It’s not given to everyone to make a throne out of a chair

郭琦 (Guō Qí) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)

Mixed Team Rapid & Blitz Tournament “深新 (Shēnxīn) Media Cup”; 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), June 4, 2017

English Opening A21

1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 f5 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Nh3 Nf6 7. g3 0-0 8. Bg2 c6 9. 0-0 d5!? As usual 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) plays the opening very keenly. 10. Qb3. For 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. Nf4 Ne8 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Qb3 Nf6 15. f3 g5 16. Nh3 h6 see Damljanović – Nikčević, 51st Yugoslav Team Chess Championship, Vrnjačka Banja 1999. 10. ... dxc4 11. Qxc4+ Kh8 12. Rd1 Nbd7 13. f3!? It looks decidedly better than 13. Nf4 Nb6 with very pleasant play for Black, Koelmans – Dek, 13rd Hogeschool Zeeland Tournament, Vlissingen 2009. 13. ... Nb6 14. Qb3 exf3 15. Bxf3 a5 16. a4 Bb4 17. Na2 Bd6 18. Nc3 Bb4 19. Na2 Be7 20. Nc3 Ra6. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) is not willing to repeat moves. 21. Bf4 Nbd5 22. Nxd5 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Rb6 24. Qa2 Qxd5 25. Bc7 Rb3 26. Nf4 Qf7 27. Bxa5. 郭琦 (Guō Qí), after long defending her slightly uncomfortable position, even dares to win a Pawn – even though if temporarily. 27. ... g5 28. Rd3. White has to give back her Pawn to prevent more serious dangers, and indeed the ensuing ending seems quite tenable. 28. ... Rxd3 29. Qxf7 Rxg3+ 30. hxg3 Rxf7 31. Nd3 Bd6 32. Ne5 Rf8 33. Bc3?! I don’t like this move which, if not properly followed, could transform the Bishop into a Pawn. 33. Bd2 appears to be much more to the point. 33. ... Kg8 34. e3 Be6 35. a5 Ra8 36. Kf2 Bd5 37. Nd7 Kf7 38. Nb6 Ra6 39. b4 Be4

40. Rc1? White should have resuscitated her Bishop by 40. d5! and if 40. ... h5 (after 40. ... cxd5 41. b5 Black has to give up the Exchange for no win) there might follow 41. dxc6 Bxc6 42. Nc4 Bc7 43. Be5! with almost certain drawing chances. 40. ... h5! 41. Nc4 Bc7 42. Bb2? Another absurd Bishop move which loses a vital tempo. The immediate 42. Ne5+ (followed by Ne5-f3) was most imperatively called for. 42. ... Ra8! 43. Ne5+ Ke6 44. Nf3 Rg8! 45. b5? 郭琦 (Guō Qí) must have been very, very short of time as the text makes the win very easy for her opponent. However, even 45. Ne5 f4! should give Black excellent winning chances. 45. ... h4! 46. gxh4 gxh4 47. a6. Desperation, but 47. Nxh4 Bg3+ is out of question. 47. ... bxa6 48. bxa6 h3 0 : 1.

Seated, from left: 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 郭琦 (Guō Qí), 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), and 韦奕 (Wéi Yì). Photo: sohu.com.