Women’s World Chess Championship 2020

[Hans Jung]

and game 10 whose pawns were worse? and rook and pawn endgames are always drawn (old saying) - definitely not here - Ju Wenjun was more accurate in the endgame. Who would have predicted Ju Wenjun would have won two in a row at this stage in the match? WoW!

[Wayne Komer]

Women’s World Chess Championship 2020

January 20, 2020

Game Ten

From FIDE:

After decisive outcomes in Games 8 and 9, with just three games left in the match, what could we expect to see today? Despite a heartbreaking loss in Game 9, should we still consider Aleksandra Goryachkina to be the favorite? After all, she had two games left with White, compared to Ju Wenjun's one. Would the Russian player's lack of experience in such high profile matches become a factor? Will Goryachkina attempt to take back what she felt was hers in the previous game?

The game began in an auspicious manner for Goryachkina, as the opponents mirrored Ganguly – L'Ami encounter that was played just yesterday at Wijk aan Zee. Goryachkina's (playing White) first opportunity to question Ju's preparation came on move 21. She could have opted for a natural Re5!, forcing Black to react with 22...f6, weakening the bishop on g6, and setting up dangerous play along the g-file for her rook. Instead, Goryachkina played a more pedestrian 21. Re3. It looked all but certain that the game was heading for a short draw, with players struggling to find sensible moves to reach the required 40-move minimum.

What happened to Goryachkina next had more to do with sports psychology than with chess itself. Starting around move 25, the game was a dead draw—a result she could have forced at any point all through the first time control. Instead, she made moves like 26. b5 and 38. Bd5, probing for an advantage that was simply not there.

Aleksandra did not appear to realize that she needed to be more careful and the position was not as one-sided in her previous games with White. At the press conference, Goryachkina admitted that she “blundered” 42...Be6 that in itself is still fine for White, but while chess engines continued to show zeros, the position suddenly became unpleasant to defend, especially against such a fine technical player as is Ju. By move 50, Goryachkina had to be extremely precise, something she was not able to keep up with in the approaching time trouble. Aleksandra collapsed with 53. Kb4?? whereas any other retreat left her some chances for a draw. Ju won and now is one point away from retaining her title.

Was it Goryachkina's lack of match experience? Was it Aleksandra's well-documented stubbornness that her coaching team couldn't overcome? Tomorrow's day off could not have come sooner for the challenger. Does she have it in her to get herself together and pull out a miracle come back in the last two rounds? We will find out this week.

https://www.fide.com/news/323

Game 10, January 20, 2020
Goryachkina, Aleksandra – Ju, Wenjun
D35 QGD, Exchange, positional line

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6 10.Nf3 Nd7 11.Nh4 Be7 12.Ne2 f5 13.g3 Bxh4 14.gxh4 Nf6 15.Nf4 Nh5 16.Kd2 Nxf4 17.exf4 Ke7 18.Be2 h5 19.Rae1 Kd6 20.Bd3 Rae8 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3 a5 23.a3 b6 24.b4 axb4 25.axb4 Ra8 26.b5 c5 27.dxc5+ bxc5 28.Rb1 Kc7 29.b6+ Kb7 30.Rb5 Rc8 31.Be2 f6 32.Ra5 Rc6 33.Ra7+ Kxb6 34.Rd7 Re6 35.Rxd5 Kc6 36.Bf3 Rd6 37.Rd3+ Kc7 38.Bd5 Be8 39.Kc3 Bb5 40.Rd2 Ra6 41.Bb3 Bd7 42.Rg2 Be6 43.Bxe6 Rxe6 44.Kd3 Kd6 45.Rg8 Kd5 46.Rd8+ Rd6 47.Rc8 Rd7 48.Rh8 c4+ 49.Kc3 Re7 50.Kd2 Ra7 51.Rxh5 Ra2+ 52.Kc3 Ra3+ 53.Kb4 Rb3+ 54.Ka4 Ke4 55.Rh8 Rb7 56.Rc8 Kd3 57.h5 c3 58.h6 c2 59.Ka3 Kd2 60.Rd8+ Kxe3 61.Rc8 Kd2 62.Rd8+ Kc1 0-1

Position after White’s 25.axb4




Position after Black’s 43…Rxe6




Score after Round Ten

Ju Wenjun 5.5
Aleksandra Goryachkina 4.5

with two games to go

[Wayne Komer]

Women’s World Chess Championship 2020

January 22, 2020

Game Eleven

Game 11 of the Women's World Championship Match ends in a draw after 40 moves. Defending champion Ju Wenjun is leading 6-5. In the final game on Jan 23, the challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina has White in a must-win situation.

With just two games remaining in the match, World Champion Ju Wenjun (playing white) today had a decision to make. Go for everything and finish Aleksandra Goryachkina off, or save some much-needed energy, and play calm, solid, risk-off chess.

Goryachkina, who prior to losing Games 9 and 10, had not lost consecutive games in nearly two years, was not sure what her opponent would do either.

All of these questions were very quickly resolved. By move 20, the only mystery left in the game was how quickly will the players reach the obligatory 40 moves. They managed to achieve this in just over an hour — by far the quickest game of this match. The first 10 games averaged 67 moves and nearly all were well into the fifth hour of play.

After the game, Goryachkina said that the rest day helped her to restore some much-needed equilibrium.

Game 12 Notes:

- Playing white, Goryachkina needs a win to force tie-breaks.

- Ju has had major problems with black the whole match. If this pattern continues, Goryachkina should be able to have serious chances to equalize.

- Last game heroics aren't new to World Championship Matches. In modern history, Kramnik vs. Leko (2004), and more famously Kasparov vs. Karpov (1987) both ended in dramatic decisive games.

https://www.fide.com/news/328

Game 11, Jan. 22
Ju, Wenjun – Goryachkina, Aleksandra
C67 Ruy Lopez, open Berlin Defence, l’Hermet variation

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.dxe5 Nxb5 7.a4 Nbd4 8.Nxd4 d5 9.exd6 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd6 11.Qe3+ Be6 12.Nc3 a6 13.Rd1 Qc6 14.Rd3 Bc5 15.Qg3 f6 16.Bf4 O-O 17.Bxc7 Bf5 18.Rd2 Rf7 19.Bf4 Bb4 20.Rad1 Bxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxc3 22.bxc3 Rc8 23.Rd8+ Rxd8 24.Rxd8+ Rf8 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.a5 Kf7 27.Kf1 Bxc2 28.Ke2 Ke6 29.Be3 Kd5 30.Bb6 Kc4 31.Kd2 Be4 32.g3 Bc6 33.f4 h5 34.h4 Kd5 35.Ke3 Ke6 36.Bc7 Kf5 37.Bb6 Bd7 38.Bc7 Ba4 39.Bb6 Kg4 40.Kf2 Bc6 1/2-1/2

Final Position




Score is now 6-5 in Ju Wenjun’s favour. Tomorrow’s game is for all the marbles.

[Wayne Komer]

Women’s World Chess Championship 2020

January 23, 2020

Game Twelve

From FIDE:

"The person that said winning isn’t everything, never won anything" —Mia Hamm

Aleksandra Goryachkina's (playing white) choice to open the game with 1.d4 d5. 2.Nc3 was strategically brilliant. In just two moves, she managed to completely take the World Champion Ju Wenjun out of her preparation. Ju spent 17 minutes contemplating her reply. At the same time, Goryachkina knew that she is likely to get the type of position that favored her style — positional and strategic, proving that one doesn’t have to go for hand-to-hand combat in a must-win.

In fact, black spent about 40 minutes on her first 10 moves. Goryachkina's ability to make her opponent work this much just out of the gate proved critical later in the game.

While Ju was spending time and energy figuring out what to do in an opening she has not played before, Goryachkina kept her cool. She was not precise, but she did not need to be. Ju's quasi-aggressive 10..Ne4 and 11..f5 could have been refuted by Goryachkina with more precise play. It was not, and by move 20 white's advantage appeared to have evaporated.

Pundits were down on Goryachkina's chances to exert any kind of pressure. Despite being low on time, it looked as if Ju's upcoming moves would be more straightforward and logical: Being short on time would not be a factor.

Despite objective equality on the board, Ju's nervous play appeared to catch up to her. She seemed adrift, not being sure what to do with her pieces. Black's sequence Qh5, Qg6, Qe4, h6 and Qh7 allowed White to consolidate and begin to probe Ju's position with 27.e4!

Once again, White did not need to be precise, as Black continued to drift with 28...Rc8 and 30..e3. It is worth noting that by move 28, both players were down to 12 minutes left until the time control, but their body language and play could not have been more different.

It became clear that the next ten moves will decide the game.

Ju looked exhausted and was not putting up much resistance. Black allowed exchanging all minor pieces, leaving Ju in a completely lost passive end game. Goryachkina converted with trademark calm and efficiency.

Tie-break and stray observations:

- Given today's performance, one wonders if Ju regrets not pushing harder with white in game 11.

- Ju has the 2nd highest rapid rating in the world. Goryachkina's rating is quite low, but she hasn't played rapid in a while.

- Having defeated the World Champion three times in twelve games, Goryachkina will not lack confidence in tie-breaks.

- Six decisive outcomes in a twelve game match have to be a record of some kind for the modern era.

https://www.fide.com/news/332

Game 12, Jan. 23
Goryachkina, Aleksandra – Ju, Wenjun
D00 Queen’s Pawn, Chigorin variation

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.Nb5 Na6 5.e3 Bb4+ 6.c3 Be7 7.a4 O-O 8.Bd3 c6 9.Na3 c5 10.Nf3 Ne4 11.h3 f5 12.Nb5 c4 13.Bxe4 fxe4 14.Ne5 Nb8 15.O-O a6 16.Na3 Nd7 17.Nc2 Qe8 18.f3 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 Bd7 20.Ne1 Qh5 21.Kh2 exf3 22.Nxf3 Be8 23.Qe1 Qg6 24.Bf4 Qe4 25.a5 h6 26.Nd2 Qh7 27.e4 dxe4 28.Be5 Rc8 29.Rxf8+ Bxf8 30.Qe2 e3 31.Nxc4 Bb5 32.b3 Qe4 33.Rf1 Qc6 34.Qxe3 Qe8 35.Qe2 Qg6 36.Rf3 Kh7 37.Qf2 Bc6 38.Rg3 Qf5 39.Qe2 Rd8 40.Ne3 Qf7 41.Qd3+ g6 42.Rg4 Bg7 43.Bxg7 Kxg7 44.Nc4 Bb5 45.Qg3 Bxc4 46.bxc4 Rd7 47.Re4 Qf6 48.Qe3 Rd6 49.c5 Rc6 50.Kg1 Qf5 51.Rf4 Qg5 52.h4 Qe7 53.Qe5+ Kg8 54.Rf6 Kh7 55.h5 gxh5 56.Qf4 e5 57.Qxh6+ Kg8 58.Qg6+ Kh8 59.Qxh5+ Kg8 60.Qg5+ 1-0

The match stands at 6-6

- Congrats to both women. Amazing match so far

- 6 games without a draw!!

___________

4. 3. 2. Tie-break

4. 3. 2. 1. A match of four (4) games is played with a time control of 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. There is a drawing of lots to decide which player starts with white.

4. 3. 2. 2. If the score is still level after the match described in Article 4. 3. 2. 1., another match of two (2) games is played with a time control of 5 minutes + 3 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. If the score is still level, another 2-game match is played with the same time control; this procedure may be repeated up to a total of five (5) 2-game matches. There is a drawing of lots to decide which player starts with white for each of the 2-game matches.

4. 3. 2. 3. If the score is still level after five (5) matches (ten games) described in Article 4. 3. 2. 2., one (1) sudden death game is played. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the colour. The player with the white pieces receives five (5) minutes; the player with the black pieces receives four (4) minutes whereupon; after the 60th move, both players receive an increment of 2 seconds per move starting from move 61. In case of a draw the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.

[Wayne Komer]

Women’s World Chess Championship 2020

January 24, 2020

Tie-Break

From FIDE:

Ju Wenjun wins Women's World Championship match

Ju Wenjun retains her Women's World Chess Champion title after winning the playoff against the challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina.

After battling during two weeks in a match split between Shanghai and Vladivostok, the classical part of the competition ended in a tie (6-6), with three victories each and six draws.

The playoff, played today in the Blue Hall amphitheater of the Far Eastern University in Vladivostok, consisted of four 25-minute rapid games. Goryachkina was very close to the victory in the first game, and she also dominated the second, but the challenger failed to convert her advantage on both occasions. On the third assault, Ju Wenjun followed the same opening as in the first game, but she introduced an improvement that allowed her a more aggressive approach. The Chinese Champion achieved a victory that put her ahead in the scoreboard for the third time in this match.

In the final game, Goryachkina, with the white pieces, was in a must-win situation, but this time she failed to pull out a miraculous win. The challenger played an audacious line that implied sacrificing a pawn in exchange for activity, and she managed to get the initiative. But the World Champion returned the material and managed to keep the balance, taking the game to a draw that was good enough to retain her crown.

The final score of the match is 6-6 in classical chess and 2.5-1.5 in rapid games in favor of Ju Wenjun. She becomes Women's World Chess Champion for the third time.

https://www.fide.com/news/333

Tiebreak
25+10
Game 1, Jan. 24
Ju, Wenjun – Goryachkina, Aleksandra
A07 Reti, King’s Indian Attack, Yugoslav variation

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.O-O Nd7 5.h3 Bh5 6.d4 e6 7.c4 Be7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nc3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Ngf6 11.Bf4 Nf8 12.Qb3 Qd7 13.Bg2 Ne6 14.Be3 O-O 15.Rad1 Ne8 16.Qa4 Qd8 17.Qc2 Nd6 18.f4 Re8 19.g4 Bf6 20.g5 Be7 21.Bc1 g6 22.e3 Nf5 23.Qf2 h5 24.a3 a5 25.Rfe1 Qb6 26.Bf1 Rad8 27.Bd3 Neg7 28.Na4 Qa7 29.b3 Nd6 30.Bb2 Ngf5 31.Nc5 b6 32.e4 Ng7 33.Na4 dxe4 34.Bxe4 Nxe4 35.Rxe4 b5 36.Nc3 Qd7 37.Kg2 b4 38.axb4 axb4 39.Na4 Qd5 40.Qf3 Nf5 41.Kf2 Bd6 42.Rxe8+ Rxe8 43.Qxd5 cxd5 44.Nb6 Bxf4 45.Nxd5 Bxg5 46.Nxb4 Bh4+ 47.Kg1 Re3 48.Nd3 Rxh3 49.d5 Be7 50.Rd2 g5 51.Be5 Nh4 52.Rd1 Nf3+ 53.Kg2 g4 54.d6 Bd8 55.d7 Nxe5 56.Nxe5 Rxb3 57.Nc6 Bc7 58.d8=Q+ Bxd8 59.Rxd8+ Kg7 60.Rd5 Rh3 61.Nd4 Kg6 62.Nf5 Ra3 63.Nh4+ Kh6 64.Nf5+ Kg6 65.Nh4+ Kh6 66.Nf5+ Kg6 67.Nh4+ Kh6 1/2-1/2

Tiebreak
25+10
Game 2, Jan. 24
Goryachkina, Aleksandra – Ju, Wenjun
D35 QGD, Exchange variation

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Rb1 Be7 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Nf3 Bxb5 10.Rxb5 b6 11.O-O O-O 12.Bf4 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nd7 14.Qe2 a6 15.Rb3 b5 16.Rd1 Rc8 17.d5 exd5 18.exd5 Re8 19.Qd2 Bc5 20.d6 h6 21.Rd3 Re4 22.Be3 Bxe3 23.Rxe3 Rxe3 24.Qxe3 a5 25.h3 b4 26.Nd4 Qg5 27.Qf3 g6 28.h4 Qh5 29.Qxh5 gxh5 30.Re1 Rc5 31.Re7 Rd5 32.Rxd7 Rxd4 33.Ra7 Rxd6 34.Rxa5 Rd2 35.Rxh5 Rxa2 36.Rxh6 b3 37.Rb6 b2 38.Kh2 b1=Q 39.Rxb1 Rxf2 40.Kg3 Ra2 41.Rb4 Kg7 42.Kf3 Rc2 43.g4 Rc6 44.h5 Rf6+ 45.Kg3 Rf1 46.Rb6 Ra1 47.Kh4 Ra5 48.h6+ Kg8 49.g5 Rf5 50.Kh5 Rf1 51.Rb8+ Kh7 52.Rf8 Rf2 53.Kg4 Rf1 54.Ra8 Rf2 55.Ra4 Kg8 56.Rf4 Ra2 57.Re4 Rf2 58.Re3 Rf1 59.Re2 Rg1+ 60.Kf4 Rf1+ 61.Ke5 Rg1 62.Kf5 Rf1+ 63.Kg4 Rg1+ 64.Kh4 Rh1+ 65.Kg3 Rg1+ 66.Rg2 Rxg2+ 67.Kxg2 Kh7 68.Kg3 f6 69.gxf6 Kxh6 70.f7 Kg7 71.Kf3 Kxf7 72.Ke4 1/2-1/2

Tiebreak
25+10
Game 3, Jan. 24
Ju, Wenjun – Goryachkina, Aleksandra
A07 Reti, King’s Indian Attack, Yugoslav variation

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.O-O Nd7 5.h3 Bh5 6.d4 e6 7.c4 Be7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nc3 Bxf3 10.exf3 Ngf6 11.h4 O-O 12.Bh3 Nb6 13.Qd3 Re8 14.b3 Nfd7 15.Re1 Bf6 16.Bd2 a5 17.Kg2 Nf8 18.Rxe8 Qxe8 19.Re1 Qd8 20.Nd1 Nbd7 21.Ne3 Qb6 22.Bc3 a4 23.b4 Ne6 24.Bxe6 fxe6 25.Ng4 Re8 26.f4 Qd8 27.h5 h6 28.Re3 Kh8 29.b5 Nb8 30.Qe2 cxb5 31.Qxb5 Qc8 32.Qxa4 Nc6 33.Bb2 Re7 34.Qc2 Qe8 35.Nxf6 gxf6 36.Ba3 Rg7 37.f5 e5 38.dxe5 fxe5 39.f6 Rg5 40.f4 Rxh5 41.fxe5 Qe6 42.Kg1 d4 43.Qg6 Qd7 44.e6 Qc7 45.Qxh5 1-0

Final Position



Tiebreak
25+10
Game 4, Jan. 24
Goryachkina, Aleksandra – Ju, Wenjun
D35 QGD, Exchange variation

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Rb1 Be7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Bd3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.O-O Nxd4 12.e5 f5 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Ba3 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Be7 16.Qh3 g6 17.Bb2 Bf6 18.Qg3 Bxb2 19.Rxb2 Qd4 20.Rc2 Qf4 21.Rc7 Qxg3 22.hxg3 Rf7 23.Rfc1 Bd7 24.Rxb7 Be8 25.Rb3 Rd8 26.Bc4 Re7 27.Re3 Bf7 28.Rce1 Rd6 29.Re5 Kg7 30.Bb3 h6 31.f4 h5 32.Kh2 Kf6 33.g4 hxg4 34.Kg3 Rd2 35.R1e3 Rb2 36.a3 Rd2 37.Bc4 Rc2 38.Be2 Rd7 39.Bxg4 Rdd2 40.Bf3 Rd7 41.Ra5 Rdc7 42.Ra6 R2c5 43.Bg4 R5c6 44.Rxc6 Rxc6 45.Bf3 Rc5 46.Kh4 g5+ 47.fxg5+ Rxg5 48.g4 Ra5 49.Be4 Re5 50.Rf3+ Kg7 51.Bc2 Bg6 52.Bb3 a5 53.Rc3 Kf6 54.Rf3+ Kg7 55.Kg3 Re4 56.Rc3 Kf6 57.Kf3 Rd4 58.Bc4 e5 59.Be2 Ra4 60.Kg3 Bf7 61.Rf3+ Kg7 62.Kh4 Re4 63.Bd3 Rd4 64.Bb5 Be6 65.Rg3 Kg6 66.Bd3+ e4 67.Bc2 Bc4 68.Re3 Bd3 69.Bd1 Rd8 70.Ba4 Rh8+ 71.Kg3 Kg5 72.Bd7 Rh1 73.Bf5 Rg1+ 74.Kf2 Ra1 75.Kg3 Rg1+ 76.Kh2 Ra1 77.Kg3 1/2-1/2

[Hans Jung]

I enjoyed many of the games of this match.