2025 Women's World Chess Championship Game 5: Tan’s Opening Surprise Backfires

Lichess is providing a live stream for every day of the Women's World Championship. Make sure to tune in to our Twitch or YouTube channels for live stream coverage with our hosts GM Toms Kantāns and WIM Jesse February, joined by a rotating panel of guests. Game 6 starts at 07:00 UTC on Thursday, April 10th, and GM Rasmus Svane will join our stream!

Additionally, we will cover every game in our blog, with annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea for games 1-6 and WGM Petra Papp for games 7-12.

The annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea for Game 5 can be found here.

Lichess has also run player profiles on GM Ju Wenjun and GM Tan Zhongyi, and published a Match Preview ahead of the match.

Schedule

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSGm4lkSj0w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur3vSV5Ij0I

Annotations by WIM Silvia Raluca Sgîrcea

Match Score

Recap

Despite sticking to the e6 Sicilian, it was Tan who decided to deviate, going for 4...a6, the Kan Sicilian, instead of the 4...Nf6 she essayed in game 1 of the match.

Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

After some normal developing moves, Tan struck with 9...Ne5, a logical move that attacks White's light-squared bishop, but an exceedingly rare move in the position. Ju hit back with the diagonal-closing 10. c5!?, which, while perhaps not objectively best, asked Tan an important question: to play or not to play b6.

Who's surprising whom?
Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

It was at that point when Tan's problems started as she chose to forgo b6, instead cementing her pawn on b5 with 11...b5. From that point on, and apart from one small portion of the game, Tan had to contend with a terrible bishop on a7; Tan was indeed playing down a piece for much of the game.

Ju contemplates her next steps.
Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

Ju was in prime position to increase her advantage further with 16. Qd4, which attacked Black's f6 square, preparing the coming 17. f5. Instead, Ju played 16. Qe2, which, while still good, allowed Tan a chance to come back into the game. Tan, however, still must have felt that she was on the back foot as she took a radical decision on move 17 and pushed her f-pawn to f5. This decision created too many weaknesses, and, for the rest of the game, Tan now had to deal with a bad bishop on a7 as well as weak light squares.

A small chance for Tan to get back into the game
Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

Ju first won a pawn and then started protecting her weaknesses, threatening to start marching forward with her a-pawn. Finding herself in a lost position, Tan took a very good practical decision and went for the material imbalance on move 26, trading her two minor pieces for a rook and pawn. Of course, White was still winning, but now White had to be more careful to convert as imbalances invariably lead to complications.

Tan tried to complicate matters, but Ju converted well.
Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

Ju played the conversion phase very well, however, and did not offer any chances for Tan to swindle her way to a draw. Converting 2 minor pieces vs. rook takes quite a long while usually, though; on move 59, Ju was able to crash through on Black's kingside, whereafter Tan was forced to resign.

Ju now leads the match.
Photo: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

Stream

Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAhkKjC9p2Y

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dt-btoj7p4