Ju Wenjun Takes Lead in Women's World Champs [NEWSFLASH]

The World Women’s Championship (January 4-26) kicked off in Shanghai, China with three fighting draws. In round four, reigning champ Wenjun Ju of China squeezed a better queen endgame to her first victory over Aleksandra Goryachkina. Ju Wenjun takes an important lead in the 12-game match, which moves to Vladivostok, Russia next week.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Women's World Championship"] [Date "2020.01.09"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D16"] [WhiteElo "2584"] [BlackElo "2578"] [PlyCount "125"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackTeam "Russia"] [WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"] [BlackTeamCountry "RUS"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 6. e3 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. exd4 Nc6 9. O-O Be7 10. d5 exd5 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 O-O 13. Be3 Bf5 14. Qb3 Nb4 15. Rfd1 Qa5 16. Ne5 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Qa6 18. Nd7 Be6 19. Nxf8 Kxf8 20. Qb5 Bxd5 21. Qxd5 Rd8 22. Qe4 h6 23. g3 b6 24. Rc1 f6 25. Kg2 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. Qd5 Ke8 28. h4 Qd7 29. Qg8+ Bf8 30. Qc4 h5 31. Kh2 Be7 32. b3 Kf8 33. Qc2 Bd6 34. Qe4 Bc5 35. Bxc5+ bxc5 36. a5 Qe7 37. Qa8+ Kf7 38. a6 g6 39. Qd5+ Kg7 40. Qb7 Kf8 41. Kg2 Ke8 42. Qa8+ Kf7 43. Qd5+ Kg7 44. Kf3 Kf8 45. Qb7 Ke8 46. Qd5 Kf8 47. Kf4 Qc7+ 48. Ke3 Qc8 49. Qb7 Qd8 50. Kf3 Qe7 51. Qxe7+ Kxe7 52. g4 Kd6 53. gxh5 gxh5 54. Ke4 Kc6 55. f4 Kb5 56. Kd5 f5 57. Kd6 Kb6 58. Kd7 Ka5 59. Kc7 Kxa6 60. Kc6 Ka5 61. Kxc5 Ka6 62. b4 Kb7 63. Kd5 1-0 [/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Women's World Championship"] [Date "2020.01.05"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E06"] [WhiteElo "2578"] [BlackElo "2584"] [PlyCount "193"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Russia"] [BlackTeam "China"] [WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "CHN"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 dxc4 7. Ne5 c5 8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 Bxc5 10. O-O Nc6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 Bb6 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Nxc6 Bb7 15. Nb4 Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Nc3 Bc6 18. Rfd1 Rfd8 19. f3 Kf8 20. Kf2 Ke7 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Ke3 e5 23. Rd1 Ra8 24. a3 Ke6 25. Na2 Ba4 26. Rd2 f6 27. Kf2 Bc6 28. e4 g6 29. Ke3 f5 30. exf5+ gxf5 31. f4 h5 32. fxe5 Kxe5 33. Rd4 b5 34. Nc3 Ra7 35. Ne2 Be8 36. Rd8 Re7 37. Nf4 Kf6+ 38. Kd2 Re5 39. Nd5+ Kf7 40. Rd6 Bc6 41. Nf4 Bf3 42. h4 Bg4 43. Rd5 Kf6 44. Rxe5 Kxe5 45. Ke3 Bd1 46. Ng6+ Kf6 47. Nf8 Ke5 48. Nd7+ Ke6 49. Nb8 Kd5 50. Na6 Ke5 51. Nb4 Bg4 52. Nc2 Bd1 53. Nd4 Ba4 54. Ne2 Bd1 55. Nd4 Ba4 56. Nc6+ Kd6 57. Nd8 Ke5 58. Nf7+ Ke6 59. Ng5+ Ke5 60. Nh3 Bd1 61. Nf4 Bg4 62. Ng2 Bd1 63. Ne1 Bg4 64. Nc2 Bd1 65. Nb4 Ba4 66. Na2 Bb3 67. Nc3 Ba4 68. Kf3 Kd4 69. Ke2 Kc5 70. Ke3 Bc2 71. Ne2 Bd1 72. Nd4 Bg4 73. Nc2 Bd1 74. Nb4 Bg4 75. Na2 Bd1 76. Kd2 Bf3 77. Nc3 Bc6 78. Ke3 Bd7 79. Ne2 b4 80. axb4+ Kxb4 81. Kd2 Bc6 82. Nf4 Bf3 83. Ne6 Bg4 84. Kc2 Bf3 85. Nd4 Bg4 86. Kd2 Kc5 87. Ke3 Kd5 88. Nb5 Kc5 89. Nc3 Kb4 90. Kd4 Kb3 91. Nd5 Be2 92. Ne3 Bd3 93. Kc5 Be2 94. Kd5 Bd3 95. Kd4 Be2 96. Kc5 Bd3 97. Kd4 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Women's World Championship"] [Date "2020.01.06"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C67"] [WhiteElo "2584"] [BlackElo "2578"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackTeam "Russia"] [WhiteTeamCountry "CHN"] [BlackTeamCountry "RUS"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re2 Nc4 11. b3 Nb6 12. c3 c6 13. Nd2 d5 14. h3 Bf5 15. Nf3 Be4 16. Ne5 Bg5 17. f3 Bf5 18. Bxg5 Qxg5 19. Qc1 Qxc1 20. Rxc1 f6 21. Ng4 h5 22. Ne3 Bd3 23. Ree1 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 g6 25. g4 hxg4 26. hxg4 Kf7 27. Kf2 Rh8 28. Rh1 Rae8 29. Ng2 Nc8 30. Nf4 Nd6 31. Nd3 g5 32. a4 a5 33. Rxh8 Rxh8 34. Kg2 Re8 35. Kf2 Rh8 36. Kg2 Re8 37. Kf2 Rh8 38. Kg2 Re8 39. Kf2 Rh8 40. Kg2 Re8 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "FIDE Women's World Championship"] [Date "2020.01.08"] [Round "3.1"] [White "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"] [Black "Ju, Wenjun"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D41"] [WhiteElo "2578"] [BlackElo "2584"] [PlyCount "169"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Russia"] [BlackTeam "China"] [WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "CHN"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. O-O b6 13. a4 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Rc8 15. Bd3 a5 16. Qb2 Qe7 17. Nd2 Rfd8 18. Rab1 Bc6 19. Bc2 h6 20. Nf1 Qg5 21. Ne3 Ba8 22. f3 Rc7 23. Bd3 Rdc8 24. Ba6 Bb7 25. Bxb7 Rxb7 26. Qf2 Qd8 27. Red1 Nf6 28. d5 Rd7 29. Rd4 Qe7 30. Rbd1 Rcd8 31. Nc4 exd5 32. Nxb6 Rb7 33. Nxd5 Nxd5 34. exd5 Qd6 35. h3 Rdb8 36. Qe1 Rb4 37. Re4 g6 38. Kh1 h5 39. Re8+ Rxe8 40. Qxe8+ Kg7 41. Qc6 Qxc6 42. dxc6 Rc4 43. Rd5 Rxc6 44. Rxa5 Rc1+ 45. Kh2 h4 46. Rd5 Ra1 47. a5 f5 48. g4 Ra2+ 49. Kg1 fxg4 50. hxg4 Kh6 51. Rb5 g5 52. Rb6+ Kg7 53. a6 Kh7 54. Rb7+ Kg6 55. a7 Kh6 56. Kf1 Kg6 57. Ke1 h3 58. Rb2 Ra1+ 59. Kf2 h2 60. a8=Q Rxa8 61. Kg2 Rh8 62. Rb1 Ra8 63. Kxh2 Ra2+ 64. Kg3 Rc2 65. Rf1 Ra2 66. Rf2 Ra3 67. Rd2 Ra6 68. Kf2 Re6 69. Re2 Ra6 70. Ke3 Re6+ 71. Kd3 Rd6+ 72. Kc4 Kf6 73. Ra2 Ke5 74. Ra5+ Kf4 75. Rf5+ Kg3 76. Kc3 Rd8 77. Kc4 Rd7 78. Kc5 Rd3 79. Rxg5 Rxf3 80. Rg8 Kh4 81. g5 Kh5 82. g6 Kh6 83. Kd5 Rg3 84. Rh8+ Kg7 85. Rh1 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

At US Chess, only 14.5 percent of its 92,000 members are female, although that is more than double what it was in 2000 and a record high. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time US women's champion, believes that FIDE is on "the right track" with the significant increase in prize money. Shahade, women's programme director at US Chess, said: "Building a strong base of female players is crucial to developing the game. "I think chess is particularly crucial in a time of constant distraction, where the intellectual is de-emphasised in favour of the immediate and the visual," she added. "Men, kids, and especially women and girls, need the benefits of chess right now more than ever."

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