Speedy Gonzales

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 4; 上海 (Shànghǎi), May 7, 2018
Torre Attack D03

Today the game was broadcasted with over a hour delay, without any explanation provided. Sometimes dads get angry, even on Mom’s Day. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. Nd2 Nbd7 4. Ngf3 h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. e3 e6 7. c3 Be7 8. Bd3 Qc7. Who knows, perhaps the following game was 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s inspirational theory for today: 8. ... 0-0 9. Ne5!? Nxe5 (if 9. ... Qc7 then 10. f4! intending Qd1-f3 and g2-g4) 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Bg3! f5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Qh5 Qb6 14. Rb1 c4 15. Bc2 Nc5 16. 0-0 Bd7 (16. ... Nd3 17. c4!) 17. Qg6 Be8 18. Qh7+ Kf7 19. b3! cxb3 20. Nxb3 Ne4? (20. ... Nxb3) 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Nd4 Qa6 23. Qxe4 1 : 0 D. I. Bronstein – Janošević, Belgrade 1954. 9. Qe2 0-0 10. 0-0 b6 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. Ne5 Bb7 13. f4. After yesterday’s disaster, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) put all her hopes for a comeback in a “Pillsbury set-up”. 13. ... Ne4 14. Rad1 Bd6 15. Qg4 f5 16. Qh3 Bxe5 17. fxe5 Qe7 18. Qh5 Kh7 19. Qe2 Rac8 20. Rf4 Rf7. Both players are quite short of time already. 21. g4 Rcf8 22. Qg2 cxd4 23. cxd4 Nxd2? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) defended well so far, but her last move is really ruinous — and not so easy to explain or understand. Simply 23. ... g6(!) at once would have kept White’s attack at bay. 24. Rxd2 g6 25. Qh3 Bc8 26. Rg2 g5? And this is the losing move, as it gives White a free hand to breakthrough with her whole family into the core of castle. 26. ... Rg7(!) offered much better defensive chances. 27. Rf3! Kg7 28. Qh5 Bd7 29. h4 fxg4. Probably not fit to be applauded, but, by now, nothing could change the outcome of the game unless for the worse. 30. Qg6+ Kh8 31. Qxh6+ Kg8 32. Rxg4 Rg7 33. Rf6 Qb4

34. Qxg7+! Kxg7 35. Rxg5+ 1 : 0. For if 35. ... Kh8 then 36. Rh6 mate.

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

And that’s one of the most telling differences between working days and free days. Photos: qipai.org.cn.