Norway Chess Women: Ju beats Vaishali, climbs to shared first place

102 moves

Indian GM R Vaishali grabbed the lead at the inaugural Norway Chess Women tournament after beating Humpy Koneru in the second round. The 22-year-old remained atop the standings until Sunday’s sixth round, when she suffered a first classical loss in her game with white against Ju Wenjun — the women’s world champion needed 102 moves to secure the win. Ju came from drawing her first five classical games and then prevailing in every single Armageddon decider.

After taking down the former sole leader, Ju climbed to shared first place, as she has collected the same number of points as Ukrainian GM Anna Muzychuk. Muzychuk, who came from collecting back-to-back classical wins in rounds 4 and 5, twice held Lei Tingjie to a draw with the black pieces to collect 1½ points on Sunday. In round 7, co-leaders Muzychuk and Ju will face each other (Muzychuk will play white).

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The remaining round-6 encounter saw Pia Cramling prevailing in the rapid tiebreaker against Humpy. Cramling, the fifth woman to ever earn the GM title, had missed clear winning chances in previous encounters — particularly in round 3 against Ju — but finally managed her first mini-match victory in the sixth round.

Humpy Koneru playing white against Pia Cramling | Photo: Stev Bonhage

Vaishali 0 - 1 Ju

Endgame analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Vaishali, Rameshbabu2490

0–1

Ju, Wenjun2560

Norway Chess Women 2024 Stavanger02.06.2024[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Bc4 Nb6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.Bc2 Nb4 9.Nc3 Nxc2+ 10.Qxc2 Bd7 11.Nge2 e6 12.Qd3 f5 13.h4 Na4 14.h5 Nxc3 15.Nxc3 Be7 16.a4 0-0 17.b3 Rc8 18.Bd2 a6 19.Rh3 Rc6 20.Rb1 f4 21.Ne2 Bg5 22.Ng1 Be8 23.Nf3 Bh6 24.g4 g5 25.Kf1 Rf7 26.Kg2 Bf8 27.Rhh1 Rfc7 28.Ba5 b6 29.Bd2 a5 30.Rhc1 Rxc1 31.Rxc1 Rxc1 32.Bxc1 Be7 33.Bd2 Qc8 34.Ne1 Kg7 35.f3 Bd7 36.Kf2 Qc7 37.Ke2 b5 38.axb5 Qb6 39.Kd1 Bxb5 40.Qc3 a4 41.bxa4 Bxa4+ 42.Ke2 Bb5+ 43.Kf2 Bc4 44.Nc2 Qb1 45.Be1 Qa2 46.Kg1 Kf7 47.Qd2 Qb3 48.Kg2 Qb1 49.Nb4 Qb3 50.Nc6 Ba3 51.Na5 Qb2 52.Kg1 Bb5 53.Kf2 Qxd2+ 54.Bxd2 Bb2 55.Nb3 Ba3 56.Bc1 Bb4 57.Bd2 Be7 58.Ba5 Ba3 59.Ke1 Bc4 60.Nd2 Ba2 61.Kd1 Ke7 62.Kc2 Kd7 63.Bb6 Be7 64.Kb2 Bc4 65.Kc3 Be2 66.Ba5 Kc6 67.Bb4 Bd8 68.Kb3 Kb5 69.Bc3 Bd1+ 70.Ka3 Be7+ 71.Kb2 Ka4 72.Kc1 Bb3 73.Nb1 Bc4 74.Kd2 Kb3 75.Ba5 Ba6 76.Nc3 Kc4 77.Ne2 Bb5 78.Bc3 Bd8 79.Kc2 Bc6 80.Kd2 Ba4 81.Nc1 Be7 82.Nd3 Bd7 83.Nb2+ Kb5 84.Kd3 Bc8 85.Kd2 Ba6 86.Kd3 Kc6+ 87.Kd2 Bf1 88.Ke1 Bc4 89.Kd2 Kb5 90.Nd3 Ba3 91.Kc2 Be7 92.Kd2

Black's bishops. One advantage of the pair of bishops is that they can often be exchanged to transform the advantage: 92...Bb3? Now White can build a barrier. After 92...Bxd3 93.Kxd3 Ba3 Black's king will invade sooner or later, e.g. 94.Ba1 Kb4 95.Bc3+ Ka4 95...Kb3? 96.Ba5= 96.Kc2 Be7 97.Bd2 Bb4 98.Bc1 Be1 99.Bb2 Kb4 100.Kd3 Kb3 101.Bc1 Bc3-+ Zugzwang 93.Nb2 Ba3 94.Nd3 Bc4 95.Nb2? Now this is too passive. The active alternative defends, e.g. 95.Nc5! Bxc5 96.dxc5 Kxc5 97.Ba5

and the counterplay secures a draw, e.g. 97...d4 98.Bd8 h6 98...Kd5 99.Bf6 Bf1 100.Bxg5 Kxe5 101.Bd8 Bh3 102.g5 Bf5 103.Bc7+ Kd5 104.Bxf4= 99.Bxg5 Bd5 100.Ke2 Bc4+ 101.Kd2 Bd5 102.Ke2= 95...Bf1 96.Ke1 Bc4 97.Kd2 97.h6 is met by Bf8-+ 97...Bb4 98.Nd1 98.Bxb4 Kxb4 99.h6 Kb3 100.Nd1 Bf1! 101.Ke1 Bg2 102.Kf2 Kc2-+ 98...h6 99.Nb2 99.Bxb4 Kxb4 100.Nc3 Bf1 101.Na2+ Kc4 102.Nc1 Kxd4-+ 99...Bxc3+ 100.Kxc3 Be2 101.Nd3 Bxd3 102.Kxd3 Kb4

Finally Black's king has arrived, and Black will first win the d4 pawn and then the game. 102...Kb4 103.Kd2 Kc4 104.Kc2 Kxd4 105.Kb3 Kxe5-+ 0–1

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In over 4 hours in front of the camera, Karsten Müller presents to you sensations from the world of endgames - partly reaching far beyond standard techniques and rules of thumb - and rounds off with some cases of with own examples.

Vaishali Rameshbabu v. Ju Wenjun | Photo: Stev Bonhage

Standings after round 6

All games - Classical

All games - Armageddon

Attacking with the Jobava London System

The Jobava London System is a minor form of the London System. White tries to play Lf4 quickly followed by Nc3.

Links

• Official site
• Nakamura beats Caruana to win Norway Chess (2023)
• Magnus Carlsen wins Norway Chess for a fourth straight time (2022)
• Carlsen wins Norway Chess, Firouzja shines (2021)