Ju Wenjun Closes In On World Championship Title As Tan Zhongyi Collapses

GM Ju Wenjun is on the verge of defending her title for the fourth time after she beat GM Tan Zhongyi with White in game seven of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Championship, her third consecutive win in the match. The reigning champion extended her lead to 5-2 with just five games to go.

Tan had a promising position after the opening, but a series of errors in the middlegame led to a miserable endgame which perfectly illustrates how a strong knight dominates a weak bishop.  

Tan Zhongyi's a8-bishop is one of the most miserable pieces you'll ever see, and Ju Wenjun is completely winning! #JuTan pic.twitter.com/wZKrtLnZTj

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 13, 2025

Tan resigned in a hopeless position after 47 moves, shortly after reaching the time control. "Beautiful play by Ju. As soon as she gained the advantage, she rose to the challenge," IM Jovanka Houska said on Chess.com's broadcast. "She made it into a masterclass."

Co-commentator IM Irene Sukandar felt sorry for the challenger, who gained an advantage after the opening: "Heartbreaking for Tan, because it was very promising for her."

Game eight, with Tan playing with the white pieces, starts on Monday, April 14, at 3:00 a.m. ET / 09:00 CEST / 12:30 p.m. IST.

GM Rafael Leitao analyzes game seven of the match below.

After 10 days in Shanghai on the east coast, the match's second half resumed today in Chongqing, with a population of more than 32 million, the world's largest city proper. It's also the home city of Tan, but as she noted during the game six press conference, the five-star Jinke Grand Hotel venue is quite far from where she lives.

In a press conference on Saturday, the official championship trophy, a glass phoenix coronet, was unveiled by FIDE's Deputy President, WGM Dana Reizniece. About the trophy crafted using an ancient Chinese glass-making technique, she said:

“Craftsmen fired the pink peony at temperatures over a thousand degrees. Every step was done with great care and skill. This process reflects the spirit of craftsmanship—just like a chess champion, the trophy was made through hard work, many challenges, and the pursuit of excellence.”

After losing her last two games, and three of the last four, Tan was faced with a difficult task before today's seventh game, where she had the black pieces. How much risk would she take to try to strike back? In 2018, she was able to strike back and win the first game when the match moved to Chongqing, but would she be able to repeat the feat?

Ju repeated her 1.e4 from her three previous white games in the match. But after 1...c5 2.Nf3, it was Tan who deviated first with 2...Nc6, previously having responded with 2...e6.

The reigning champion initially set up a solid Maroczy Bind structure with pawns on c4 and e4, following the standard move order in the Sicilian Rossolimo variation. 

Ju Wenjun once again sets up the rock-solid Maroczy Bind with pawns on c4 and e4! #JuTan pic.twitter.com/TpQHnzrFYX

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 13, 2025

After 13.cxd6 Bxd6, they reached a well-known position that Tan's second GM Jeffery Xiong reached in his 2021 game against GM Darius Swiercz. 

Instead of 14.g3, as had also been played by GM Fabiano Caruana and in 11 out of 12 games from the position, Ju went for the aggressive 14.Qh5?!. Neither of the players said they were aware of these games.

Can Tan Zhongyi do what she did in 2018 and win the first game after the match switched to Chongqing? Ju Wenjun's best option now seems to lead to a pawn-down position! https://t.co/YS0YzqpGYI#JuTan pic.twitter.com/IZAP7YgVs3

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 13, 2025

While Ju was in an "attacking spirit," as Sukandar noted, the idea was perhaps a bit too ambitious as it was Tan who gained a slight edge a few moves later. She exchanged minor pieces and gained the bishop pair with 17...Nf4 followed by 18...Nxd3 and winning the h2-pawn.

Tan took only seconds to play 23...Rb6, missing an opportunity to activate her bishop and seize a clear advantage with 23...Be2!.

The players reached what Houske described as a "razor-sharp position." While Tan remained a pawn up, Ju had some compensation thanks to a strong knight on c5 and potential mating threats on g7. However, time pressure was increasing for both players, with around a minute a move each from move 25. 

Tan's 27...Qh4 was her first mistake, as 27...Qg5!, threatening the c5-knight and potentially penetrating with the queen on d2, would have kept chances alive.

While Tan remained a pawn up after the queen exchange after 29.e5, Ju had compensation due to Black's weak light-squared bishop. "She totally prefers this position compared to what she had on the board. She can defend this position a bit easier," Sukandar pointed out.

A draw seemed the most likely result when Tan made another mistake with 35...Bb7?, allowing the exchange of Black's key bishop with 36.Bc5!

"For Ju Wenjun, wow, it just goes to show that once she gets her positions, she is in her element. That's a classy move!" Houska said.

The resulting endgame was bad for Black, and it got even worse when the black bishop ended up on a8. Ju won back the pawn, then another one. Then Black's bishop was also doomed, and it was time to resign on move 47.

Ju Wenjun wins a 3rd game in a row and, with a 5-2 lead, is close to retaining her Women's World Championship title! #JuTan pic.twitter.com/y1b8ytOKoz

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 13, 2025

At the press conference, Tan said that she spent a lot of time trying to look for the most aggressive options due to the match situation and wanting to win. "It's unfortunate, because maybe it's because I didn't face a lot of time-trouble situations that I made a lot of mistakes," she said, adding:

"I think there were some moments I could have kept up the pressure, but in the time trouble I made some mistakes. After the time control had passed, it was too late to save the game."

Ju responded to the question by FIDE's Press Officer WIM Charlize van Zyl on why she didn't seem very happy after the win:

"In this game, throughout, Black always had some advantages and luckily before the time control, Black made some mistakes. I think maybe both sides made some inaccuracies."

Tan now faces the difficult task of being three points down with only five games remaining. Chess.com's commentators don't think she is without chances.

"It's heartbreaking for her team, but the match is not over. A three-point lead is a lot, but anything can still happen. I hope she can retain her mental well-being, because losing is very hard. Hopefully she can bounce back," Sukandar said.

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 6: Ju Wenjun Powers Into 2-Point Lead
  • Game 5: Ju Wenjun Wins Game 5 To Take World Championship Lead
  • 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