[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "Chongqing"] [Date "2023.07.15"] [Round "7"] [White "Lei, Tingjie"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2554"] [BlackElo "2564"] [Annotator "IM Nazi Paikidze"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B18"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/DIriaEIZ/v6Z3alhf"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c6 { Caro-Kann! What a surprise! } 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 { So far the players have been following the classical main line. } 7... e6 { This move used to be considered incorrect, because it allows White to play Nf3-e5. However, recently it's been played on the highest level with good results. It must be opening preparation by the modern engines! } (7... Nd7 { is still the most popular move. }) 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nd7 11. Qe2 { A rare move. There are two other options for White with more games in the database: } (11. f4 Be7 12. Bd2 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bxh4 14. O-O-O $44) (11. Bf4 Nxe5 12. Bxe5 Qa5+ 13. c3 Nf6 14. O-O Ng4 $13) 11... Ngf6 12. O-O { Lei played the opening fast, making rare moves but possibly still in her prep. } (12. Bd2 { is a more popular move. } 12... c5 13. Nxd7 Qxd7 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. O-O-O Qa4 16. Bc3 $14 { was seen in Nepomniachtchi – Socko, Warsaw, 2021. }) 12... Be7 13. Rd1 $146 { A new position according to the database, but Black looks solid. White didn't get any advantage out of the opening. } 13... O-O 14. c4 Qa5?! { Finding a good square for the queen isn't simple. Let's take a look at other options: } (14... Qc7 15. Bf4 $14) (14... Qb6 15. Bf4 Rfd8 { with a plan to exchange knights on e5 and then double the rooks on the d-file. }) 15. Bf4 (15. Nxd7 Nxd7 16. d5! cxd5 17. cxd5 $14 { when White is better because of the weak e6-pawn. }) 15... Rad8 16. Rd3 { Looks like a logical move, but White had a better option: } (16. a3!? { Preparing b2-b4! } 16... Nxe5 17. dxe5 Nh7 (17... Nd7? 18. Nh5 $16 { with a deadly attack coming on the kingside }) 18. Ne4 $14) 16... Nxe5 17. dxe5 Nh7 18. Ne4 Rxd3 19. Qxd3 Bxh4 { Free pawn? } 20. Nd6 { White has a small amount compensation for the pawn because the knight on d6 is quite powerful. } 20... Qb6 21. Qe2?! (21. Qd2 Rd8 22. Be3 Qc7 23. Qd4 Bf6! 24. c5! $13 { was better, as the position is unclear. }) 21... Rd8 (21... Be7! { was more accurate, with the idea to get rid of White's good knight. }) 22. Be3 Qc7 23. Qh5 Bg5 24. f4 g6 { An important in-between move to protect the pawn on f7. } (24... Be7?? 25. Qxf7+ $18) 25. Qf3 Be7 26. c5 b6 27. b4 bxc5 28. bxc5 Rb8 29. g4?! { Too aggressive, weakening White's kingside and giving Black good chances for counterplay. } (29. Bf2 $14 { or another type of patient move would be much better. }) 29... Qa5! { Activating the queen! } 30. Rf1 Qc3 31. Ne4?! (31. Kh1 { this prophylactic move was necessary. }) 31... Qd3 32. Kg2?! { Another inaccurate move, but White is out of good moves. } (32. Nf2 Qa3 33. Ne4 Rb2 $17) 32... Rb2+ 33. Bf2 Qd5! $19 { Black is about to win a pawn and keep a dominating position } 34. Rd1 Qxa2 35. f5 { A good try to complicate things in time trouble. } 35... exf5 36. gxf5 gxf5 { A bit risky. Black had a simpler continuation: } (36... Ng5! 37. Nxg5 Bxg5 38. fxg6 $140 Bh4 $19) 37. Qxf5 Qe6? { A bad move, but an understandable mistake. Both players were under five minutes on the clock, with three more moves to go until the time control. It can feel scary to have queens on the board with such open and vulnerable kings. } (37... Nf8 $19 { with the idea to play ... Nf8-g6 would have kept a big advantage for Black. }) 38. Qxe6 fxe6 39. Rd7 { White's rook has also made it to the seventh rank! } 39... Bh4 40. Kf1 Bxf2 41. Nxf2 a5 42. Ra7 Rb5 43. Nd3 Ng5 44. Ra6 Kf7 45. Rxc6 { The endgame is still preferable for Black, but very difficult to increase the advantage: } 45... Rb3?! (45... Ke7 $15) 46. Ke2 { From here on both players displayed accurate play and kept the equality on the board. } 46... a4 47. Ra6 a3 48. Nf4 Rc3 49. c6 Ke7 50. Kd2 Rc4 51. Nd3 Kf7 52. Rxa3 Rxc6 53. Nf4 Rc4 54. Ra7+ Kf8 55. Nh5 Nf3+ 56. Ke3 Nxe5 57. Nf4 Rc6 58. Ke4 Nc4 59. Ng6+ Ke8 60. Kd4 Nb6 61. Re7+ Kd8 62. Rh7 Nd7 63. Rxh6 e5+ 64. Nxe5 { One last tactical move! } 64... Rxh6 65. Nf7+ { Ju Wenjun certainly missed a great opportunity to win this game, but it was still nice to see a Caro-Kann and a long fight on the board! } 1/2-1/2