Women's WCC Game 3: Ju grinds out win, evens the score

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
4/6/2025 – In game 3 of the Women's World Chess Championship, Ju Wenjun levelled the score by defeating Tan Zhongyi with the white pieces. After choosing a positional sideline against the Sicilian Defence, Ju gradually built a small advantage that she carried into a rook and opposite-coloured bishop endgame. Although the position remained objectively balanced for some time, a mistake on move 60 allowed Ju to convert her extra pawn. The game lasted 87 moves and over five and a half hours. | Photo: Anna Shtourman

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Slowly pushing an extra pawn

Game 3 of the Women's World Chess Championship saw defending champion Ju Wenjun respond strongly to her defeat in the previous round by securing a win against Tan Zhongyi. Playing with the white pieces, Ju chose a less conventional line against Tan's Sicilian Defence, likely aiming to sidestep her opponent's preparation while choosing to enter a positional battle. Despite the early deviation, Tan reacted solidly and maintained a good pace on the clock, suggesting she was comfortable navigating the strategic territory.

As the middlegame progressed, Ju gradually increased the pressure without taking unnecessary risks. Her positional play yielded a small advantage, particularly after securing an extra pawn on the queenside. While the position remained dynamically balanced, especially due to the opposite-coloured bishops, Ju's extra pawn on the c-file gave her a clear target to pursue in the endgame.

Position after 41.Rxd5

By move 41, the game had transitioned into a rook and opposite-coloured bishop endgame, with White pressing on the queenside. Although computer analysis suggested the position was almost fully equalised, Ju continued to pose practical problems.

Tan's decisive error came on move 60, when Ju correctly decided to invade with his king via the dark squares on the kingside.

The king (very) slowly infiltrated along the dark squares on the kingside - 61.Kf4 was the first step, and 82.Ke7 was the last

Ju's coordination of king and rook proved decisive, as she created mounting pressure that Tan eventually failed to contain. The game lasted 87 moves and more than five and a half hours, with Tan resigning in a position where further resistance was futile. This victory brings the score back to level as three more games remain to be played in Shanghai before the contenders take the match to Chongqing, Tan's hometown.

Find expert analysis by GM Karsten Müller below.

Ju Wenjun

Ju Wenjun | Photo: Anna Shtourman

Ju 1-0 Tan

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Women's World Chess Championship 2025

Game over | Photo: Anna Shtourman

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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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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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