Ju Wenjun Wins Game 5 To Take World Championship Lead

GM Ju Wenjun has taken a 3-2 lead in the 2025 FIDE Women's World Championship after GM Tan Zhongyi's ambitious opening play backfired in game five. Ju dodged her opponent's preparation and was soon able to pick up a pawn. Tan almost got compensation, but her quick and bold play only saw her drop another pawn, after which Ju brilliantly navigated all the tricks to score a crucial win. 

Game six, when Tan will have the white pieces, starts on Thursday, April 10, at 3:00 a.m. ET / 09:00 CEST / 12:30 p.m. IST. That will be the last game before the players switch to Chongqing for the second half of the match.

GM Rafael Leitao has analyzed game five of the match below.

For the penultimate game in Shanghai, Ju once again picked 1.e4, with Tan responding with the Sicilian 1...c5 for the third time. Tan sprung the first surprise with the Kan, 4...a6, rather than the 4...Nf6 she opted for in game one.

Game 5 of the Women's World Championship has begun, with the players sticking to the Sicilian whenever Ju Wenjun has the white pieces! #JuTan pic.twitter.com/I3ij9XG0na

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 9, 2025

Dutch GM Anish Giri labeled it "not an opening you would expect at a World Championship."

Kan, not an opening you would expect at a World Championship.
Last time I remember it being played at the highest stage was by Vishy Anand against Magnus Carlsen. The choice was inspired by Gajewski, who was in TeamVishy then and currently is the coach of you know who. pic.twitter.com/BcXrz8Ejok

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) April 9, 2025

Tan kept playing fast and still had more time on her clock than she'd started with when she went for the risky-looking 9...Ne5!?, a move she would later say in the press conference may not have been "the perfect choice."

Ju had various quiet developing moves to keep a clear edge, but instead opted for what she called the "intriguing" 10.c5!?, which Tan noted was "not in my preparation, neither was it a surprise."

IMs Jovanka Houska and Irene Sukandar praised the move as a playable way of getting out of Tan's preparation.

Jovanka and Irene are talking about how 10.c5!? by Ju Wenjun looks like a way to muddy the waters and get Tan Zhongyi out of her preparation! #JuTan pic.twitter.com/38EHsiElpy

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 9, 2025

It worked perfectly, as instead of challenging the pawn immediately with 10...b6!, Tan went for 10...N7g6?! and 11...b5?, giving Ju what felt like a dream position.

Ju accepted the invitation to leave the pawn on b5 and expand with 12.f4!, and when the knight came to c4, she immediately set about undermining it with 13.a4!.

Ju was winning a pawn in any case, but it seems that if she'd played slower, she might have spotted better chances in the play that followed. She admitted to spending very little time on Qd4, which, on moves 15 and especially 16, could have been almost decisive. In fact, Tan's high-risk strategy suddenly seemed to have given her a playable position, but 17...f5?! (17...Qc7! and Black is back in the game) was asking for trouble.

Trouble soon followed, as after exchanging on f5 one more inaccuracy allowed Ju to grab a second pawn, on a6, and the game became a question of whether Ju could consolidate, when she would simply be winning.

The last roll of the dice for Tan was to give up two pieces for a rook with 26...Nxf4!?, since she said that otherwise her chances would have been very small. 

The attempt felt justified, since it posed serious concrete issues for Ju in the run-up to the time control. For instance, after 32...Re1, Ju used up eight of her remaining 21 minutes.

There were only two winning moves for Ju, 33.Bf2!, or the move she went for, 33.Qd5!, defending against checkmating threats and also threatening mate herself. It's worth noting that a careless move such as 33.a5?? would actually lose to 33...f4!, forming a mating net, a theme that was hanging over White for a few moves. 

Ju perfectly navigated all the tricks, however, and when she reached the time control with a safe king, she knew she was completely winning. The game dragged on, but it was just about applying the final touches, with 59.Ne7+! a nice finishing blow.  

Ju Wenjun finishes with the flourish 59.Ne7+! to win Game 5 and take a 3-2 lead in the 2025 Women's World Championship match!https://t.co/FjSYXJ6zHv#JuTan pic.twitter.com/K9Ul54oGPh

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 9, 2025

Tan resigned, since capturing on e7 would lead to 60.Qg6+ Kf8 61.Qf5+, forking the rook and king and picking up the rook on c8. 

That meant that, after falling behind early on in the match, Ju has now taken the lead, with one game to go in Shanghai. Tan, who will look to level the scores again, gave an unusual answer to a question on what she eats to recover after the games. The interpreter reported:

"She follows the protocol of anti-doping regulations a lot, so that's why she doesn't have any kind of taste very much. Anyway, the Shanghai cuisine was not her style."

Tan will have White in game six, before there are two rest days as the show moves to her hometown of Chongqing.

The 2025 FIDE Women's World Championship is the most important women's over-the-board event of the year. The defending women's world champion, GM Ju Wenjun, faces the challenger, GM Tan Zhongyi, to see who will be crowned world champion. The championship started on April 3 in Shanghai and boasts a €500,000 ($540k) prize fund.

Previous Coverage

• • Game 4: Ju Wenjun Survives Heavy Pressure As Game 4 Goes To Bare Kings
  • Game 3: Ju Wenjun Strikes Back To Win Game 3
  • Game 2: Tan Zhongyi Stuns Ju Wenjun To Win Game 2
  • Game 1: Tan Holds Ju To Draw As Women's World Championship Starts In Shanghai
  • Can Ju Wenjun Win 5th World Championship?
  • 2025 FIDE Women's World Championship: All The Information
  • Gukesh Youngest Ever Candidates Winner, Tan Takes Women's By 1.5 Points
  • Ju Wenjun Wins 4th Women's World Championship Title