Lichess is offering a reside stream for day-after-day of the Ladies’s World Championship. Be certain that to tune in to our Twitch or YouTube channels for reside stream protection with our hosts GM Toms Kantāns and WIM Jesse February, joined by a rotating panel of friends. Sport 5 begins at 07:00 UTC on Wednesday, April ninth, and GM Felix Blohberger will be part of our stream!
Moreover, we’ll cowl each recreation in our weblog, with annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea for video games 1-6 and WGM Petra Papp for video games 7-12.
The annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea for Sport 4 will be discovered right here.
Lichess has additionally run participant profiles on GM Ju Wenjun and GM Tan Zhongyi, and printed a Match Preview forward of the match.
Schedule
Movies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ_zT_rFoEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9RuT7YjWnA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwepRXw6_h8
Annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea
https://lichess.org/research/5bQdsZ7u/rOw1Tede#0
Match Rating
Recap
Do not change a profitable workforce – or so they are saying in different sports activities. Whether or not this proverb’s knowledge interprets effectively into chess and opening decisions may be very a lot as much as debate; that being mentioned, Tan Zhongyi, following her recreation 2 win, opted as soon as extra for the English opening. What did, nonetheless, change, is Ju’s response selection; going for 1…e6, a variety of transpositions to different openings (together with a number of d4 traces) are potential, nonetheless with 2.Nc3 they entered the Agincourt Protection, which is a reasonably strong but versatile selection for black; arguably the ensuing positions can very a lot go well with Ju’s type.
Navigating a much less widespread sideline with Bb4-Ba5, a recent place is already reached by white’s transfer 6.e3
https://lichess.org/research/Q3LWj0Sl/l4PcAZzf#11
Photograph: Anna Shtourman / FIDE
That is transfer, a typical potential thought in several English traces, is retaining the construction versatile and permits white to develop her items getting ready a future d4. There are a number of methods for black to take care of it; a few of which being e5, completely altering the character of the place, or enjoying d5 herself, and briefly sacrificing a pawn however with sturdy compensation. On this place, nonetheless, Ju decides to play a6!? first, and strike again with d5 after 9.d4 cxd4. The variations within the place together with and never together with a6, and which model is best for white, would advantage a deeper evaluation.
https://lichess.org/research/Q3LWj0Sl/l4PcAZzf#20
That is, once more, a pawn sacrifice, which Tan, regardless of exchanging on d5, curiously determined to not settle for. The truth is, Tan, only some strikes later, returns this sacrifice, probably with a purpose to preserve her bishop pair and superior piece placement. This time the pawn sacrifice is accepted, nevertheless it once more comes with a superb compensation. Ju nonetheless comes up with an attention-grabbing thought: 19…Nb5!?.
https://lichess.org/research/Q3LWj0Sl/l4PcAZzf#38
Now, in accordance the the engine, this won’t be probably the most correct selection within the place, nonetheless it modifications the character of the place. Qa4 Nxc3 Rxc3 b5 would assist black successfully equalize instantly, Nxb5 accepts getting into an imbalance: White will (briefly) have a superior pawn construction because of the weak b-d pawns of black, nonetheless black will instantly enhance her rook’s place, seizing the semi-open line with a tempo and later with the ability to trade the a for one of many b pawns. Black will nonetheless must be cautious of a potential sturdy b-passed pawn in some variations and plan accordingly.
One of many essential moments of the sport got here a number of strikes later:
https://lichess.org/research/Q3LWj0Sl/l4PcAZzf#46
Photograph: Anna Shtourman / FIDE
Essentially the most essential technique to problem Ju’s imbalance resolution would possible be to create a handed b pawn in a well timed method, and advance it. Tan had the chance to take action by Qxb6 adopted by b4 – dealing with that pawn could be pretty sophisticated. She nonetheless determined to play Bd6 first and trade a pair of rooks. Tan nonetheless managed to get the handed b pawn, however her opponent was in a position to enhance her place in the mean time, making countering this pawn a bit simpler.
Evidently, nonetheless, that the ensuing endgame was nonetheless pretty complicated, and each gamers – with black a good bit extra so – needing to be fairly exact:
https://lichess.org/research/Q3LWj0Sl/l4PcAZzf#72
The minor items, in addition to black’s handed pawn for white’s a pawn had been exchanged, and Ju was later in a position to get the draw by eightieth transfer, able to enter the remainder day – and the final pair of video games within the Shanghai leg – with the match rating being tied. For a extra detailed evaluation of the endgame, and the sport as complete, you may check with the annotations part under
Photograph: Anna Shtourman / FIDE
