China Clipper

Mariya Muzychuk – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 3, 2016
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Nc3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bg4 10. Rb1 Rb8 11. Re1 0-0 12. c4!? Most likely a novelty. 12. Bf4 and 12. h3 are the most common continuations. 12. ... dxc4 13. Bxc4

13. ... b5! 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) gives a convincing reply! 14. Bf1. Also 14. Rxb5 Rxb5 15. Bxb5 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Nxd4 is dead equal. 14. ... Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Nxd4 16. Qg4 c5 17. c3 Ne6 18. Rxb5 Rxb5 19. Bxb5 Bf6 20. Qc4 Qa5 21. Bb2 Rd8. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said afterwards she thought 21. ... Rb8 might have been better, but closer examination persuaded her that the position after 22. Bd7 Nf8 23. Be8 was not so appealing to Black. 22. Ba4 h6 23. Bb3 Rd6. The flashy 23. ... Rd4!? 24. Qe2 Rd6 makes no substantial difference. 24. h3 Qd8 25. Qg4 Qd7 26. Qf5 Qc6 27. Re3. If 27. Bc2 then 27. ... Nf8 – as once Bent Larsen said, “With a Knight on f8 you never get mated”. 27. ... Qb6 28. Ba3 Qc7 29. Rg3 Qd8. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) temporarily sacrifices a Pawn in order to consolidate her position, being quite confident that soon or later the c3-Pawn will have to fall back on charity. 30. Bxc5. Then she said she expected Muzychuk would have kept trying for something more by 30. Bc4 (for instance). 30. ... Nxc5 31. Qxc5 Rd7 32. Qf5 Re7 33. Rd3 Qc7 34. g3 Bxc3 35. Qf3 Ba5 36. Kg2 Bb6 37. Rc3 Qd7 38. Bc2 g6 39. Bb3 Kg7 40. Rd3 Qb7 ½ : ½.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: qipai.org.cn