Women's World Championship, Game 5: Ju Wenjun takes the lead

by Johannes Fischer
4/9/2025 – In the women's world rankings, Ju Wenjun (pictured), ranked 2nd, and Tan Zhongyi, ranked 3rd, are separated by just six Elo points. But in the fifth game of their World Championship match, the defending champion Ju Wenjun came to a clear victory after Tan Zhangyi misplayed the opening. She then tried to stir up trouble by giving material, but Ju Wenjun defended carefully and took a 3-2 lead in the match. | Photo: Anna Shtourman
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Game 5

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bf4       B40: Sicilian: 2...e6, Unusual lines. d5 8.Nd2 g6 9.Bg5
9...h6N 9...Be7 10.Bh6 e5 11.h3 Bf8 12.Bxf8 Kxf8 13.0-0 Kg7 14.Re1 Re8 15.c4 Rb8 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.exd5 Qxd5 1-0 Heimann,M (2467)-Zeltsan,J (2417) Washington op 11th 2024 (8) 10.Bh4 Be7 11.0-0 a5 12.Qe2 0-0 13.Rad1 Nd7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.c4 The position is equal. Ne5 16.exd5 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 aiming for d6. cxd5 18.Qe3 Qg5 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.cxd5 exd5 21.Rfe1 Rb8 22.b3       g4 23.Nf1
23...a4! 24.bxa4 Rb4 25.a5 Ra4 26.Rxd5 Be6 27.Rc5 Rxa2 28.Ne3 Ra8 29.Nd5 R8xa5 30.Rxa5 Rxa5=       Endgame KRB-KRN 31.Nf4 Bf5 32.h3 gxh3 33.Nxh3 Bxh3 34.gxh3 KR-KR Kg7 35.Kg2 Rg5+ 36.Kf3 Rf5+ 37.Kg2 Rg5+ 38.Kf3 Rf5+ 39.Kg2 An uneventful encounter. Weighted Error Value: White=0.02 (flawless) /Black=0.02 (flawless) Inaccurate: White=1 --- OK: White=21 Black=14 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ju,W2561Tan,Z2555½–½2025B40FIDE Women WCC 20251.1
Tan,Z2555Ju,W25611–02025A29FIDE Women WCC 20252.1
Ju,W2561Tan,Z25551–02025B40FIDE Women WCC 20253.1
Tan,Z2555Ju,W2561½–½2025A13FIDE Women WCC 20254.1
Ju,W2561Tan,Z25551–02025B42FIDE Women WCC 20255.1
Tan,Z2555Ju,W25610–12025A13FIDE Women WCC 20256.1
Ju,W2561Tan,Z25551–02025B30FIDE Women WCC 20257.1
Tan,Z2555Ju,W25610–12025C24FIDE Women WCC 20258.1
Ju,W2561Tan,Z2555½–½2025B30FIDE Women WCC 20259.1

Women's World Chess Championship 2025

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Topics: Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Women's World Championship 2025
Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
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Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi, Game 4: Another endgame, another draw

4/7/2025 – In all four games of the match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi for the Women's World Championship, an endgame was on the board. In the fourth game, Tan Zhongyi had several good opportunities with White to put Ju Wenjun under pressure with precise play, but she didn't take these chances, and so the game ended in a draw. | Photos: Anna Shtourman
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Starting Thursday: Ju Wenjun v. Tan Zhongyi

3/30/2025 – The 2025 FIDE Women's World Chess Championship will see reigning champion Ju Wenjun defend her title against challenger Tan Zhongyi in a highly anticipated rematch. The match, played from 1 to 23 April across Shanghai and Chongqing, will consist of 12 classical games, with a tiebreak if necessary. Ju, a four-time champion, faces a determined opponent eager to reclaim the title she lost in 2018. With both players at the peak of their careers, the stage is set for a thrilling contest. | Photos: FIDE
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