Game 1: Tan Zhongyi holds Ju Wenjun for a comfortable draw

The Sicilian defence normally known for its attack and violence was a witness to a relatively quiet draw between World Champion Ju Wenjun and Challenger Tan Zhongyi at the FIDE Women’s World Championship, Shanghai. The match scores remain even 1/2-1/2 after first game with eleven to go.

Inaugurating the grand event making the first move was He Fengxiang, Director of the Chess and Card Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and President of China Qiyuan, along with Xu Bin, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau.

It’s all nerves when it comes to huge occasions and this world championship is no different. GMs Ju & Tan would want to start in a steady manner and have their account opened on the board right away. The Sicilian Defence, French Variation game didnt go through uncharted waters, with neither willing to take any risk. Early moves followed Carlsen – Erigaisi, 2023 but Zhongyi took a different approach than Erigaisi’s 8. …Be7, preferring 8. …g6.

Periodical liquidation after the opening phase saw the game move into an equal double rook and minor piece ending. With the pre tournament rule banning draws before 40 moves, the game concluded under three fold repetition on the 39th move. The world champion Ju Wenjun called the drawn first game, “a very reasonable result,” while Challenger Tan Zhongyi appeared visibly happy to take home half a point with black pieces.

This Shanghai/Chongqing match could be looked as a 2018 world championship re-match between the same players, except that both have become richer in experience. Je Wenju now holds four world championship titles to Tan Zhonyi’s one. Nothing much separates both the players and their ELO rating matches quite evenly.

The match holds a total prize fund of Euros 500,000 and the winner will be the first to reach 6.5 points. The second game is scheduled to begin Friday, 4th April 2025, at 3 PM local time.

Ju Wenjun (2561) – Tan Zhongyi (2555) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bf4 d5 8. Nd2 g6 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Be7 11. O-O a5 12. Qe2 O-O 13. Rad1 Nd7 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. c4 Ne5 16. exd5 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 cxd5 18. Qe3 Qg5 19. Qxg5 hxg5 20. cxd5 exd5 21. Rfe1 Rb8 22. b3 g4 23. Nf1 a4 24. bxa4 Rb4 25. a5 Ra4 26. Rxd5 Be6 27. Rc5 Rxa2 28. Ne3 Ra8 29. Nd5 R8xa5 30. Rxa5 Rxa5 31. Nf4 Bf5 32. h3 gxh3 33. Nxh3 Bxh3 34. gxh3 Kg7 35. Kg2 Rg5+ 36. Kf3 Rf5+ 37. Kg2 Rg5+ 38. Kf3 Rf5+

39. Kg2 1/2-1/2

Picture Courtesy: Anna Shtourman at https://www.fide.com/

Official Site: https://womenworldchampionship2025.fide.com/