A steep challenge ahead
Game 7 of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Chess Championship marked a significant moment in the match, as Ju Wenjun claimed her third win in a row to extend her lead to 5–2 over challenger Tan Zhongyi. With this result, the defending champion moves closer to retaining her title, with only five games remaining. The second half of the match began in Chongqing, Tan's hometown, following the initial six games held in Shanghai.
Playing with the white pieces, Ju faced an opponent under increasing pressure, both due to the match score and the psychological impact of two consecutive defeats. Tan adopted a combative approach, reflecting her need to close the gap. She managed to secure an extra pawn in the middlegame and appeared to have decent chances. However, inaccuracies in handling the position led to a worsening structure and reduced piece activity.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.As the game progressed into the endgame, Tan's light-squared bishop became particularly restricted, and Ju slowly took control. The defending champion maintained steady pressure, converting her positional edge into a decisive advantage. Tan ultimately resigned after 47 moves, with no real counterplay available in the final position.
At the post-game press conference, Tan acknowledged the match situation had influenced her decisions. She noted that she spent considerable time seeking aggressive continuations, hoping to create winning chances with the black pieces. However, her efforts failed to yield the desired outcome, leaving her with a steep challenge in the remaining games.
The match has moved to the densely populated Chongqing | Photo: Anna Shtourman
Tan Zhongyi has just resigned the seventh game | Photo: Anna Shtourman
From Mating with a queen; a rook; two bishops; a knight and a bishop; to the basics of pawn endgames – here you will gain the necessary know-how to turn your endgame advantages into victories!
The final position | Photo: Anna Shtourman
Tan Zhongyi needs to strike back with white in the next game to keep her chances alive | Photo: Anna Shtourman
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In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Judit Polgar. Let them show you which openings Polgar chose to play, where her strength in middlegames were, or how she outplayed her opponents in the endgame.
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