Zip ’N Snort

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Anna Muzychuk
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 7, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D02

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 g6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Nbd2 Nh6 6. Bg2 Nf5 7. e3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nd7 9. Rb1 a5 10. b3 b5 11. Qc2 Ba6 12. Rd1 Rc8 13. c5 Re8 14. Bb2 Qc7 15. Bh3 e6 16. e4 Ne7 17. e5 b4 18. Nf1 Nf5 19. Re1 Rf8 20. Bc1 Rce8 21. Bf4 Bh6 22. Bxh6 Nxh6 23. Ng5 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 Kg7 25. Kg1 Nf5 26. Bxf5 gxf5 27. Re3 Qd8 28. Nh3 Rg8 29. a3 bxa3 30. b4 Kh8 31. Rxa3 Qh4 32. Kg2 Qxd4 33. bxa5 Nxe5 34. a6 Nc4 35. Ra2 Qxc5 36. Rb7

36. ... d4? Muzychuk is in terrible time trouble and, in spite of her material advantage, White’s passed a-Pawn is a problem she won’t manage to solve. I doubt 36. ... Qf8 37. a7 Ra8 was the “universal panacea” (38. Qb1, in fact, seems to keep the upper hand, in spite of White’s two Pawn minus), but at least it allowed Black to fight for survival. 37. Nf4 Qe5 38. Qxc4 Qxf4 39. Qxc6 Qe4+ 40. Qxe4 fxe4 41. Rxf7 Rgf8 42. Rb7 Rd8 43. Rc2 e3 44. fxe3 dxe3 45. a7 Kg8 46. Kh3 Ra8 47. Rcc7 Rf6 48. Rg7+ Kh8 49. Rxh7+ Kg8 50. Rhg7+ Kh8 51. Rg4 Rh6+ 52. Kg2 Rf6 53. Re4 1 : 0.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: qipai.org.cn