Wildwood Flower

章晓雯 (Zhāng Xiǎowén) – 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún)
Women’s Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 22, 2015
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Ne5 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. h4 c6 11. Kb1 Qa5 12. Nxe5! Less trustworthy appears 12. Bg5 Be6 as in the game Michelle Catherina – 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún), 32nd World Junior Chess Championship Girls, Pune 2014. 12. ... Qxe5. If 12. ... dxe5 then 13. Bc4 gives White a lasting initiative. The text move on the other hand is no better. 13. Bg5 Bxg5 14. hxg5 Bf5 15. f4. 章晓雯 (Zhāng Xiǎowén) rightly ignores the d6-Pawn and she focuses on developing her attack. 15. ... Qa5 16. Bd3. Intending g2-g4. 16. ... g6 17. Rh4! Bxd3 18. Qxd3 f5? Disastrous! In any case, after 18. ... Qf5 19. Qd4! Black cannot survive long.

“Position before White’s 19th move. What can one say? The open h-file and active White Queen spell mortal danger for the Black monarch... a good tactician needs no hint!”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett said. 19. Rxh7! Easily crushing! 19. ... Kxh7 20. Rh1+ Kg8 21. Qd4 Qd8 22. Rh8+ Kf7 23. Rh7+ Ke6 24. Qe3+ Kd5 25. Qd3+ Ke6. Or 25. ... Kc5 26. Qd4+ Kb5 27. Qb4+ Ka6 28. Qxb7+ Ka5 29. b4+ Ka4 30. Qa6+ and mate next move. 26. c4 d5. Helpmate, but other moves also lose very quickly. 27. Qe3+ Kd6 28. c5 mate.

章晓雯 (Zhāng Xiǎowén)
Photo: sports.sina.com.cn