Waiting for Autumn

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Shimanov – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
1st Fall Chess Classic; Saint Louis, September 12, 2017
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bf5. For 6. ... Nc6 7. Be2 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. d4 Bf5 10. Be3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qd7 12. Nd2 f6 see Zhukova – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Women’s Grand Prix 2015-2016, fifth stage, Khanty-Mansiysk 2016. 7. Be2 d4!? 8. Nxe4 Bxe4 9. Bc4!? Or 9. d3 Bd5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. a3 a5 12. Bf4 a4 13. Nd2 Be7 14. Bg3 0-0 15. Rc1 with a slight plus, Topalov – Nakamura, Grand Chess Tour Blitz Paris 2017, Paris 2017. 9. ... Be7 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Re1 Bd5 12. Qb3 Bxc4 13. Qxc4 Qd7 14. d3 Qe6 15. Qb5. This move and the next one seem uninspired. I guess Black wished to castle Queenside anyway, so it was not the case that Shimanov called for it. 15. ... 0-0-0 16. Bg5 a6 17. Qc4 Qxc4 18. dxc4 Rhe8. Black’s got an edge. 19. Bd2 h6 20. Re4 f5 21. exf6 Bxf6 22. Rae1 Rxe4 23. Rxe4 b5 24. b3 bxc4 25. bxc4 Kb7 26. Kf1 Kb6 27. Ke2 Kc5 28. Kd3 Rb8. With an energetic play 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) succeeded in achieving at least one goal: the Rook penetrates along the b-file targeting the a-Pawn. 29. Rf4 Rb2 30. Rf5+ Kb6 31. a4 Ra2 32. c5+ Kb7 33. g4. Stockfish’s 33. Bxh6 Ne7 34. Bxg7! Nxf5 35. Bxf6 Rxf2 36. Ke4 d3 37. g4 could actually be the most resistant line. 33. ... Ra3+ 34. Ke4 Rxa4 35. Bxh6

35. ... d3+. Stockfish prefers 36. ... Ne7, which forces the gain of the Exchange, as after 37. Rf4 Kc6 Black would win immediately. However, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s choice is humanely very understandable, playing safely for the win on the verge of the time control. 36. Kxd3 Rxg4 37. Bd2 Nb4+ 38. Ke2 a5 39. c6+ Ka6 40. Rc5. With a few seconds on the clock, Shimanov might not have put up the maximum resistance. However, if 40. Bf4 then 40. ... a4 41. h3 a3 (on 41. ... Rg2? 42. Bxc7 Nxc6 43. Rf4 should draw) 42. hxg4 a2 43. Bxc7 Nxc6 and Black should win anyway, even if (perhaps) more laboriously. 40. ... a4. Now it’s over, even though White tries everything before surrendering. 41. Bc1 Re4+ 42. Kd1 Kb6 43. Rf5 Nxc6 44. Be3+ Kb7 45. Rb5+ Ka6 46. Rc5 Re6 47. Rc4 Kb5 48. Rc5+ Kb4 49. Nd2 a3 50. Rc4+ Kb5 51. Rc5+ Ka6 52. Rc4 Be7 53. Rg4 Kb5 54. Nb1 Bb4 55. Nxa3+ Bxa3 56. Rxg7 Re7 57. Rg5+ Kc4 58. h4 Nd4 59. Rg4 c5 60. Ke1 Kd5 61. Kf1 Nf5 62. Rg5 Ke6 63. Bf4 c4 64. Rg6+ Kd5 65. Ra6 Bc5 66. h5 c3 67. h6 c2 68. Bc1 Kc4 69. Ra4+ Kb3 70. Rf4 Nd4! 71. Rh4 Nf3 72. Rh5 Re1+ 73. Kg2 Rxc1 74. Rxc5 Ng5! 75. f4. Or 75. Rxg5 Rg1+! and wins. 75. ... Nh7 76. Rb5+ Kc4 0 : 1.