Created Equal

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 2nd stage; Tehran, February 14, 2016
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 0-0 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. Bd3 c5 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Qc2 h6 12. dxc5. Khademalsharieh’s style is so elegant and fairy as to make positional play look easy. She still lacks international experience and she has to sharpen her tactical sense, but she undoubtedly deserved to join the club. Now she is happy to simplify matters rather than testing her opponent’s “theory” in the most usual line 12. Re1 Re8 13. Bf5 Nf8 as occurred, for instance, in the game P. Cramling – Wahls, 27th International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 1994. 12. ... Nxc5 13. b4 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 f6 15. Bb2 fxe5 16. Nxe5 Bf5

17. Qg3. White’s threat (Ne5xc6) is certainly not hidden. 17. ... Nxe5 18. Bxe5 Bf6 19. Nb3 Re8 20. Rae1 Be4 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Nc5 b6 23. Nxe4 Rxe4 24. Rxe4 dxe4 25. Qe3 Qg6 26. Qd4 Qc6 27. Re1 a5! 28. h4. After 28. Qxe4 Qxe4 29. Rxe4 axb4 Black regains her Pawn with equality. 28. ... axb4 29. axb4 Re8 30. Re3 Qc1+ 31. Kh2 Qc7+ 32. Kg1 Qc1+ 33. Kh2 Qc7+ 34. Kg1 ½ : ½.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (right) vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (left). Photo: Alina l’Ami.