Game 4: Ju survives heavy English pressure, its 2-2 @ Shanghai
World champion Ju Wenjun survived a big scare, but managed to hold Challenger Tan Zhongyi in game 4 of the FIDE Women’s World Championship at Shanghai. The scores remain tied 2-2 with 8 games to go. The 81 move five hour battle stretching till bare kings, shows the tremendous fighting spirit of both the Grandmasters.
Early into the game Ju Wenjun played Stockfish’s choice 3. …Ba5, with the games database picking up Giri-Kramnik, 2018, and after 4. g3 Ju Wenjun went into deep thought before settling for 4. …c5. Further on, the game slowly moved on to a rook and minor piece with four pawns where Tan continued to exert pressure on white. The Challenger made the champion to sweat it out before complete liquidation resulted in a dead draw position of K vs K.
From closely knit rating bracket to spilling blood in the field, very little separates these two GMs who go all out to dish out a great fare to the paying public. The FIDE Women’s World Championship match holds a total prize fund of Euros 500,000 and the winner will be the first to reach 6.5 points. The fifth game is scheduled to begin by Wednesday, 9th April 2025, at 3 PM local time.
Tan Zhongyi (2555) – Ju Wenjun (2561) 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Qb3 Ba5 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. e3 Nge7 7. Nge2 O-O 8. O-O a6 9. d4 cxd4 10. exd4 d5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Be3 Bxc3 13. Nxc3 Na5 14. Qb4 Nac6 15. Qc5 b6 16. Qa3 Be6 17. Rac1 Nf5 18. Bf4 Nfxd4 19. Rfd1 Nb5 20. Nxb5 axb5 21. Qb3 Ne7 22. Qxb5 Rxa2 23. Bc7 Qa8 24. Bd6 Ra5 25. Qb4 Ra4 26. Qb3 Ra7 27. Rc7 Rxc7 28. Bxc7 Qc6 29. Qxb6 Qc2 30. Bf3 Bf5 31. Bf4 Be4 32. Rc1 Qd3 33. Bxe4 Qxe4 34. Qe3 Qxe3 35. Bxe3 f6 36. Rc7 Nf5 37. Bc5 Rd8 38. Kf1 Nd6 39. b4 Ne4 40. Bb6 Rb8 41. Ba5 Rb5 42. Ke2 Nd6 43. Ra7 Nc4 44. Kd3 Ne5+ 45. Kc2 d4 46. Kb3 Rd5 47. Bb6 d3 48. Ra1 Nf3 49. Rd1 Kf7 50. Kc3 d2 51. Be3 Ke6 52. Bxd2 Nxh2 53. Re1+ Kd7 54. Be3 Ng4 55. Bc5 Ne5 56. Ra1 Ke6 57. f4 Nd7 58. Re1+ Kf5 59. Kc4 Rd2 60. Re7 Nxc5 61. bxc5 g5 62. fxg5 fxg5 63. Rxh7 Rc2+ 64. Kd4 Rd2+ 65. Kc4 Rc2+ 66. Kb5 Rc3 67. c6 Rxg3 68. c7 Rc3 69. Kb6 Kf4 70. Rf7+ Ke4 71. Rg7 Kf4 72. Rg6 Rxc7 73. Kxc7 g4 74. Kd6 g3 75. Kd5 Kf3 76. Kd4 g2 77. Kd3 Kf2 78. Rf6+ Ke1 79. Rg6 Kf2 80. Rxg2+ Kxg2 81. Ke4 1/2-1/2
Picture Courtesy: Anna Shtourman at https://www.fide.com/
Official Site: https://womenworldchampionship2025.fide.com/
