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

Ju, Wenjun25611–0Tan, Zhongyi2555
FIDE Women WCC 2025
China09.04.2025[Johannes Fischer]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.0-0 Ne7 8.c4 Nbc6 9.Nc3 Ne5
10.c5!? This move, which blocks the bishop on a7, seems to be a novelty. In the game, Tan Zhongyi failed to find an adequate response. N7g6 11.Be2 b5? Black underestimates the strength of White's pawn on c5. Much better was 11...b6! e.g. 12.Be3 bxc5 13.f4 Nc6 14.Bxc5 Bxc5+ 15.Nxc5 with only a slight advantage for White. 12.f4 Nc4 13.a4 b4 14.Bxc4 bxc3 15.bxc3
The opening was a disaster for Black: She is a pawn down and clearly worse. Moreover, she has trouble to drum up counterplay, not least because of her bishop on a7. 15...Bb7 16.Qe2 More energetic and more precise was the aggressive 16.Qd4 z.B. 0-0 17.f5 e5 18.Qd6 Nf4 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.Qxf4 and White is two pawns up and has a winning position. 16...0-0 17.Bd3
17...f5? Black should focus on White's pawn on c5. After 17...Qc7 18.Be3 e5 19.fxe5 Nxe5 White is still a pawn up, but Black's pieces are much more active than in the game. 18.exf5 exf5 19.Be3 Qc7 20.Bxa6 White takes the second and is winning. Rfe8 After 20...Bxa6 21.Qxa6 Bxc5 White has 22.Qc4+ and wins. 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Bd4 Re6 24.h3 Rae8 25.Rf2 Bb8 26.Raf1
26...Nxf4!? Black gives two pieces for a rook to muddy the waters, but without success. 27.Rxf4 Bxf4 28.Rxf4 Re1+ 29.Rf1 Rxf1+ 30.Kxf1 Qe4 31.Kg1 Qb1+ 32.Kh2 Re1 33.Qd5 Black's pieces seem to be more threatening than they are. When White consolidates her material advantage or the a-pawn will decide. h6 34.Nd2 Rh1+ 35.Kg3 Qe1+ 36.Bf2 Qe2 37.Qd4 Rd1 38.Be3 Kh7 39.a5 Re1 40.Bf2 Rd1 41.Be3 Re1 42.Nc4 White reached the time-control, and now slowly converts her advantage. Ra1 43.Nd6 Ra2 44.Bf2 Qe6 45.Qf4 Kg6 46.Kh2 Qf6 46...Rxa5 does not really help. After 47.Bd4 Ra6 48.Qg3+ Kh5 49.Qxg7 Black's position is hopeless. 47.Nc4 Kh7 48.Bd4 Qe6 49.Nd6 Qg6 50.Qf3 f4 51.a6 Rxa6 52.Qxf4 Ra2 53.Qf3 Qe6 54.Nf5 g5 55.Ne3 d6 56.c6 Ra8 57.Nd5 Rc8 58.Qd3+ Kg8
59.Ne7+ A tactical shot at the end. After 59...Qxe7 60.Qg6+ Kf8 61.Qf5+ Black loses more material and will be mated soon. 1–0

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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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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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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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