The Queen’s Pawn

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Olga Alexandrovna Girya
 14th “映美杯” (“Yìngměi Cup”) Chinese Chess League; 南京 (Nánjīng), May 22, 2018
Semi-Slav Defence D44

Just say bye-bye to the crown and the royal limousine. 上海 (Shànghǎi)’s Queen, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), has already got back to her (hard) daily work in the backwards of the Celestial Empire! 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Be7 11. exf6 Bxf6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. g3 Na6 14. Bg2 Bb7 15. Ne4. If 15. Nxb5 then 15. ... 0-0-0 16. Qa4 cxb5 17. Bxb7+ Kxb7 18. Qxb5+ Ka8 19. Qc6+ Kb8 20. Qb5+ Ka8 21. Qc6+ Kb8 22. Qb5+ Ka8 ½ : ½ Obolentseva – Girya, Russian Women’s Cup Final 2016, Khanty-Mansiysk 2016. 15. ... Qe7 16. 0-0 0-0-0 17. h4. The alternative was 17. a4 Kb8 (Kasparov then suggested 17. ... f5! 18. axb5 cxb5 19. Rxa6 Bxa6 20. Nc5 Qxc5! 21. dxc5 Rxd1 22. Rxd1 b4!∞) 18. Qd2 b4 19. Rac1 e5 20. Rxc4 f5 21. Ng5 c5 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. Qe3 exd4 24. Qe5+ Ka8 25. Ne6 (Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman recommended 25. Qxf5±) 25. ... Qh7 26. h4 Rhe8 27. Qe2 Rd6 28. Qf3+ Qb7 29. Qxb7+ Kxb7 30. Nxc5+ Nxc5 31. Rxc5 d3 32. Rd1 Re2 33. Rb5+ Ka6 34. Rxb4 d2 35. Kf1 Rde6 36. Kg2 Rd6 ½ : ½ Kasparov – Smyslov, Candidates Final, Vilnius 1984, match game 5. 17. ... c5 18. a4 Rxd4 19. Qe2 b4 20. Rad1 Qc7 21. Ng5! This seems stronger than 21. Rc1 which yet gave White the win, but only after many complications that Black might have handled better: 21. ... Bd5 22. Nf6 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 e5 24. Ng4 Qb7+ 25. Kh2 f5 26. Qxe5 Qh7 27. Qf6 Rxg4 28. Qxa6+ Kb8 29. Qf6 f4 30. Rfd1 fxg3+ 31. fxg3 Rc8 32. Kh3 Qe4 33. Rd8 Rg8 34. Qd6+ Ka8 35. Qd5+ Qxd5 36. Rxd5 Rgd8 37. Rxd8 Rxd8 38. Rxc4 Rd5 39. Kg4 Kb7 40. h5 Kc6 41. h6 1 : 0 Matlakov – Sandipan, 15th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2017. 21. ... Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Rhd8 23. Rc1 R8d7 24. Rxc4 Qc6+ 25. Kg1 Rxc4. Probably Black may improve her game somewhere, but it’s not quite so easy to guess how and where. From a human viewpoint, the text makes little sense, as any kind of simplification ends up enhancing the strength of White’s passed h-Pawn. So 25. ... Rd2 appears to be a more lively choice, and it is likely worth further analysis. 26. Qxc4 Nc7. Not 26. ... Qxa4? because of 27. h5 with a win coming soon. 27. Rc1 f5 28. h5 e5 29. Qg8+ Kb7 30. Qg6. Stockfish evaluates 30. Qf8(!) f4!? 31. Qf5 as a more convincing win for White. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), however, is eager to make things simpler, even at the cost of renouncing something. 30. ... Qxg6 31. hxg6

31. ... Kb6? Black ought to have played 31. ... Rg7 32. Rxc5 Rxg6 33. Nf7 Ra6 34. a5 which leaves White with much the better game (and possibly an almost won game) that, however, would still have to be won. 32. Nf7 e4? This loses off right, but also 32. ... Ne6 33. Nxe5 Rg7 34. f4 is undefendable. 33. g7 1 : 0.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (right) vs. Olga Alexandrovna Girya (left). Photo: qipai.org.cn.