[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "Chongqing"] [Date "2023.07.18"] [Round "9"] [White "Lei, Tingjie"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2554"] [BlackElo "2564"] [Annotator "IM Nazi Paikidze"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/mhHoL53i"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 { Exciting to see the Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation. The Sicilian has been in Ju's repertoire for a while, but this is its first appearance in the match. } 6. Nxc6 (6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 { could have transposed to the Sveshnikov Sicilian. Black usually plays this move order when they want to avoid variations of the Sveshnikov such as 7. Nd5, which has been trendy since the 2018 match between Caruana and Carlsen. }) 6... bxc6 7. e5 (7. Bd3 d5 8. O-O { is the other main line in this opening. }) 7... Nd5 8. Ne4 (8. Nxd5 cxd5 9. Bd3 Qc7 10. Qe2 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 { White cannot castle and the position is equal. } (11. c3?? { would be a huge blunder: } 11... Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qxc3+ $19)) 8... Bb7 (8... Qc7 { Black is provoking f2-f4, after which the dark squares on White's kingside become vulnerable. } 9. f4 Qb6 { The line continues with } 10. c4 Bb4+ 11. Ke2 f5 $13 { This is a complicated position with hundreds of games in the database. The evaluation is close to equal, with a slight edge for White (even with the king on e2!). }) 9. Be2 (9. c4 Nb4 10. c5 Qb8 11. f4 Ba6 $13 { A few players worth mentioning who have played this position as White: Caruana and Duda! }) 9... c5 10. a3 $146 { A novelty! It is a prophylactic move against ... Nd5-b4, as White is preparing to play c2-c4. } (10. O-O { There are still a few hundred games in the database after this move. } 10... Qc7 11. Nd6+ Bxd6 12. exd6 Qc6 13. f3 $14 { This is a slightly better position for White, who still enjoys the pair of bishops. }) 10... Rc8 11. c4 { Instead of retreating the knight back, Ju Wenjun came up with a creative solution: } 11... Ne3! 12. Bxe3 Bxe4 13. O-O (13. Bf3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 d5 15. exd6 Bxd6 16. O-O-O { This is a double-edged position that is objectively equal, but the play is for three results! }) 13... Be7 14. Bf3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 O-O 16. Rad1 f6 { Since Black can't break through with the d-pawn, f-pawn it is! } (16... d6?? 17. exd6 Bxd6 18. Bf4 e5 19. Bxe5 $18) 17. Qg3 fxe5 18. Qxe5 Bf6 19. Qd6 Bxb2 { The position is already equal. White has a choice between taking the c- or d-pawn, but either way, Black is comfortable. } 20. Bxc5 (20. Qxd7 Qxd7 21. Rxd7 Rf7) 20... Rf7 21. Rb1 Be5!? { Another example of creative problem solving. Black is forcing the trade of the bishops. } (21... Bf6 { was also possible. }) 22. Qxe5 Rf5 23. Qd6 Rfxc5 { Both sides have equally weak pawns, and the all-heavy-piece endgame is equal. } 24. Rb7 R5c7 25. Rfb1 Rxc4 26. g3 { Black gets to be up a pawn, but White's compensation is clear: active pieces and the rook on the seventh rank. } 26... R4c7 27. Kg2 a5 28. a4 h6 29. h4 Kh8 30. R1b2 Kh7 31. h5 Kh8 { By moving the king back and forth, Black is showing that they can hold the position easily with a passive defense. } 32. R2b5 Rxb7 33. Rxb7 Qf6 34. Rxd7 Rf8 35. f4 Rc8 36. Qd4 { It's time to exchange queens before Black's rook and queen team up against White's open king. } 36... Qxd4 37. Rxd4 Kg8 { It's officially an endgame, which means it is time for the king to come back to the center. } 38. Re4 Rc2+ 39. Kf3 Ra2 40. Kg4 Ra3 41. Rxe6 Rxa4 42. Kf5 { In this rook ending, both players showed precise play. } 42... Kh7 43. Ra6 Ra1 44. Ra7 a4 45. Ra8 a3 46. g4 Ra2 47. g5 hxg5 48. fxg5 g6+! { Sacrificing a pawn in order to double White's passed pawns. } 49. hxg6+ Kg7 50. Ra7+ Kg8 51. g7 Rb2 52. Kg6 Rb6+ 53. Kh5 a2 54. Rxa2 Kxg7 55. Ra7+ Kg8 56. Ra8+ Kg7 57. Ra7+ Kg8 58. Ra8+ Kg7 59. Ra7+ { It is difficult to win a chess game if your opponent doesn't make any mistakes. In this game, neither of the players made any inacuracies. A draw was a fair result. } 1/2-1/2