[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/YqojEAze"] [Date "2023.07.19"] [Round "10.1"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Lei, Tingjie"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2564"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackElo "2554"] [BlackTeam "China"] [Annotator "Abrahamyan"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A13"] [Opening "English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Wimpy System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/YqojEAze"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 { Lei deviates from her eighth game choice of 1...d5. } 2. c4 { Here a four minute think on the second move implies that Ju was surprised by her opponent's first move. } 2... e6 3. e3 d5 4. b3 { After a successful result in game eight, perhaps Ju has shifted her strategy to playing structures instead of challenging her well-prepared opponent to theoretical battles. } 4... c5 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. cxd5 { [#] White's idea is to trade on d5, followed by d2-d4, inflicting Black with an isolated pawn. } 6... exd5 { Black can try to avoid the IQP with } (6... Nxd5 { , but the downside is that developing the f8-bishop will be a problem as the g7-pawn is now a target. After } 7. Nc3 { Black already lacks a useful move! Play might continue } (7. Be2 { is weaker, allowing Black to develop the dark-squared bishop as the g2-pawn is loose, i.e., } 7... Bd6 8. Bxg7 Rg8 9. Bb2 Rxg2 { when things are unclear. }) 7... a6 { (waiting for White to commit to moving the f1-bishop) } 8. Ne4 { and this already looks somewhat annoying for Black, as at some point ...f7-f6 will need to be played and Black will also have to deal with the threat of Ra1-c1. }) 7. Be2 a6 { Keeping the option of ...d5-d4 to shut down the b2-bishop, while also preventing Be2-b5. The immediate } (7... d4 { has the additional problem of } 8. exd4 cxd4 9. Bb5 Bc5 10. Qe2+ Be6 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. Qe5 { forcing Black to give up the pawn, although with compensation. After } 12... Qd5 13. Bxd4 Qxe5+ 14. Bxe5 Nd5 15. O-O f6 16. Bd4 Be7 17. Nc3 { White was for choice in Keymer-Grischuk, Astana 2023. }) 8. d4 { Preventing ...d5-d4, and forcing the IQP. If alternatively } (8. O-O { it's now easier to play } 8... d4 { as Be2-b5 is no longer an issue. One recent example went } 9. exd4 cxd4 10. Re1 Be7 11. Na3 O-O 12. Nc4 Bf5 13. Nfe5 Nb4 14. d3 b5 15. Nd2 Rc8 { and Black was already significantly ahead in Potkin-Najer, Moscow 2021. }) 8... cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bb4+ { Of course, Black can immediately play ...Bf8-d6, but this is an annoying check to deal with, as it forces White to misplace one of her pieces. } 10. Bc3 { After } (10. Nc3 Ne4 11. Rc1 Qa5 12. Qd3 (12. Qc2 { is worse due } 12... Nxd4 13. exd4 Bd7 { followed by Ra8-c8 }) 12... Ne5 { Black gets the initiative. }) 10... Bd6 { This is a small achievement for Black, as White would rather have the knight on c3. } 11. Nd2 O-O 12. O-O Re8 { [#] We have reached a pretty standard IQP position, with the big exception of the placement of the d2-knight. While the d5-pawn is a long term weakness, it does give Black more space. Generally speaking the side that has the IQP looks for active piece play and potentially a kingside attack, while the side playing against the IQP is happy to trade minor pieces and enter an endgame. } 13. Bb2 { Alternatively White can choose to transition to a hanging pawns structure with } (13. Nxc6 bxc6 { , but with the knight misplaced on d2, this is comfortable for Black as the standard plan to pressure the pawns with Ra1-c1 and Nc3-a4 is not possible. } 14. Qc2 a5 15. Rac1 Bd7 { leaves both sides with equal chances. }) 13... Bd7 14. N2f3 { This move looks very logical, but it's not ideal here as it cedes the e4-square to its counterpart. Perhaps White can try to make useful moves and wait for Black to make some kind of committal decision with } (14. a3 Qe7 15. b4 { and already White wants to capture on c6, as after ...b7xc6 she will have control of the c5-square. }) 14... Ne4 15. Nd2 { Admitting one's mistake by "retracting" a move is psychologically very difficult! The alternative } (15. Rc1 Qf6 { followed by Qf6-h6 would give Black the initiative. }) 15... Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Re6 { [#] With the not-so-subtle threat of ...Bd6xh2. } 17. f4 { White has to deal with the threat, but the downside of this move is the weakening of the e3-pawn. What are the alternatives? } (17. Rc1?? { shows us Black's idea: } 17... Bxh2+ 18. Kxh2 Qh4+ 19. Kg1 Rh6 { and game over. }) (17. g3 Rg6 { with the idea of Qh4 }) (17. h3? { only gives Black a target on the kingside with } 17... Rg6) (17. Nxe4 dxe4 { solves Black's problem of the isolated pawn, and she no longer has any structural issues. }) 17... Bc5 { Lei chooses the most forcing continuation after an eight minute think. } 18. Nxe4 Bxd4 19. Qxd4 Rxe4 20. Qxd5 Rxe3 21. Bc4 Re7 22. Qxb7 { [#] This is the position Lei had to evaluate when she played 17...Bc5, as everything up until now was forced. Black has given up a pawn but will have good compensation due to the activity of the rooks. White's king is slightly weak because of the f4-pawn -- she would love to be able to put the pawn back on f2! } 22... Bb5 23. Qd5 Rd7 { Accurate. The point is to force White to recapture on c4 with a pawn. To wit: } (23... Bxc4 24. Qxc4 Qb6+ 25. Kh1 Rae8 { and while Black has enough for the pawn even here, White no longer has the isolated c-pawn to worry about. }) 24. Qe5 Qb6+ 25. Kh1 Bxc4 26. bxc4 Qc6 { With the dual threats of ...Qc6xc4 and ...Rd7-d2. } 27. Rfe1 { If } (27. Rac1 Rd2 28. Rg1 Rxa2 { White still loses a pawn but under worse circumstances, as the g1-rook cannot move }) 27... h6 { Not } (27... Qxc4?? 28. Qe8+ Rxe8 29. Rxe8#) 28. Rac1 Rad8 { Now ...Rd7-d2 is coming, and White won't be able to hang on to the extra pawn for much longer. } 29. h3 (29. Qe4 { is met with } 29... Qxe4 30. Rxe4 Rd2 31. c5 Rc2!) 29... Rd2 30. Re2 Rd1+ 31. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 32. Kh2 Qxc4 33. Qe8+ Kh7 34. Qe4+ Qxe4 35. Rxe4 Rd5 { The resulting endgame is completely equal. } 36. Ra4 a5 37. Kg3 g5 38. fxg5 hxg5 39. Kf3 Kg6 40. Ke4 Rb5 41. g4 f5+ 42. gxf5+ Rxf5 43. Ke3 Kh5 44. Ke2 Re5+ 45. Kf3 Rf5+ 46. Ke3 Re5+ 47. Kf3 Rf5+ { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2