Chimeras

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 李瑞峰 (Lǐ Ruìfēng)
1st Fall Chess Classic; Saint Louis, September 13, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E52

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s too schematical strategy soon ended in muddy waters and her opponent, 16-year-old Chinese American Grandmaster 李瑞峰 (Lǐ Ruìfēng), quickly seized a powerful initiative, planting a paralysing Pawn at c3 first, then at c2, and eventually putting his opponent back into a very uncomfortable position. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Bb7 6. Bd3 0-0 7. 0-0 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Ne5 Be7 10. b3 c5 11. Bb2 Nc6 12. Ne2 Rc8 13. Rc1 g6 14. Nf4 Na5 15. Qe2 Bd6 16. Ba6 Bxa6 17. Qxa6 c4 18. bxc4 dxc4 19. Bc3 Ne4 20. Bxa5 bxa5 21. Rfd1? Stockfish makes it easy with the “non-human” 21. Rc2 c3 22. Qxa7 assessing the position as favourable to White. 21. ... c3! 22. Qb7? The situation after 22. Nc6 Qf6 23. d5 Nxf2 24. Kxf2 g5 25. Kg1 gxf4 26. e4 f3! is, in the best hypothesis, double-edged, but it was, perhaps, the best thing that could have happened to her. Otherwise, she might have considered 22. f3 (Stockfish). 22. ... c2 23. Rd3 Nc3! White might have overlooked this nuance. 24. Nc6. The c2-Pawn is taboo (24. Rxc2? Ne2+!). 24. ... Rxc6 25. Qxc6 Nxa2 26. Qxc2 Nxc1 27. Qxc1 a4. The passed a-Pawn (Pawns) keeps (keep) White firmly tied up. The position might be still defendable, but 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) is already under terrible time pressure and lacks the lucidity necessary to make up a resistance. The rest is literally a massacre: 28. g3. 28. e4 a3 29. e5 Bb4 30. Qa1 Qa5 31. Qa2 Rb8! is perhaps a little better, but always too similar to what happens in the game. 28. ... Qa5 29. Qa1? The best practical chance was 29. Qc6, aiming to remain the Exchange down (but a Pawn up) with some vague drawing possibilities.

29. ... Rb8! 30. e4 a3 31. e5? a2! The gravestone. 32. Rd1 Bb4 33. Ne2 Bd2 34. Kg2 Qd5+ 35. f3 Ba5 36. Rc1 Qb3 37. Kf2 Bd2 38. Rd1 Qe3+ 0 : 1. A brilliant game by 李瑞峰 (Lǐ Ruìfēng).