"Giri’s Knight Dominance: How He Defeated Ju Wenjun at Tata Steel Chess 2024"

Analyzing the game between Ju Wenjun and Anish Giri from the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament:
Opening Phase:
1. e4 c5 - The game starts with the Sicilian Defense, a popular and dynamic response to 1. e4.
3. g3 - Ju Wenjun chooses the Closed Sicilian, aiming for a slower, positional game, focusing on fianchettoing her bishop.
5... Be7 6. O-O d5 - Giri plays solidly, advancing the central pawn and preparing to open the center after castling.
Middlegame:
9... e5 - Black achieves a strong central presence with the e5 push.
14. f4 - Ju initiates aggressive pawn play, but Giri responds well with 14... a6, preparing queenside expansion.
17. f5 Bd7 18. Nd5 - White aggressively advances on the kingside and places the knight on d5, creating pressure. However, Black remains solid.
20. axb5 axb5 21. b4 cxb3 - Ju sacrifices her pawn structure to open lines but soon finds herself in a difficult position.
Key Moment:
25. Rfb1 Bc6 - Giri's pieces become active, and White's b3 pawn is a long-term weakness.
32. Nxb3 Nc4 - Giri gains a dominant knight on c4, creating coordination between his pieces and increasing the pressure on White's queenside.
34. Qxe3 Nxe3 35. Re2 Rd3 - Black has a strong, centralized position, while White's pieces are disjointed.
Endgame:
40... Nxe4 - Black grabs material, and Giri's technique in the endgame is impressive.
56. Re8 Rd6 - Black now dominates, controlling the key open files and putting White under severe pressure.
63... Kg8 64. Rd8+ Kf7 - The black king safely advances, while White is struggling to find active counterplay.
74... g5 75. Ra5 Rd5 - Giri maneuvers efficiently to force White into a losing position, with active rooks dominating the board.
Final Moves:
80... Kf3 - White is in zugzwang, and Giri delivers the final blow, forcing a checkmate in a few moves or decisive material advantage.
Conclusion:
Giri's Precision: Anish Giri played with precision, exploiting Ju Wenjun's weaknesses on the queenside. His dominance from the middlegame transitioned into an almost flawless endgame.
Ju Wenjun's Resistance: Despite some aggressive play in the opening and middlegame, Ju struggled with activity and coordination as the game progressed.
Black's win was a fine example of positional mastery and endgame technique.