Aliens in the Gift Shop

Andrew J. Ledger – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 24, 2017
4r3/2p4k/pp4q1/2bB3p/8/PP2P1P1/1B2Q2P/6K1 w - - 1 29

Position after 28. ... Ra8-e8

Strange things are happening in Douglas, but, you know, they like to joke around. Among the many fascinating surreality shows of today, I couldn’t resist taking a look at what’s happened in the game Ledger – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), starting from the position illustrated in the diagram. White has sacrificed the Exchange for a Pawn and a lot of trouble, as his Bishop pair is still ineffective while Black is awesomely threatening both ... Re8xe3 and ... h5-h4. Consistently to the “Brandom guidelines”, Ledger decides to parry the less dangerous of the two: 29. Kg2? Rxe3 30. Qc4 Re1. So White is on the verge of mate. 31. Bd4 Bxd4 32. Qxd4. And here and now there was more than a feeling of King Hunt’s crescendo in the air: 32. ... Qc2+ 33. Kh3 (33. Kf3 Qe2+ 34. Kf4 Qg4 mate) 33. ... Re2 34. g4 Rxh2+ 35. Kg3 h4+ with a prompt destitution of White’s monarchy. But, quite incredibly, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), perhaps still regretting the insensitive party with which she celebrated her last birthday, manages to find the only way to escape from the win without having to give back – as an act of extreme constriction – all her birthday gifts. 32. ... Qg4?? 33. Qd3+! Qg6 34. Bg8+ Kg7 35. Qc3+ Kxg8 36. Qxe1. The Queen ending is drawn. 36. ... Qc2+ 37. Kg1 Qxb3 38. Qe8+ Kg7 39. Qe5+ Kg6 40. Qxc7 Qe3+ 41. Kg2 Qe2+ 42. Kg1 Qd1+ 43. Kf2 Qd2+ 44. Kf3 Qd5+ 45. Kf4 Qf5+ 46. Ke3 Qe6+ 47. Kd4 b5 48. Qc2+ Kf6 49. Qc7 Kg6 50. Qc2+ Kf6 51. Qc7 Qg4+ 52. Ke3 Qg5+ 53. Qf4+ Qxf4+ 54. Kxf4 a5 55. Ke4 b4 56. axb4 axb4 57. h3 b3 58. Kd3 Ke5 59. Kc3 Ke4 60. g4 hxg4 61. hxg4 Ke5 ½ : ½.