Women's World Championship, Game 7
It's not over, but...
…it is, barring a comeback or choke for the ages. Ju Wenjun won her third game in a row to take a 5-2 lead in this best of 12 Women’s World Championship match, and needs only a point and a half from the remaining five games to keep her title.
As in all the odd-numbered games so far, Ju played 1.e4 and Tan replied with the Sicilian, but after 2.Nf3 Tan switched from 2…e6 to 2…Nc6. White played a Rossolimo, with Ju playing the first new move in a somewhat trendy line with 14.Qh5. The move achieved little if anything, and Tan was soon up a pawn, albeit in a position where White’s control over some critical dark squares in the center and queenside gave her enough play. Tan did have one opportunity for a real advantage after the champion’s error on move 25, but an error in turn brought the game back to rough equality.
Tan had several opportunities to head for a drawish position, but down two points and having an extra (though more or less meaningless) pawn motivated her to keep trying. It proved a mistake, and after her careless 35th move Ju was able to swap down to a rook and minor piece ending where her knight paralyzed Black’s hapless bishop. The bishop finished in a tragicomic state on a8, locked in by White’s knight on c5 and her own pawn on c6, and Tan resigned on move 47 when the only way she could save her bishop was to allow mate.
The match will go at least two more games, but Ju is an overwhelming favorite to retain her title and extend her seven-year reign for at least another year or two.
Game 8 is tomorrow (today, if you’re across the pond); meanwhile, here’s game 7 with my notes.