc2 Rab8 21. Rfd1 Ba3 22. Ra1 Rfc8 23. Qd3 h6 24. Qa6 Rc7 25. Nb6 Bb2 26. Rab1 Ba3 27. Ra1 Bb2 28. Rab1 Ba3 29. Ra1 Bb2 30. Rab1 Ba3 {½-½ Illingworth,M (2512)-Volodin,A (2457) Olympiad-43 Batumi 2018 (8.3)}) 16. Be2 Bb7 (16... c4 $142 $11) 17. Rc1 $1 $14 Bxe4 18. Nxc5 Bc6 19. f4 Ng6 $2 (19... Bxc5 20. Bxc5 Rfd8 $14) 20. Ne4 $1 $16 {/+- Suddenly both Black bishops are in trouble.} Rfd8 21. Qc2 Bxe4 22. Qxe4 $6 (22. Qxc7 $142 Bxc7 23. Rxc7 $16 {/+-}) 22... Qa5 $2 (22... Qd7 $16) 23. f5 $18 Qe5 24. Bf3 $2 (24. Qxe5 Nxe5 25. fxe6 fxe6 26. Rfd1 $18 {There's no immediate win, but Black's bad structure and inferior (and shaky) minor pieces together give White a winning advantage.}) 24... Qxb2 $4 (24... Nh4 $1 $14) 25. fxg6 $18 hxg6 26. Qc2 Qa3 27. Qc3 {1-0 Caruana,F (2811)-Lenic,L (2662) PRO League Stage Chess.com INT rapid 2018 (7)}) 14... Rb8 (14... Nf4 15. Bxf4 Bxf4 16. g3 (16. e5 $2 {just blunders a pawn:} g6 $19 {followed by ...Bxe5 (after normal moves).}) 16... Be5 $15 {The bishop will be great on d4, anchored by the e-pawn or the c-pawn.}) (14... c5 $5) 15. b3 Rd8 (15... Nf4) 16. Rd1 Rb4 (16... Nf4) 17. Bb2 $5 (17. g3 $11) (17. Bc2 $5 $11) (17. Be3 Nf4 18. Bxf4 Bxf4 19. Bc4 $11) 17... Nf4 18. Qf3 Nxd3 19. Rxd3 Ba6 $1 20. Rdd1 Bxh2+ 21. Kh1 {White has good compensation for the pawn, thanks to her general control over the dark squares (and the concomitant feebleness of the a6-bishop), but it's only enough for approximate equality at best.} Bd6 $11 {/?} 22. Qc3 Bf8 23. Nc5 Rb6 (23... Be2 $1 {is a strong move that's easy to miss.} 24. Rxd8 $8 Qxd8 25. Kg1 (25. Qxb4 $4 Qh4+ 26. Kg1 Bd6 $1 {wins, e.g.} 27. g3 Bxg3 28. fxg3 Qxg3+ 29. Kh1 Bf3#) 25... Rb5 26. Qe3 $1 Bxc5 27. Qxe2 Bb6 {Having swapped off her bad bishop, Black can enjoy her risk-free edge indefinitely. It's not all technique and grinding though, as White must first attend to the possibility of a Black attack down the h-file.} 28. Rd1 (28. Rc1) 28... Qh4 29. Qf3 Rh5 30. g3 Qh2+ 31. Kf1 f5 (31... Qh1+ {wins if White takes, but} 32. Ke2 Qxf3+ 33. Kxf3 {is drawish.}) 32. Rd2 $1 Qh3+ 33. Ke2 fxe4 34. Qxe4 Qf5 35. Qxf5 Rxf5 36. f4 Rd5 37. Rc2 $8 $11 {/?}) 24. Qe5 (24. Rxd8 Qxd8 25. Qc2 $44) 24... Qe7 (24... Qxe5 25. Bxe5 Rxd1+ 26. Rxd1 Bxc5 27. Rd8+ Bf8 28. Bd6 {is good for White, not Black, who should return the pawn and rely on the opposite-colored bishops to save her after} h5 29. Rxf8+ Kh7 30. Rxf7 Rb7 $11) 25. Rac1 $2 (25. Kg1 $142) (25. Rxd8 $142 Qxd8 26. Kg1) 25... Rb5 $2 {Right idea, wrong way.} (25... Rxd1+ $1 26. Rxd1 Rb5 {was the right way. White is in some trouble after} 27. Bd4 Rxc5 28. Bxc5 Qxc5 29. Qxc5 Bxc5 30. Rd8+ Bf8 31. Rd7 g5 $1 32. Rxa7 Be2 33. Rc7 g4 $1 34. Rxc6 h5 $15 {/? It's easy to overestimate the connected passers, but even here the bishops are a favorite to overmatch the rook.}) 26. Rxd8 (26. Rd4 $1) 26... Qxd8 27. Qd4 Qh4+ $6 (27... Qxd4 28. Bxd4 Bxc5 $11 {will be a dead draw. But Black is (marginally) better and two points down in the match, so she keeps trying.}) (27... Qg5 {offers a better version of the pure opposite-colored bishop ending for Black after} 28. b4 Bxc5 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. Qxc5 Qxc5 31. bxc5 f5 32. exf5 exf5 $11 {, but this too will be easily drawn once White hits on the idea of a4-a5 followed Be5-b8-a7-b6.}) 28. Kg1 Bc8 {Black's pieces (especially the bishop) make a less than awe-inspiring impression.} 29. e5 (29. a4 $14) 29... Qxd4 (29... Qe7) 30. Bxd4 a5 (30... Bxc5 {and draw.}) 31. f4 h5 32. Kf2 Be7 33. Ke3 g5 34. Ne4 gxf4+ 35. Kxf4 {Black is still a pawn up, and White still has her grip on the dark squares.} Bb7 $2 (35... Kg7 36. Bc5 (36. Rxc6 Bb7 37. Rc7 Bd8 38. Rd7 Rd5 $11) 36... Bxc5 37. Nxc5 Rb4+ 38. Rc4 Rxc4+ 39. bxc4 Kg6 $11 (39... f6 $11)) 36. Bc5 $1 $16 {/+- Suddenly Black is in deep trouble due to her many, many dark squared-weaknesses.} Bxc5 37. Nxc5 {Now Black's position is horrible; lost, in fact. The chief culprit is of course her "bishop" on b7, which has no future at all. White will regain her pawn, and then march in exploiting her near monopoly control over the dark squares.} Kg7 ({The desperate} 37... a4 $1 {was Black's last chance. If White takes the pawn Black gets a little activity; if not, she (Tan) manages to get rid of one of her weaknesses.}) 38. Kg5 $2 (38. a4 $1) 38... Ba8 $2 {Oof.} (38... a4 $1) 39. Kxh5 Rb8 40. Rc4 Rh8+ 41. Kg4 Rh2 42. Kg3 Rh5 43. Rg4+ $1 {Very nice. If Black's king goes to the h-file White forces a trade of rooks with 44.Rh4, when the knight vs. bishop ending is comically, lopsidedly in White's favor. So Tan brings the king to f8, where it should go, but that gives White a nice tactical point.} Kf8 44. Ra4 Ke7 (44... Rxe5 $2 45. Nd7+ {is the aforementioned point.}) 45. Rxa5 Rxe5 46. Ra7+ Kd6 (46... Kf6 47. Nd7+) 47. b4 $1 {Black can save the bishop, but it will come at the cost of checkmate.} (47. b4 $1 Rg5+ 48. Kf4 Rg8 49. Rd7#) 1-0