Tan Zhongyi can still hope

by Johannes Fischer
5/16/2018 – The ninth game of the Women's World Championship match between reigning World Champion Tan Zhongyi and challenger Ju Wenjun ended in a draw. Before the tenth and final game Ju now leads 5-4 and Tan must win the tenth game to reach a tie-break. However, Tan was lucky to get this chance. Because in game nine she was again on the verge of defeat. | Photo: Gu Xiaobang
Rook endings are amongst the most frequently encountered endgames there are, and so your training effort will be quickly repaid in the form of half and full points. Knowing even a few rules of thumb and key methods makes life a great deal easier and provides a guiding light even in complex positions. This DVD focuses on the important themes which are to be found in common rook endings.

Ju Wenjun a half point from world title

Game 9

Challenger Ju Wenjun began as the favourite in the Women's World Championship match. She is currently number two on the women's ranking list, while Tan Zhongyi is number ten. And Ju was indeed superior in the match. She was better prepared and all in all had more chances than Tan Zhongyi.

But Ju has not won just yet. In game eight, she missed a very good opportunity, and in the ninth game, she was tantalisingly close to a win that would have put her over the top.

Ju Wenjun

World Champion Ju Wenjun? | Photo: Gu Xiaobing

Tan Zhongyi had white, but once again could not take advantage of the first move. In a Nimzo-Indian, the players reached a perfectly balanced position after the opening but then Tan was gradually outplayed in the middlegame and endgame, eventually reaching a rook ending in which she was two pawns down, and could hold only with a bit of luck and some help from her opponent.

The star move that put her on track to save the game was 45.e4!

 
Tan vs Ju
Position after 45.e4

The obvious 45...f4? would be an immediate draw after 46.Re6+ when the rook is taboo on account of stalemate and the black king cannot escape from the checks. The resulting endgame after 45...Rh4 was a theoretical draw which Tan held confidently.

This was surely a happy draw for the Champion, who, after a rest day tomorrow, May 17th, can hope to find a way to win the tenth and final game of the match which will be played on Friday. If — and with the black pieces it's a big 'if' — Tan wins this game and reach a 5:5 tie, then on Saturday, May 18, we would witness a rapid (and even blitz) tie-break.

She has done it before, in Game 6. Can she do it again?

Tan Zhongyi ½-½ Ju Wenjun
 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.Nf3 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 dxc4 12.Qxa5 Nxa5 13.e3 b5 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nd2 b5 16.a4 Nb7 17.Ra3 Rxa4 18.Rxa4 bxa4 19.Bxc4 Once again Tan did not manage to get anything out of the opening with White. Black has full compensation and as the game progresses, Ju gradually drowns her opponent. Bd7 20.Ne4 Ke7 21.Ke2 Rb8 22.Rb1 Bc6 23.Nc3 Nc5 24.f3 f5 25.Kd2 g5 26.Be2 h5 27.Kc2 g4 28.Rd1 Rg8 29.Rd4 gxf3 30.Bxf3 Bxf3 31.gxf3 Rg2+ 32.Rd2 Rg1 33.Rd4?! This leads to a rook ending in which White is clearly worse. Better was 33.Rd1 Rg7 34.Rd4 and Black is still better but not as much as in the game. 33...Rf1 34.Nxa4 e5 35.Rh4 Rf2+ 36.Kd1 Nxa4 37.Rxa4 Rxf3 38.Ke2 White must give up the h-pawn. After 38.Rh4 Rxe3 39.Rxh5 f4 Black's two connected passed pawns are too strong. 38...Rh3 39.Ra6 Rxh2+ 40.Kf3 Rh3+ 41.Kf2 Rh2+ 42.Kg3 Re2 43.Kf3 Rxb2 44.Rh6 Rh2 45.e4 With this move, White can continue to fight for the draw. Rh4 After the obvious 45...f4? Black has a tactical trick 46.Re6+! If Black takes the rook, White is in stalemate, and if White does not take the rook, Black loses the important e-pawn. 46.exf5 Rf4+ 47.Ke3 Rxf5 48.Ke4 Rg5 Black has two pawns left, but her rook and king are so awkward that Tan can save herself and draw. 49.Ra6 Kf7 50.Ra7+ Kg6 51.Ra6+ Kg7 52.Ra7+ Kh6 53.Ra8 Rg7 54.Kxe5 Kg5 55.Ke4 Kg4 56.Ke3 Kg3 57.Ke2 Kg2 58.Rh8 Re7+ 59.Kd2 Re5 60.Rg8+ Kh3 61.Rg7 h4 62.Rg8 Kh2 63.Rg4 h3 64.Rg8 Re6 65.Rg7 Re8 66.Rg6 Ra8 67.Ke2 Ra2+ 68.Kf1 Rg2 69.Rf6 Rg5 70.Rf2+ Kh1 71.Rf6 Rg1+ 72.Kf2 Rg2+ 73.Kf1 h2 74.Rf8 Rg1+ 75.Kf2 Rg2+ 76.Kf1 Ra2 77.Rf7 Ra1+ 78.Kf2 Ra2+ 79.Kf1 Ra1+ 80.Kf2 Ra2+ ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun2571½–½2018E37WCh Women 20189

Rustam Kasimdzhanov, the FIDE World Champion in 2004, has been extremely successful with the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 with White and with Black. In over 4 hours of video, Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains all the important ideas, strategies and tricks helped by sample games in which the white side is represented, e.g., by Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik and Ivanchuk as well as the author himself.

Match score after nine games

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All games

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 c5 4.d5 e6 5.Bxc4 Nf6 6.Nc3 exd5 7.exd5 a6 8.a4 Bd6 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Bd3 Nbd7 14.Ne4 Ne5 15.g4 Nxd3 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxd3 Bg6 18.Rae1 Qe7 19.Nfd2 Bf4 20.Qf3 Qe5 21.Re2 f5 22.gxf5 Qxf5 23.Rfe1 Re5 24.Nc4 Bh2+ 25.Kg2 Qxf3+ 26.Kxf3 Bxe4+ 27.Rxe4 Rxe4 28.Rxe4 Rd8 29.Ne3 b5 30.axb5 axb5 31.Re7 Kf8 32.Ra7 Be5 33.b3 c4 34.bxc4 bxc4 35.Ke4 Re8 36.Kf3 c3 37.Ra6 Rc8 38.Ke4 Bh2 39.Rc6 Rxc6 40.dxc6 Ke7 41.Nd5+ Kd6 42.Nxc3 Kxc6 43.Kf5 Bg1 44.Ne4 h6 45.Ke5 Kd7 46.Kf4 Bh2+ 47.Kf5 Ke7 48.Nf6 Bg1 49.f3 Kf8 50.Nh5 Bb6 51.Kg4 Ba5 52.Ng3 Kg7 53.Kf5 Bc7 54.Nh5+ Kf8 55.f4 Ba5 56.Ke5 Bc7+ 57.Ke4 Ba5 58.Ng3 Kg7 59.Kf5 Bd2 60.Ne4 Be3 61.h4 h5 62.Nd6 f6 63.Ne4 Kf7 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ju Wenjun2571Tan Zhongyi2522½–½2018D20WCh Women 20181
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun25710–12018A21WCh Women 20182
Ju Wenjun2571Tan Zhongyi25221–02018E04WCh Women 20183
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun25711–02018A45WCh Women 20184
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun25710–12018C24WCh Women 20185
Ju Wenjun2571Tan Zhongyi25220–12018E01WCh Women 20186
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun2571½–½2018E51WCh Women 20187
Ju Wenjun2571Tan Zhongyi2522½–½2018D30WCh Women 20188
Tan Zhongyi2522Ju Wenjun2571½–½2018E37WCh Women 20189

Translation from German: Macauley Peterson

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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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