FIDE Women's World Championship 2025 – Game 6: Ju Wenjun Strikes Back with Strategic Precision

In Game 6 of the FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship 2025, Ju Wenjun delivered a phenomenal performance with the Black pieces, equalizing the score against Tan Zhongyi. Starting with the English Opening, the game quickly transitioned into a complex positional struggle. Despite Tan’s consistent success with 1.c4 earlier in the match, this time it was Ju who came out on top, demonstrating expert handling of imbalances, queenside majority, and a winning knight endgame.

Opening: English Opening with Strategic Tension

• 3. b3 – Tan opted for a double fianchetto setup, aiming for a slow buildup.
• 4...c5 and 7...d4 – Ju aggressively gained central space and limited White’s options.
• 10. e3 dxe3 – The game headed toward imbalance with open lines and long-term pawn structure implications.

Middlegame: Light-Square Weakness and Positional Pressure

• 14...Bh3 and 17...Ne4 – Ju seized the initiative, targeting light squares around White’s king.
• 20...f5 and 21...g5 – A powerful pawn storm prevented counterplay and created kingside threats.
• 23...Qxf6 and 26...Qd6 – Smooth transitions into an endgame where Black’s plan became clear: queenside expansion and domination of the center.

Endgame: Ju’s Knight Dominates

• 34...Nxd7 and 38...Nf6 – The knight centralized as Black prepared to bring the king in.
• 41...Kc3 and 43...Ne4 – Black’s pieces worked in harmony to dominate both flanks.
• 50...h4 and 52...g2 – Ju executed a flawless conversion, ending with a neat underpromotion tactic looming.

Play through the Game

Watch the Full Analysis

For another epic game from this match, check out Tan Zhongyi’s victory in Game 2: Tan Zhongyi vs Ju Wenjun – Game 2 Recap.