A Gift to Last

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Samuel L. Shankland
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2017
1r4k1/4qp2/3p2pp/p1pP4/2P1P1r1/2Q2NB1/P4K2/4R3 b - e3 0 36

Position after 36. e2-e4

As you’ll have understood by now, the only and one non-knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament is to be held here (and now) in Gibraltar! Today, the current World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) very convincingly won, once and again, against her Ukrainian frenemy Mariya Muzychuk, but... two variables may yet make her royal status uncertain: the English Grandmaster Nigel David Short (who today played with transcendental brilliancy) and her countrygirl 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who, even today, was able to induce her opponent to give her an unexpected gift: 36. ... Rxe4?? A non-gallant ambitious peasant would have certainly played 36. ... f6, but no! The American dream cannot die so miserably. 37. Bxd6! Qxd6 38. Rxe4 g5 39. Qe5 Qf8 40. Re2 Rd8 41. Nxg5 hxg5 42. Qxg5+ Kh7 43. Re4 1 : 0. It’s just mate.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Samuel L. Shankland
Photo: Sophie Triay