[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "Shanghai, China"] [Date "2023.07.09"] [Round "4"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Lei, Tingjie"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2564"] [BlackElo "2554"] [Annotator "WGM Tatev Abrahamyan"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D24"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Accepted"] [StudyName "2023 Women's World Championship"] [ChapterName "Ju, Wenjun - Lei, Tingjie (Tatev)"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/BMAKJZpP"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 { 2 Normally a Catalan player, Ju decides to repeat what she played in game two. } 4... dxc4 { Lei is first to deviate. The only other time she has played this move was in 2017. } (4... c5 { 2 was her choice in game two: } 5. e3 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 cxd4 8. exd4 Bd6 { which was a draw in Ju – Lei, Shanghai (2), 2023. }) 5. e4 { White plays the most challenging move for Black to face. } (5. e3 { is the tamer option, which Lei has faced before. } 5... c5 (5... a6 { is a clever move, waiting for White to capture on c4 to gain a tempo with ... b7-b5. }) 6. Bxc4 cxd4 7. exd4 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. d5 exd5 10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. Bxd5 Bf6 12. Qb3 Nc6 13. Rd1 Qb6 14. Qxb6 axb6 15. Bg5 Bxb2 16. Rab1 Bf6 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Rxb6 Rxa2 20. Rxc6 Be6 21. Rcd6 Rb8 22. Rd8+ Rxd8 23. Rxd8+ Kg7 24. h3 Ra1+ 25. Kh2 Ra2 26. Kg3 Ra3 27. Rd2 Ra2 28. Rd3 f5 { was a draw in Guo – Lei, Riadh, 2017. }) 5... b5!? { This trendy line has been tried out by many top players including Caruana, Firouzja, Nepomniachtchi and Jeffery Xiong (who played it quite consistently for some time). There are no games in the database of Ju facing this line. } (5... Bb4 6. Bg5 { is the Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined with major theory and some sharp lines. }) 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 { Already, we see an interesting and rich position. Black's pawn structure is quite ugly with the doubled and isolated pawns, not to mention that three out of her first seven moves were done with the same knight, which ended up on b6. On the upside, Black does get the long diagonal for the light-squared bishop and play against White's backwards d4-pawn. } 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O Be7 10. Be3 (10. Qd2 { This move is quite challenging for Black. The idea is to transfer the queen to g4 and attack the black king. The game that attracted me to this line for Black was Jeffery Xiong's quick victory from 2019: } 10... Bb7 11. Rd1 Qd7 12. Qf4 g5 13. Nxg5 Bxg5 14. Qxg5 Ne7 15. d5 Nbxd5 16. a4 Rg8 17. Qd2 a6 18. Nd4 O-O-O 19. f3 Ng6 20. Bxc4 c5 21. Nc2 Nh4 22. Ne1 Rxg2+ 23. Qxg2 Nxg2 24. Nxg2 Qc7 25. Bh6 Qxe5 26. Rac1 Rg8 27. Bf1 Qf6 28. Rxc5+ Kb8 { and White resigned in Erdos – Xiong, Saint Louis, 2019. }) 10... O-O 11. Nc3 Rb8 12. b3 { After a four minute think, Ju decides to offer a pawn exchange. This might feel counterintuitive as the c4-pawn is a clear weakness in Black's camp. } (12. a3 { was played by Radjabov during the 2022 Candidates against Firouzja. Now that it has been revealed that he is helping Lei, the opening choice is less surprising as he must know it quite well having faced it with White. } 12... Na5 13. Qc2 Nd5 14. Rad1 Ba6 15. Bd2 Nb3 $13 { was an unclear game that led to a draw in Radjabov – Firouzja, Madrid, 2022. }) 12... cxb3 13. axb3 { The pawn trade stops any ...Nc6-b4-d3 ideas and also opens the a-file for the rook. } 13... Bb7 14. Qb1 Nb4 15. Ne4 (15. Rxa7 { Of course, White can grab the pawn but Black gets quick counterplay. } 15... N6d5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Nd2 Ra8 18. Rxa8 Qxa8 19. Bf3 Bxf3 20. Nxf3 Nd5 { White's extra pawn isn't impressive, as the knight on d5 is a beautiful blockading piece. }) 15... h6 { This is the engine's top line and an improvement on a previous game played in this position. The idea is to stop a knight from going to g5. Once again, we see Lei's excellent preparation. } (15... a6 16. Neg5 g6 { Provoking this move creates some weaknesses in Black's camp. } 17. Rc1 Bc6 18. h4 Bb5 19. Bxb5 axb5 20. h5 $16 Qd7 21. Qe4 N4d5 22. Qh4 Bd8 23. Qh3 Bxg5 24. Nxg5 f5 25. hxg6 f4 26. Bd2 Rf5 27. Qxh7+ Qxh7 28. gxh7+ Kh8 29. Nxe6 f3 30. g4 Rf7 31. Ng5 { and Black resigned in Daytyan – Azarov, Cattolica, 2022. }) 16. Rxa7 { Ju finds nothing better than to finally grab this pawn. } 16... N6d5 17. Bd2 Nc6 18. Ra1 Ndb4 19. Be3 Nd5 { Lei reached this position without spending any time. Her first think of the game was at this moment, where she spent three minutes. } 20. Bc1 Ra8 { Black utilizes the open a-file. She has long-term compensation for the pawn and does not need to feel the pressure or trying to win it back. } 21. Rd1 Rxa1 22. Qxa1 Ncb4 (22... Qa8 { Black doesn't have to be afraid of exchanging even more pieces; the blockade on d5 is very strong and it is hard to see how White will ever make anything of her extra pawn. }) 23. Nc5 Bc6 24. Bd2 Qb8 25. Qa5 (25. Qc1!? { This is the top move that comes to my mind when I look at this position. With most of Black's pieces on the queenside, it makes sense to switch gears and try to go after the king. } 25... Na2 { is the most logical way of disturbing White. } (25... Kh7 { is another human approach to prevent Bd2-h6, but White meets it with } 26. h3! { with the idea of Nf3-h2-g4. I can see this position getting annoying for Black if the knight manages to get to g4. }) (25... Qb6 { The engine cold-bloodedly ignores the threat of the Bd2-h6 sacrifice. } 26. Bxh6 Na2! (26... gxh6? 27. Qxh6 { followed by Nc5-e4-g5 will lead to checkmate. }) 27. Qd2 Nac3 28. Re1 Nxe2+ 29. Rxe2 Rb8 { Only an engine can suggest such moves and evaluate the position as equal. The idea is to offer a queen trade, followed by capturing the c5-knight and the b3-pawn. }) 26. Qc4 Qb6 27. Ra1 { Now Black has to be precise. } 27... Ndb4 $13 { An only move! I am not sure how natural it is for Black to play with a knight stuck on a2, but at the same time it is hard to suggest improvements for White. } (27... Nab4 28. Nxe6 { An amazing tactical shot! } 28... fxe6 29. Bxb4 { There is no good way to recapture without losing material! } 29... Bxb4 (29... Nxb4 30. Qxe6+ Rf7 31. Bc4 $18) (29... Qxb4 30. Qxc6) 30. Ra6 $18) (27... Ra8 { runs into } 28. Na4 Bxa4 29. bxa4 $16 { when the trade clearly favors White as she now has a passed pawn. })) 25... Rd8 26. Rc1 Qb6 { Lei correctly offers a queen exchange. } 27. Qxb6 (27. Qa1 { only invites the Black rook into the game. } 27... Ra8 28. Qb2 Ra2 29. Qb1 Qa7 $13) 27... cxb6 28. Na6 (28. Ne4 Nf4 29. Bxf4 Bxe4 { There is no way for White to make progress as Black maintains her grip. }) 28... Bb7 29. Nc7 g5 30. h3 Nf4 31. Bxf4 gxf4 { Lei continues playing the computer's top suggestion. With the knight on c7, the f4-pawn cannot be targeted. } 32. Nb5 Bc6 33. Kf1 Kf8 34. Rd1 Ra8 35. Nc3 Na2 { Now Black is the one looking for activity. } 36. Nxa2 Rxa2 37. Ne1 Rb2 38. Nd3 Rxb3 39. Nxf4 { Some major changes have happened in the structure, but the bishop pair and the passed b-pawn give Black plenty of compensation. } 39... Ba3 40. d5 exd5 41. Nxd5 Bc5 { The correct decision to keep the bishp pair. } (41... Bxd5 { Black can immediately enter an opposite-colored bishop endgame. } 42. Rxd5 Ke7 43. f4 { I think this comes with some risk as the b-pawn won't move very fast, but if White manages to get the pawn to f6, Black's f7-pawn will fall shortly. }) 42. Nf6 Rb2 { Due to the f2-weakness, White can't really make progress. } 43. f4 Rb4 44. g3 Rb3 45. Nd7+ Bxd7 46. Rxd7 Rxg3 { With an equal number of pawns, the opposite-colored bishop endgame isn't scary. } 47. Bg4 (47. Bh5 Be7) 47... Re3 48. Kg2 Be7 49. Rb7 f6 { Lei chooses the most concrete continuation. } 50. e6 h5 51. Bf5 h4 52. Bg4 (52. Rxb6 { White will lose the pawn back immediately. } 52... Rg3+ 53. Kh2 Rf3 54. Rb8+ Kg7 55. Re8 Bb4 56. e7 Re3) 52... Rg3+ 53. Kf2 Bc5+ 54. Kf1 Be7 55. Ke2 (55. Rxb6 f5 56. Bxf5 Rf3+ 57. Ke2 Rxf4 { Black has a fortress. }) 55... Rb3 56. f5 b5 57. Kd2 b4 58. Rb8+ Kg7 59. Re8 Bd6 60. Rd8 (60. e7 Bf4+ 61. Kc2 Re3 { winning the pawn with ... Bf4-d6. }) 60... Be7 61. Re8 Bd6 62. Rd8 Be7 63. Re8 { Draw agreed. } 1/2-1/2