Black and White

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 5; 上海 (Shànghǎi), May 9, 2018
Bishop’s Opening C24

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 a5 6. a4 Bb4+ 7. c3 Bd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. exd5 cxd5. The alternative 9. ... Nxd5 10. Re1 Re8 11. Nbd2 Nd7 12. Ne4 Bc7 13. d4 h6 14. Ng3 exd4 seems quite acceptable for Black, Nevednichy – Leventič, 26th Croatian Team Chess Championship, Mali Lošinj 2017. 10. Na3!? Who knows, perhaps yesterday 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) took a look at 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Na3 Nbd7 12. Nb5 Bb8 13. Re1 Ra6 14. d4 e4 15. Nd2 h6 16. Bh4 g5!? 17. Bg3 Ng4? 18. c4 dxc4 19. Nxc4 f5? 20. Ncd6+− Patel – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú), North American Junior (U20), Irving 2017. 10. ... Nbd7 11. Re1 h6! 12. Nb5 Bb8 13. d4? But now this just seems to be a bad idea. 13. ... e4 14. Nd2 Nb6 15. f3 Re8 16. Bc2 Bd7. Black stands better already. 17. Rb1? White’s game is very uneasy, but the text cannot but make it worse. Probably best was 17. Re2 (as after 17. ... exf3 18. Nxf3 Ne4 White would have 19. Qe1 at her disposal). 17. ... exf3 18. Nxf3 Ne4 19. Ne5. White seems not to have anything better than ceding a Pawn in the (vain) hope to succeed in getting out of her convoluted and cramped position. 19. ... Bxe5 20. dxe5 Bxb5. Within two moves both Black’s Bishops disappeared from the board, so as White’s two Knights, of which at least one would have been needed to defend the Kingside. 21. axb5 Rxe5 22. Be3 Re6! 23. Bd4 Nc4 24. Bd3. 24. Qg4 is also answered by 24. ... Qg5 with great advantage to Black. 24. ... Qg5 25. b3 Ncd6 26. Rb2 Rae8 27. Rbe2 Nf5 28. Bc2 Nh4. White’s hoped counterattack failed before starting, and now it is Black who hits hard and hits to win. 29. Qd3 Ng6. 29. ... f5! (with the deadly threat of ... Ne4-f2) 30. g3 Qg4 might be even stronger. 30. Be3 Qh5 31. c4 Ne5. Too many threats. White could resign here. 32. Qd4 Rg6 33. Bxe4 dxe4 34. Kf1. 34. Kh1 Nf3! is very much the same.

34. ... Nf3! 35. Qd7. Or 35. gxf3 Qh3+ 36. Kf2 Qh3 mate. 35. ... Nxh2+ 0 : 1. For after 36. Kg1 (36. Kf2 Qh4+ 37. Kg1 Nf3+ 38. Kf1 Qh1+ and mate next move) 36. ... Nf3+ 37. Kf2 Qh4+ 38. g3 Qxg3+ 39. Kf1 Ree6! mate follows in a few moves.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (left) vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (right). Photo: cca.imsa.cn.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) passing thru the gates. Photos: qipai.org.cn.