Women's World Chess Championship July 5th to 24th 2023

[Matt Mackenzie]

And another draw.

We are certainly getting our money's worth as far as move counts are concerned, at least.

[Mick Norris]

Indeed, we will get all 12 games too

[Mick Norris]

Game 11 underway, level at move 17

[LawrenceCooper]

Game 11 underway, level at move 17

Subsequently drawn in 48 moves.

[Paul Cooksey]

I usually have low expectations for the last round. But a sharp reversed Noteboom today

[Paul Cooksey]

Congratulations to Ju on retaining her title.

She created a very unbalanced position and played it better than her opponent today. The game deserves to be remembered as one of the great last game wins.

[Matt Mackenzie]

When was the last decisive final classical game with the men's title - Topalov v Anand in 2010?

[Jonathan Rogers]

Yes, and that was the only one to have happened when the players were, as here, all square at the time. (Even counting those where one player was a point behind, we only have two Karpov v Kasparov matches and the obscure circumstances of Lasker v Schlechter). Although Botvinnik may well have won game 24 v Bronstein had it been he who needed to do so, also Euwe v Alekhine 1935.

[Paul Cooksey]

Arguably Kramnik-Leko 2004 too

[Carl Hibbard]

[Event "FIDE Women's World Chess Championship"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2023.07.22"] [Round "12"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Lei, Tingjie"] [Result "1-0"] [Board "1"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteElo "2564"] [WhiteCountry "CHN"] [WhiteFideId "8603006"] [WhiteEloChange "5"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackElo "2554"] [BlackCountry "CHN"] [BlackFideId "8605114"] [BlackEloChange "-5"] 1. d4 {[%clk 1:30:57]} d5 {[%clk 1:30:45]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 1:31:17]} Nf6 {[%clk 1:31:03]} 3. e3 {[%clk 1:31:41]} c5 {[%clk 1:31:22]} 4. dxc5 {[%clk 1:31:48]} e6 {[%clk 1:31:46]} 5. b4 {[%clk 1:32:07]} a5 {[%clk 1:31:48]} 6. c3 {[%clk 1:32:17]} axb4 {[%clk 1:31:50]} 7. cxb4 {[%clk 1:32:43]} b6 {[%clk 1:32:14]} 8. Bb5+ {[%clk 1:32:42]} Bd7 {[%clk 1:32:02]} 9. Bxd7+ {[%clk 1:33:03]} Nbxd7 {[%clk 1:32:18]} 10. a4 {[%clk 1:33:13]} bxc5 {[%clk 1:32:17]} 11. b5 {[%clk 1:33:40]} Qc7 {[%clk 1:29:00]} 12. Bb2 {[%clk 1:30:56]} Bd6 {[%clk 1:29:26]} 13. O-O {[%clk 1:31:03]} O-O {[%clk 1:11:30]} 14. Nbd2 {[%clk 1:31:09]} Rfc8 {[%clk 1:10:49]} 15. Qc2 {[%clk 1:21:10]} c4 {[%clk 0:52:41]} 16. Bc3 {[%clk 1:21:20]} Nc5 {[%clk 0:52:52]} 17. a5 {[%clk 1:14:03]} Nb3 {[%clk 0:46:58]} 18. Bxf6 {[%clk 0:59:11]} Nxa1 {[%clk 0:38:53]} 19. Bxa1 {[%clk 0:59:24]} Qxa5 {[%clk 0:39:19]} 20. Qc3 {[%clk 0:40:42]} Qxc3 {[%clk 0:39:32]} 21. Bxc3 {[%clk 0:41:09]} Rcb8 {[%clk 0:34:10]} 22. Nd4 {[%clk 0:39:41]} e5 {[%clk 0:27:18]} 23. Nf5 {[%clk 0:38:58]} Bf8 {[%clk 0:27:13]} 24. Bxe5 {[%clk 0:29:27]} Rxb5 {[%clk 0:27:38]} 25. g4 {[%clk 0:29:49]} g6 {[%clk 0:23:06]} 26. Nd4 {[%clk 0:26:05]} Rb2 {[%clk 0:23:12]} 27. Nb1 {[%clk 0:24:39]} Bg7 {[%clk 0:13:03]} 28. Bxg7 {[%clk 0:25:04]} Kxg7 {[%clk 0:13:30]} 29. Nc3 {[%clk 0:25:30]} Ra5 {[%clk 0:13:19]} 30. Rd1 {[%clk 0:24:21]} Rb6 {[%clk 0:10:25]} 31. Nde2 {[%clk 0:23:46]} Rb3 {[%clk 0:10:20]} 32. Kg2 {[%clk 0:18:47]} h6 {[%clk 0:10:00]} 33. Kf3 {[%clk 0:15:12]} f6 {[%clk 0:05:31]} 34. Rc1 {[%clk 0:09:52]} Kf7 {[%clk 0:05:17]} 35. Nf4 {[%clk 0:09:19]} d4 {[%clk 0:02:37]} 36. exd4 {[%clk 0:09:45]} g5 {[%clk 0:02:53]} 37. Ne2 {[%clk 0:09:40]} f5 {[%clk 0:03:18]} 38. gxf5 {[%clk 0:07:23]} Rxf5+ {[%clk 0:03:45]} 39. Ke3 {[%clk 0:07:47]} g4 {[%clk 0:03:22]} 40. Nf4 {[%clk 0:36:26]} Rb8 {[%clk 0:31:45]} 41. d5 {[%clk 0:31:13]} Rf6 {[%clk 0:26:28]} 42. Rc2 {[%clk 0:25:48]} Ra8 {[%clk 0:20:56]} 43. Nb5 {[%clk 0:16:09]} Rb6 {[%clk 0:16:10]} 44. Nd4 {[%clk 0:16:16]} Ra3+ {[%clk 0:16:23]} 45. Ke4 {[%clk 0:16:26]} c3 {[%clk 0:16:15]} 46. Nfe2 {[%clk 0:12:50]} Rb2 {[%clk 0:15:25]} 47. Kd3 {[%clk 0:13:16]} Rb1 {[%clk 0:08:05]} 48. Nxc3 {[%clk 0:11:44]} Rh1 {[%clk 0:08:29]} 49. f3 {[%clk 0:11:16]} gxf3 {[%clk 0:08:55]} 50. Nxf3 {[%clk 0:11:40]} Rf1 {[%clk 0:08:35]} 51. Nd4 {[%clk 0:11:24]} Ke7 {[%clk 0:07:02]} 52. Kc4 {[%clk 0:10:57]} Rf4 {[%clk 0:06:18]} 53. Rb2 {[%clk 0:09:42]} Rh4 {[%clk 0:04:26]} 54. Rb7+ {[%clk 0:05:16]} Kf6 {[%clk 0:04:34]} 55. Rb2 {[%clk 0:04:00]} Ra8 {[%clk 0:04:08]} 56. Kc5 {[%clk 0:04:03]} Rh3 {[%clk 0:03:20]} 57. Ncb5 {[%clk 0:04:02]} Re3 {[%clk 0:01:49]} 58. d6 {[%clk 0:04:14]} Ke5 {[%clk 0:01:17]} 59. Nc6+ {[%clk 0:04:32]} Ke4 {[%clk 0:00:41]} 60. d7 {[%clk 0:04:44]} Rd3 {[%clk 0:00:47]} 61. Nd6+ {[%clk 0:04:59]} Kf4 {[%clk 0:01:11]} 62. Rb8 {[%clk 0:05:03]} 1-0

[Jonathan Rogers]

Arguably Kramnik-Leko 2004 too

Yes, I forgot that, silly me.

But this win by Ju along with the win in Topalov v Anand might be the only decisive scheduled last game when scores were even - though like many others I suspect, I am not so well versed in the history of women's world championships.