Ju Wenjun is looking like a favorite to retain her women's world championship title, as she defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk - with Black - in the first game of their semi-final match. Ju hasn't lost a game or even had so much as a single playoff, and she continues to plow through the field with maximum efficiency.
Meanwhile, Mariya Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno played a damp squib of a game, drawing in 23 moves in the dullest line in modern chess, the 5.Re1 Berlin. After her harrowing tiebreak yesterday, and perhaps some time consoling her sister, she may have needed a short day to recoup some energy, even at the cost of her white game.
Tournament website here.