Just intonation

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Antoaneta Stefanova
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 9, 2016
Slav Defence D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Bg4 7. f3 Bf5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Qb3 Qd7 10. Na4. Apparently a novelty, though more in form than in substance. For 10. Rc1 e6 11. Bb5 Bd6 12. Nge2 Rc8 13. Na4 Bxf4 14. Nxf4 0-0 15. 0-0 Qe7 16. Nc5 e5 see Siebrecht – van Foreest, Schachbundesliga 2014/2015, Dortmund 2015, while for the sharper 9. g4 Bg6 10. g5 Nh5 11. Nxd5 Nxf4 12. Nxf4 e6 13. Bh3 Na5 14. Qd1 Qb5 see Jaćimović – Stamenković, 20th Belgrade Trophy, Belgrade 2007. 10. ... e6. The critical alternative appears to be 10. ... e5!? 11. dxe5 Nxg4! 12. Bb5! f6 13. f3 fxe5 with very unclear play. 11. h4 Bb4+ 12. Kf2. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s position would be to Stefanova’s taste, too. 12. ... h6 13. Bb5 Qe7 14. Ne2 Rc8 15. Rac1 Bd2 16. Rcd1 Ba5 17. Rc1 Bd2 18. Bxc6+. White stands a bit better, so 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) rightly doesn’t repeat moves. 18. ... bxc6 19. Rcd1 Ba5 20. h5 Bh7 21. Rdg1 Qb4. Nothing is more urgent than the feel of danger. 22. Qxb4 Bxb4 23. a3 Be7 24. Rc1

24. ... Nd7! As usual Stefanova shows the best of her skills in the middlegame; after struggling hard to equalize, now she takes the upper hand. 25. Rc3. 25. b4 can be answered by 25. ... Bd3. 25. ... Nb6 26. Nc5 Nc4 27. b4 Bxc5 28. bxc5 f6! 29. Rb3 e5 30. Bg3 Kd7! 31. Rc1 Rb8 32. Rcc3 a5 33. Rxb8 Rxb8 34. e4 Rb2 35. dxe5 Nxe5 36. exd5 cxd5 37. Ke1 Rb1+. Probably 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) did not expect Stefanova to repeat moves and accept a draw. After 37. ... Nc6 (threatening ... d5-d4) 38. Bf2 Rb1+ 39. Kd2 Ne5 White would have still experienced some seriously unpleasant moments. 38. Kf2 Rb2 39. Ke1 Rb1+ 40. Kf2 Rb2 ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Antoaneta Stefanova
Photo: qipai.org.cn