A Temporary Future

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

3rd Women’s Chess World Cup; Final for Third Place; match game 2; Batumi, July 27, 2025

8/6k1/8/p2N3K/P1P4P/1r6/8/8 b - - 2 55

Position after 55. Nb6-d5

From a formal viewpoint, White has what is demanded for compensating for the Exchange, but instead, as 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) demonstrates with her elegant solution, there is no way for 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) to maintain neither dynamic equivalence nor material countervalue.
55. ... Rb4! 0–1. For after 56. Nxb4 axb4 both sides queen, but the Black Queen will checkmate first at f5 or g6, depending on which White Pawn promotes.

In the Chinese derby, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) got the better of it against 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié). Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

After Ever Happy

One Plus One Equals Three

Magnus Carlsen and Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi, the two finalists of the 12th World Blitz Chess Championship, being still tied after three tie-breakers, gave rise to an unprecedented outcome as they asked and obtained — on Carlsen’s suggestion — that the title should be shared. FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich welcomed the request and proclaimed them both World Champions! The whole story sounds like a terrifying display of strength — not only in chess — by Carlsen, who succeeded in imposing his authority upon FIDE, which was not appreciated by many of his colleagues. But he didn’t care about it. “It feels very good to share gold with Nepo. We reached a point where it had been a long day. We played many games, we had three draws and I felt that I could keep playing. But it was a nice solution to share the win, it was a good way to end it”, Carlsen told to the Norwegian media NRK. For the second time in less than a week, President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin took pen and paper and wrote a congratulatory telegram to a Russian World Champion, who “deservedly became World Champion, sharing this honourable title with the virtuoso Magnus Carlsen. Well done!”.
As for the other half of the sky, in the 10th Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), the queen of 上海 (Shànghǎi), did not indulge in such magnanimity with 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié). Once again she defeated her long-time friend (frenemy) in a final, if not classical, to win her first world title in the blitz specialty.
One final consideration concerns the fact or detail that this time, with the exception of Carlsen, all the World Rapid and Blitz Champions belong to countries which are members of the Asian Chess Federation. If anything, it should be something for Western supremacists to think about.

Laughing Matters

Behind the scenes at 2023 Women’s World Chess Championship match: 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) burst out into liberating laughter.

Once Upon a Twice

Three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, pictured above, conceded a quick draw against 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) in the penultimate round of Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024, which means that the next match for the world title will be, once again, an all-Chinese affair. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

Passionately Human

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 17, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 Be6 9. Bb5 Qb8 10. Nf1 Qa7 11. Re2 a4 12. h3 Qa5 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Ng5 Bb6 15. Ng3 h6 16. Nf3 Rfd8 17. Bd2 Qa6

18. Qc1!? Taking a walk on the wild side.
18. ... Qxd3 19. Bxh6! Who says A must say B.
19. ... gxh6? Muzychuk feels secure enough to accept the gift, and, indeed, it is hard to believe that she was bound to refuse it by 19. ... Nh7! and hold on to balance.
20. Qxh6 Ne8 21. Rd2 Qc4 22. Nxe5?! 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) too cannot be blamed for not seeing what she could not see: 22. Kh2!! (Δ b2-b3) 22. ... f6 23. b3! axb3 24. axb3 Qxb3 25. Rxa8 Rxa8 26. Nh4 Bf7 27. Nhf5 Qe6 28. Nh1!! (Δ Rd2-d3-g3+) 28. ... Ra1 29. Rd3 Rxh1+ 30. Kxh1 Bxf2 31. Rf3 Be1 32. Rf1+− (Stockfish’s analysis).
28. ... dxe5 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. Qxd8 a3!∓ 26. Qd2 axb2 27. Qxb2 Qd3 28. Kh2 Nd6 29. Re1 Nb5 30. c4? White pushes too hard in the heat of an attack without foundation, and inevitably falls into a no return position. She ought to have played 30. Rc1.
30. ... Qc3 31. Qe2 Bxc4 32. Qg4 Nd6

33. Qg5!? A last desperate trick which shouldn’t have fooled a merciless opponent.
33. ... Qxe1 34. Nf5 Nxf5 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qg5+ Kf8 37. Qd8+ Kg7 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. exf5

39. ... f6! This should win!
40. Qxf6+ Kg8 41. Qg6+ Kf8 42. Qf6+ Bf7? As then pointed out by 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), after 42. ... Ke8 43. Qxc6+ Kd8 44. Qxc4 Kc8! “there must be something for Black” (who will take on f2 next move).
43. Qd8+ Be8 44. Qf6+ Kg8 45. Qe7! Bh5 46. Qg5+ Kf8 47. Qf6+! Just so: for if 47. Qxh5? then 47. ... Qd2! with Black still on top.
47. ... Ke8 48. Qxc6+ Kd8 49. Qd5+ Kc8 50. Qa8+ Kd7 51. Qd5+ Kc8 52. Qa8+ Kd7 53. Qd5+ ½–½.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) somehow managed to climb back out of the abyss where she had fallen. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

Eurasian Theatre

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 15, 2024
Slav Defence D14

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Nf3 Nd7 9. 0-0 Rc8 10. Ne5 Ndxe5 11. Bxe5 a6 12. Bxc6+ Rxc6 13. Rc1 f6 14. Bg3 Be7 15. Na4 Rxc1 (15. ... Qd7 16. Qb3 0-0 17. Nb6 Qe8 18. f3 Bg6 19. a3 Kh8 20. Rc3 Bd8 21. Nc8 Rxc3 22. Qxc3 Ba5 23. Qxa5 Qxc8 24. Bc7 Be8 25. Rc1 Bc6 26. b4 Qd7 27. Bf4 Re8 28. Qc7 Qxc7 29. Bxc7 Rc8 30. Bd6 Bd7 31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. a4 Bd7 33. a5 Kg8 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. Ke2 Bb5+ 36. Kd2 h5 37. e4 Bc4 38. Ke3 Bb5 39. g3 Bc4 40. h4 Bb5 41. Kf4 Bd3 ½–½ Rakić Vulićević – Girya, 18th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Rhodes 2013)
16. Qxc1 Kf7TN (16. ... 0-0 17. Qd2 Qd7 18. Nc5 Qb5 19. a4 Qc6 20. Rc1 b6 21. Nxa6 Qxa4 22. Nc7 Rc8 23. h3 Kf7 24. Qc3 Qb4 25. Qxb4 Bxb4 26. Rc6 Ba5 27. Bd6 b5 28. Ra6 Bxc7 29. Ra7 Bd3 ½–½ Kunicki – Gajewski, 33rd Polish Junior Team Chess Championship, Łączna 2002)
17. Qc3 h5 18. h3 h4 19. Bh2 Qd7 20. Nb6 Qb5 21. Qc7 Qxb2 22. Bd6 Re8 23. Rc1? Not 23. Nc8? because of 23. ... Rxc8! 24. Qxe7+ Kg6 with advantage to Black. But the text also overlooks a little tactics. There was nothing better than 23. Bxe7 Rxe7 24. Qd8 to which Black would have probably replied 24. ... Re8= offering a draw by repetition.

23. ... Kg6! 24. Bxe7 Rxe7! 25. Qc5 Kh6

26. a4? This creates further weaknesses. Both 26. Na4 and 26. a3 were deserving of consideration.
26. ... a5!∓ 27. Nc8 Rd7 28. Qc3 Qb4 29. Qc5 Kh7 30. Qa7 Qd2 31. Qc5 Bd3? (31. ... Qb4∓)
32. Nb6! Rd6 33. Qxd6 Qxc1+ 34. Kh2 Bf5 35. Nd7 Qc2 36. Nf8+. Goryachkina was too short of time to calculate the consequences of 36. Nxf6+! gxf6 37. Qe7+ which, according to the engines, should lead to a draw.
36. ... Kh6

37. f3?? A Zeitnot blunder. 37. Nxe6! Qxf2 38. Qxd5 would have held on.
37. ... Qf2! 38. Qf4+ (38. Qa3?? Bxh3!−+)
38. ... g5 39. Qc7 Qg3+! 40. Qxg3 hxg3+ 41. Kxg3 e5! White has recovered the Pawn, but her Knight is dominated.
42. e4 dxe4 43. fxe4 Bc8? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) plays too much by inertia, giving her opponent an unexpected chance of recovery. 43. ... Bxe4 44. dxe5 f5! 45. Nd7 f4+ 46. Kf2 Kg6 must win for Black.
44. d5 Kg7 45. Ne6+ Kf7 46. Kf2 b6 47. g3 Bd7 48. h4 gxh4 49. gxh4 Bxa4 50. h5 Bb5 51. Ke3 a4 52. h6 Kg6 53. Kd2 Kxh6 54. d6 Kh5 55. Nf8 Kg5 56. d7 Bxd7 57. Nxd7 a3 58. Kc2 b5 59. Kb3 b4 60. Ka2 f5

61. Nxe5?? Drama accomplishes. 61. exf5! would have crowned White’s defence; for example: 61. ... e4 (or 61. ... Kxf5 62. Nc5 e4 63. Na6!=) 62. Nb8! e3 63. Nc6 e2 64. Nd4 with a draw.
61. ... Kf4! 62. Nd3+ Kxe4 63. Nxb4 f4 64. Na6 f3 65. Nc5+ Ke3 0-1.

To get from a drawish opening to a sharp middle game may turn out to be a mission impossible even for the chess elite. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

With Open Eyes

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 13, 2024
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 Bg4 6. c3 e6 7. Qb3 Qc8 8. h3 Bh5 9. Nh4 Be7 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Be2 a6 13. h4 b5 14. h5!?TN c4 15. Qd1 Qd8 16. Rg1 gxh5 17. gxh5 Bd6 18. Bg5 Be7 19. Bf4 Bd6

20. Bg5. If 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21. Rxg7 Black would reply 21. ... Ke7 with obvious compensation for the Pawn.
20. ... Be7 21. f4?! In her post-game press conference 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) called 21. f4 a likely mistake “because the Pawn structure looks quite strange for White“. Therefore, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) ought to have contented herself with claiming a draw by threefold repetition after 21. Bf4.
21. ... Rb8 22. a3 a5 23. Bh4?! (23. Kf2 Nh7⩱)
23. ... Kf8 (23. ... Nh5! 24. Bxe7 Qxe7∓)
24. Bg3 Bd6 25. Bh4

25. ... Ne7! 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Bf1 b4 28. axb4 axb4 29. Bh3 f5 30. Qf3 Bc7 31. Ke2 Ng8 32. Qg3 Nf6 33. h6 Ke7 34. Qg5 Qf8 35. Ra7 Rc8 36. Bg2? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) said afterwards she didn’t take 36. Bxf5! any seriously, because 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) was too short of time to make such decisions; in any case, maybe “I can play 36. ... Qxh6”.
36. ... Rxh6 37. Nf3 Rh5 38. Qg3 Ne4 39. Qe1 bxc3 40. bxc3 Qg7

With the time control reached, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) now sunk into a thought so long that it evidences sheer resignation.
41. Bf1 Qh8 42. Qa1 Kf6 43. Rg2 Rh3! 44. Ne5 Qh5+ 45. Ke1 Rxe3+ 46. Re2 Qh4+ 47. Kd1 Rxe2 48. Bxe2 Qxf4 49. Qb2 Rh8 50. Bf3 Rh2 51. Qc1 0–1. For mate follows after 51. ... Rd2+ 52. Ke1 Qe3+ 53. Kf1 Ng3#.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) started all over again, for the better. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

The Way Back

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Rameshbabu Vaishali
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 11, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 Be6 9. h3 h6 10. Bb5 Ne7 11. d4 Bb6?!TN 12. Bd3?! Looking all over the board for fear of a surprise, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) renounced the gain of the Pawn, which, instead, she should have done.
12. ... Re8 13. Nf1 exd4 14. Nxd4 Ng6 15. Ng3 Bd7 16. Bd2 Ne5 17. Bf1 d5 18. exd5 Nxd5 19. Qb3 c6 20. Ne4

A picturesque situation, with four Knights cubed in the middle of the board.
20. ... Qc7 21. a4 Rad8 22. Rad1 Ng6 23. Bc1 Ba7 24. c4 Nb4 25. c5 Nd5 26. Bc4 Bc8 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Nb5 Qb8?⊕ (28. ... Qe5 29. Nxa7 dxe4)

29. Nxa7? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) misses here a winning Queen sacrifice: 29. Qxd5!! Rxd5 30. Nf6+ gxf6 31. Rxe8+ Kh7 32. Rxd5 and Black cannot avoid further loss of material.
29. ... Qxa7 30. Rxd5 Be6 31. Rxd8 Rxd8?⊕ (31. ... Bxb3! 32. Rxe8+ Kh7=)
32. Qc3 b6 33. b3 Bf5 (33. ... Kh7 34. Bb2 Rg8 35. Qd4+−)

34. Nf6+! 34. Bxh6! is a dual.
34. ... Kh8. If 34. ... gxf6 35. Qxf6 Kh7 36. Bb2 Rg8 37. Re8 Nf8 38. Rxf8 with mate in a few moves.
35. Bxh6 bxc5 36. Nh5 1–0. 36. Bxg7+! Kxg7 37. Ne8++ Kh6 38. Qg7+ Kh5 39. Nf6+ Kg5 40. h4+! K~ 41. Qh6# would be, if possible, even more exact.

After a bad start in the early days of the tournament, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) is finally climbing back to her level. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

Something Concrete

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 7, 2024
3R4/4K3/5p2/5kp1/8/8/8/8 w - - 1 53

Position after 52. ... Kg6-f5

The game between Muzychuk and 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) only confirmed that they both are still far from their best. A four-Rook ending soon arose from a French Exchange Variation, where a draw could be a fair outcome, but 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) played it badly enough to give Muzychuk a golden opportunity for a win in an asymmetric Rook vs. two Pawns ending. In her daily recap, Woman Grandmaster Anna Denisovna Burtasova summed up the position in the diagram as follows: “One precise move was required in her Rook endgame against two passed Pawns, and Muzychuk sadly did not manage to find it”.
53. Rd5+? Indeed, there are two solutions, as both 53. Kf7! and 53. Rg8! lead to a theoretical win for White; for example: 53. Kf7! g4 54. Rg8 Kf4 55. Kg6 (55. Kxf6?? g3=) 55. ... Kf3 (or 55. ... f5 56. Kh5 Kg3 57. Rg7 Kf3 58. Kh4 Kf4 59. Ra7 g3 60. Rg7+−) 56. Kh5 (56. Kxf6?? g3=) 56. ... g3 57. Kh4 g2 58. Kh3+− and the g-Pawn finished its rush to queen.
53. ... Kf4!= 54. Kxf6 g4 55. Rd4+ Kf3 56. Kf5 g3 57. Rd3+ Kf2 58. Kg4 g2 59. Rd2+ Kf1. Simpler is 59. ... Kg1!=, for if 60. Kf3 (idem to say 60. Kh3) then 60. ... Kh1 61. Rxg2 stalemate.
60. Kf3 g1=N+ 61. Ke3 Nh3 62. Rh2 Ng1 63. Rf2+ Ke1 64. Rf6 Nh3 65. Rf3 Ng1 66. Rg3 Kf1 67. Rg6 Nh3 68. Rg7 Ng1 69. Rg3 Ne2 70. Rf3+ Ke1 71. Rf7 Ng1 72. Kd3 Nh3 73. Rh7 Nf2+ 74. Ke3 Nd1+ 75. Kd3 Nf2+ ½–½.

A draw is something concrete to cling to when everything is going crazy. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

All for one, but one for all

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 4, 2024
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Bg4 8. Qc2 0-0 9. h3 Be6 10. Nf3 Ne4!? 11. Nxe4 Bxh4 12. Nc5 Bc8 13. Nxh4 Qxh4 14. Be2 c6 15. b4 Re8 16. 0-0 Qg5 17. Kh1 Nd7 18. b5 (18. a4⩲)
18. ... Nxc5 19. Qxc5 Re6! 20. bxc6 Rg6 21. Bf3 bxc6 22. Qa5 h5 23. Qc7 Qh4

24. Qf4?! White decides to sacrifice a Pawn in order to neutralise Black’s initiative and liquidate into a drawish Rook ending a Pawn down. A plausible continuation could be 24. Rac1! Bg4! 25. Qf4 (idem to say 25. Qg3) 25. ... Bxf3! 26. Qxh4 Rxg2 with a draw!
24. ... Qxf4 25. exf4 Rf6 26. Rfe1 Kf8 27. Rac1 g6 28. Kh2 Rxf4 29. Rxc6 Rxd4

30. Rd1?! This leads to more trouble. After 30. Rc5 Be6 31. Ra5 eventually followed by Re1-e5 White would get closer to a draw.
30. ... Rxd1 31. Bxd1 a5 32. Kg3 Be6 33. Kf4 Ke7 34. a3 Rb8 35. Rc5. 35. Ra6 Rb2 may well transpose into the game.
35. ... Rb2 36. Rxa5 Rxf2+ 37. Bf3 Kf6 38. Ra6 Rf1 39. h4 Rh1 (39. ... Ke7! 40. Kg5 Ra1∓)
40. Kg3? White’s 40th move is a losing mistake! White had to play 40. Bxd5! Rxh4+ 41. Kg3 g5 42. Bxe6 fxe6⩱ with only a meaningless extra Pawn for Black.
40. ... Ke5 41. a4 Kd4 42. Ra8 Ke3! 43. Re8

43. ... g5! A powerful advance, which compels White to give up the Exchange in order to avoid mate in one.
44. Rxe6+ fxe6 45. hxg5 h4+! Elegant to the end.
46. Kg4 h3! 47. g6 (47. gxh3 Rg1 48. Kh5 Kxf3 49. g6 Kf4 50. Kh6 Kf5 51. g7 Kf6−+)
47. ... Kf2! 48. Kf4 (48. g7 hxg2 49. Bxg2 Rg1−+)
48. ... Ra1 49. g7 Rxa4+ 50. Kg5 Ra8 51. gxh3 Kxf3 52. h4 Rg8 0 : 1.

An unequivocal message to anyone who may be thinking to prearrange a draw with each of them. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

Between the Two Lines

All’s well that ends well, and at last, all seems to have ended well. On Thursday, March 7, 2024, with less than a month left for the much awaited Open and Women’s Candidates Tournaments, FIDE announced that all the participants were given visa approval by Canadian immigration authorities.

Not One Less

In the last few hours, with only two days left for the deadline to pass, Canada finally granted visas to all members of the Indian group, while as for the two Russian “nowhere women”, Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno, they — according to a report from the Chess Federation of Russia — “received invitations to Canada Visa Application Centre to process documents”. Earlier FIDE Director General Emil Davidovich Sutovsky had warned that both the Open and Women’s Candidates Tournaments would be “under the threat of relocation till every player who needs visa gets it”.

Happy Women’s Day

According to Sovetsky Sport reports, FIDE gave Canada a deadline to March 8, 2024, to fulfil their visa obligations with respect to Indian and Russian participants in the Open and Women’s Candidates Tournaments. FIDE Director General Emil Davidovich Sutovsky assured that in case of failed compliance with the set deadline, both the Tournaments will be moved all the way to another country without any postponements.

A City in Between

Dark clouds are gathering over the horizon of Canada, where both the Open and Women’s Candidates Tournaments are scheduled to be held next month. Speaking to Russian News Agency TASS, a FIDE source warned that Toronto may lose its hosting rights if it fails to adjust the pending visa applications of most of the Russian chess delegation. “There was no problem for Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi, but the two women [Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno], as well as other members of the mission, have not yet received visas”, said the confidant.

From Red to Green

The Three Weeks

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

Women’s World Chess Championship 2023; match game 12; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), July 22, 2023

Queen’s Pawn Game D04

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. dxc5 e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 axb4 7. cxb4 b6 8. Bb5+. As Irving Chernev noted in his book “The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy”, Dover Publications, New York, 1965, p. 34, “if White continues stubbornly by 8. Ba3, then 8. ... bxc5 9. bxc5 Rxa3 10. Nxa3 Qa5+, and Black wins two pieces for a Rook”.
8. ... Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10. a4 bxc5 11. b5 Qc7 12. Bb2 Bd6 13. 0-0 0-0 (13. ... g5!?)
14. Nbd2 Rfc8 15. Qc2 c4?! (15. ... e5! 16. e4 c4 17. Rfc1 Bb4=)
16. Bc3 Nc5 17. a5 Nb3

18. Bxf6?! (18. Ra2!⩲/±)
18. ... Nxa1 19. Bxa1 Qxa5 20. Qc3 Qxc3 (20. ... Bf8! 21. Rb1 f6)
21. Bxc3 Rcb8 22. Nd4 e5?! (22. ... Bc5! 23. Rb1 Ra3 24. Ne2 f6 25. Kf1 e5 26. Ke1 Kf7⩱)
23. Nf5 Bf8 24. Bxe5 Rxb5

25. g4!? (25. Bc3!?)
25. ... g6 26. Nd4 Rb2? (26. ... Rb6! 27. g5 Bg7 28. N2f3⩲)
27. Nb1! (Δ Nb1-c3)
27. ... Bg7?! If nothing else, the exchange of a pair of Rooks with 27. ... Ra1 28. Nc3 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Bg7 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. Nxd5 just makes things more complicated for White.
28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Nc3 Ra5 30. Rd1 Rb6 31. Nde2 32. Kg2 (32. Nxd5 Rd3!)
32. ... h6 33. Kf3 f6 34. Rc1 Kf7 35. Nf4 d4 36. exd4 g5 37. Nfe2 f5 38. gxf5 Rxf5+ 39. Ke3 g4 40. Nf4 Rb8

Finally the time control was reached and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) can show off all her technique and coolness.
41. d5 Rf6 42. Rc2 Ra8 43. Nb5 Rb6 44. Nd4 Ra3+ 45. Ke4 c3 46. Nfe2 Rb2 47. Kd3 Rb1 48. Nxc3 Rh1 49. f3 gxf3 50. Nxf3 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 1 : 0.

A victory that was worth waiting nearly three weeks for, as 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) finally succeeded in equalling the record set by her fellow compatriot 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), both having won the world title four times. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.

Four One-act Plays

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

Women’s World Chess Championship 2023; match game 8; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), July 16, 2023

5k2/4R2p/5B1P/5bP1/5P2/4K3/3r4/8 b - - 6 57

Position after 57. Kf2-e3

So, finally, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) did it. And since she did it in 重庆 (Chóngqìng) — the birth city of her opponent — one might well say that “revenge is a dish best served spicy hot”. Yet it was anything but easy for her, as after having the upper hand for much of the time, once again it seemed that White was left with a handful of flies:
57. ... Rd6? In severe time pressure, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) overlooks an amazing drawing resource: 57. ... Rd3+! 58. Ke2 Rd4!! forcing either the exchange of Rooks or the gain of the f-Pawn.
58. Rc7! Rd3+ 59. Ke2 Rd5 60. Bc3 Ke8 61. Kf2 Kf8 62. Bb4+ Ke8 63. Re7+ Kd8 64. Rf7 Ke8 65. Rf8+ Kd7 66. Bc3 Bg6 67. Rg8 Rd6 68. Be5 Rd2+ 69. Kf3 Rd3+ 70. Kg4 Rd1

71. Rxg6! hxg6 72. h7 1 : 0.

With four games to go, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) scored a so badly needed equaliser. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.

Breaklock

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship 2023; match game 5; 上海 (Shànghǎi), July 11, 2023

Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. Re1 Ba7 9. h3 Be6 10. Bc2 h6 11. d4 exd4 12. Nxd4 Bd7 13. Be3 Ne5 14. Nd2 c5 15. N4f3 Bc6 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. a4 Qe7 18. Qe2 Rfd8 19. Red1 Bb8 20. Qc4 b6 21. b4

21. ... axb4? Three-time Women’s World Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) commits here a crucial strategic mistake, leaving White with a very powerful bind, which 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) has no difficulty in turning into an overwhelming grip. More solid was 21. ... Bd6! 22. b5 Bb7 23. Qa2 Nh5! 24. Bb3 Bc7 with a tenable game.
22. cxb4 Bd6 23. b5! Bd7 24. Qc3 Be6 25. Nc4 Bxc4 26. Qxc4 Ne8 27. Bb3 Nc7 28. Qc2 Ne6 29. Bd5 Rab8 30. Bxe6 Qxe6 31. Rd5 Be7 32. Rad1 Rxd5 33. Rxd5 Ra8 34. Bd2 Kf8 35. Bc3 f6 36. Qb3 Qc8 37. Qc4 Qe8 38. g3 Qc8 39. Kg2 Qe8 40. h4 h5 41. Bd2 Rb8 42. f4 exf4 43. Bxf4 Rb7 44. Qe2 g6 45. e5! Qa8

46. Qf3! f5 47. Rd7! Ra7 48. Qxa8+ Rxa8 49. e6 Rxa4 50. Rb7 Ra8 51. Rxb6 c4 52. Rc6 Bd8 53. b6 Ra2+ 54. Kf3 Rb2 55. Rc8 Rb3+ 56. Ke2 Rxb6 57. Rxd8+ Ke7 58. Rc8 Rxe6+ 59. Kd2 Re4 60. Kc3 Kf7 61. Rxc4 Re8 62. Rc7+ Kf6 63. Bg5+ Ke5 64. Re7+ Rxe7 65. Bxe7 1 : 0.

And yet they both, for opposite reasons, know deep in their heart that one swallow does not make a summer. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.

A Resilient Crown

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship 2023; match game 3; 上海 (Shànghǎi), July 8, 2023

Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. Bg5 d6 7. Nbd2 a6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. d4 exd4 10. cxd4 Bb6 11. 0-0 h6 12. Bf4 (⌓ 12. Bh4 Re8 13. Re1 g5 14. Bg3 Bg4 15. Qc2⩲)
12. ... Re8 13. Qc2 (⌓ 13. Re1 Bg4 14. Qc2 Qd7=)

13. ... Nxe4! A little tactic which wins a Pawn, even if temporarily, leaving Black with a theoretical edge and in practice an easy equality — a situation which marks a clear turnaround compared to 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s struggles in the first two games.
14. Nxe4 Bf5 15. Rfe1 d5 16. Ne5 Bxe4 17. Qc3 Qf6 18. Bg3 Re6 19. Kh1 a5 20. f3 Bf5 21. a4 h5 22. Bf2 Rae8 23. Rf1 c5 24. dxc5 Qxe5 25. Qxe5 Rxe5 26. cxb6 cxb6 27. Bxb6 Re2 28. Bxa5 Rxb2 29. Bc3 Rc2 30. Rfc1 Ree2 31. a5 Bd3 32. Rxc2 Rxc2 33. Bd4 Ba6 34. Kg1 f6 35. Rb1 Ra2 36. Ra1 Rd2 37. Bc3 Rc2 38. Bd4 Kf7 39. h4 Rc4 40. Rd1 Ke6 41. Kf2 Ra4 42. Ke3 43. g3 Ra3+ 44. Kf2 Kd6 45. Rb1 Kd7 46. Rb8 Ra2+ 47. Ke3 Ra3+ 48. Kf2 Ra2+ 49. Ke3 Ra3+ ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) has apparently benefited from the day off and, for the first time in the match, she enjoyed an easy time. Photo: David Llada/FIDE.