[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2023.07.22"] [Round "12.1"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Lei, Tingjie"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2564"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackElo "2554"] [BlackTeam "China"] [Annotator "WGM Tatev Abrahamyan"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D04"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/juP2uN7S"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 { For the final game of the match, Ju chooses a quiet system to avoid theoretical confrontations. This approach has served her well in the match. } 3... c5 4. dxc5 (4. Bd3 e6 5. b3 Nc6 6. Bb2 cxd4 7. exd4 g6!? { was seen in game five of the Candidates Finals. Lei won this game convincingly as Black. } 8. O-O Bg7 9. Ba3 Ne4 10. Re1 f5 11. c3 Bd7 12. Qc2 Rc8 13. Qb2 g5 $17 { and Black won on move 38 in Tan – Lei, Chongqing, 2023. }) 4... e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 axb4 7. cxb4 b6 { This is a typical pawn break for these structures. White won't be able to hang on to her extra pawn. } 8. Bb5+ (8. cxb6 Bxb4+ 9. Bd2 Qxb6 { Black's position is quite comfortable here. }) (8. a4 bxc5 9. b5 { White could have reached the same structure with the light-squared bishops on the board. However, since Black has more space in the center, the presence of the bishop pair would be more favorable. } 9... c4 10. Be2 Nbd7 11. O-O Bb4 12. Bd2 Qa5 13. Qc2 O-O 14. Nc3 Qc7 15. Rfb1 Ba5 16. e4 Bb7 17. exd5 exd5 $17 { with an advantage for Black that he converted to a win on move 33 in So – Carlsen, Chess.com, 2017. }) 8... Bd7 9. Bxd7+ { A quick and efficient way for White to finish her development. } 9... Nbxd7 10. a4 bxc5 11. b5 { The players reached this position rather quickly. In the long run, the position is quite dangerous for Black, as White's connected passed pawns can become quite dangerous. Indeed, some endgames will just be lost. On the other hand, Black does have a nice center and a very solid structure. Since White's passed pawns won't be moving anytime soon, it gives Black some time to look for active play. } 11... Qc7 (11... g5!? { One of the engine's top suggestions. This move has been tried by Grischuk, So and Xiong in rapid online games, but given the frequency and seriousness of those tournaments, we know that players prepare quite extensively for them. I wonder if Lei was familiar with this idea, because it feels to be very much in the spirit of how she likes to play. } 12. Bb2 (12. Nxg5 Rg8 13. Nf3 Rxg2 { is a huge success for Black, as the white king will be more vulnerable here. }) 12... Bd6 13. Qe2 g4 14. Nfd2 Qc7 15. f4 gxf3 16. Nxf3 Rg8 17. O-O Ke7 $13 { was unclear, although Black won on move 48 in Le – So, Chess24.com, 2021. }) 12. Bb2 Bd6 13. O-O O-O { Lei chooses the more standard route of developing her pieces. } (13... g5 { is still possible here and has been played in four correspondence games. The fact that this is a main move in this very normal looking position is an indication that the computer is worried about the long term implications of this structure. } 14. g3 g4 15. Nh4 Be5 16. Nc3 Rg8 17. Qc2 h5 $13) 14. Nbd2 Rfc8 15. Qc2 { White's idea is straightforward: Bb2-c3, Rf1-b1 and push the pawns. } 15... c4? { Too committal and strategically bad. Lei is looking for counterplay with ... Nd7-c5-d3, but this pawn push makes it impossible for her center to move in the future as it fixes the structure. } (15... e5!? { would force White to make some decisions here as ... e5-e4 is a threat. } 16. e4 (16. Rfb1 e4 17. Bxf6 exf3 18. Bb2 Bxh2+ 19. Kf1 fxg2+ 20. Kxg2 { is some kind of strange computer line that is apparently equal. }) 16... c4 { Compared to the game, Black is able to play ... d5-d4 here. } 17. Rfc1 (17. exd5? c3 $19) 17... Bb4 $13 { We can keep following the top computer line. All the moves are pretty forced. } 18. Bc3 Bxc3 19. Qxc3 dxe4 20. Ng5 { Perhaps Lei considered this line and was afraid of losing her queenside and leaving White with the two passed pawns; it's a difficult position to evaluate over the board. } 20... Qb7 $13) 16. Bc3 Nc5 17. a5 Nb3 18. Bxf6?! { After a 15-minute think, Ju chooses the most concrete continuation, changing the flow of the game. } (18. Ra2 { Simple and strong. The pawn is untouchable and the option of capturing on f6 is still in the air. } 18... Qc5 (18... Nxa5 19. Rfa1 $18) 19. b6 { The pawn is still forbidden unless Black gives up the Exchange with } 19... Rxa5 20. Bxa5 Nxa5 { Perhaps Ju was unsure of this position and didn't like giving up her dark-squared bishop, thus opening the path of the c-pawn. } 21. Rb1 { However, White still manages to hang on to the other pawn and maintain her advantage. }) 18... Nxa1 (18... gxf6? 19. Nxb3 cxb3 20. Qxb3 $18) 19. Bxa1 Qxa5 { Lei must have been quite happy about this turn of events as her chances in this imbalanced position are as good. } 20. Qc3 (20. Kh1) 20... Qxc3 21. Bxc3 Rcb8 22. Nd4 e5? { A costly mistake. Again, Lei chooses the most concrete variation. I am not sure what is behind this decision: nerves, ambition or simply wanting to get rid of this b5-pawn that has been sitting there since move 11. } (22... Ra3 23. Bb2 (23. Nb1 Raa8) 23... Ra2 24. Bc3 { I don't think White has anything better than to repeat. } 24... Ra3) (22... g6 { preparing ... e6-e5. } 23. e4 { White will quickly break apart the pawn structure. If she hangs on to the b5-pawn, Black will be in trouble. } 23... e5 (23... Bc5 24. exd5 exd5 25. N2f3 { This position looks dangerous for Black as the pawns are blocked and the c3-bishop can be rerouted to the h2-b8 diagonal. }) 24. Nc6 Rxb5 25. exd5 Rxd5 26. Ne4 { With tactics, White will collect the pawns. } 26... Rd3 27. Nxd6 Rxc3 28. Nxe5 Ra5 29. Nexc4 (29. Nexf7 { this looks a bit risky as the c4-pawn will start moving }) 29... Ra6 { Black will play ... Ra6-c6 next and trade the rook for the knights. }) 23. Nf5 Bf8 24. Bxe5 Rxb5 25. g4 g6 26. Nd4 Rb2 (26... Rb6 { Black needs to sit tight. The idea is to eventually cause some kind of disruption to White's pieces with ... f7-f6. } 27. g5 Bg7 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Nb1 Ra1 30. Nc3 Rxf1+ 31. Kxf1 { The endgame still looks good for White, but without a pair of rooks, it looks more manageable for Black. It is also important to keep in mind that king and two knights vs a king is a draw! }) 27. Nb1 { A nice maneuver! The knight is headed to c3, where it will attack the backwards d5-pawn. } 27... Bg7 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Nc3 Ra5 30. Rd1 { The presence of the rook pair favors White greatly as Black will be unable to defend her pawns. Ju converts this endgame with great technique. } 30... Rb6 31. Nde2 Rb3 32. Kg2 h6 33. Kf3 f6 34. Rc1 Kf7 35. Nf4 { Now the d5-pawn falls. } 35... d4 36. exd4 g5 37. Ne2 f5 { Lei is looking for some activity, but White's pieces are well coordinated. } 38. gxf5 Rxf5+ 39. Ke3 g4 40. Nf4 Rb8 41. d5 Rf6 42. Rc2 Ra8 43. Nb5 Rb6 44. Nd4 Ra3+ 45. Ke4 c3 46. Nfe2 Rb2 { White doesn't mind exchanging the pair of rooks now as she will pick up the c3 -awn too and march the d-pawn down the board. } 47. Kd3 Rb1 (47... Rxc2 48. Nxc2 { Black can't attack White's pawns. } 48... Ra5 49. Nxc3 $18) 48. Nxc3 Rh1 49. f3 gxf3 50. Nxf3 { Everything is perfectly safe is White's position. } 50... Rf1 51. Nd4 Ke7 52. Kc4 Rf4 53. Rb2 Rh4 54. Rb7+ Kf6 55. Rb2 Ra8 56. Kc5 Rh3 57. Ncb5 Re3 58. d6 Ke5 59. Nc6+ Ke4 60. d7 Rd3 61. Nd6+ Kf4 62. Rb8 { Congratulations to Ju Wenjun on retaining her title with this clutch victory! Overall, it was a highly contested match with a high level preparation and fighting chess. } 1-0