Steady On

Alexandra Konstantinvna Kosteniuk – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 15, 2018

French Defence C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. dxc5 Qxc5 6. Ngf3 Nf6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. a4 Qc7 10. Nb3 b6 11. a5 Bb7 12. a6!? A novelty of dubious theoretical quality, which hardly improves on 12. axb6 axb6 13. Rxa8+ Bxa8 14. Qe2 0-0= Rogić – Palac, 4th Marko Jarić Menorial (Blitz Chess Tournament), Stari Mikanovci 2011. 12. ... Bd5 13. Nbd4 Rd8 14. Qe2 0-0 15. c4 Ba8 16. Nb5 Qb8 17. Nfd4? 17. Bc2 Nc5 18. b4 Nce4 19. Rb1 seems a sounder way for White to proceed. 17. ... Nc5 18. Bc2

18. ... Nxa6! Kosteniuk seems to have been surprised by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s take, which is grounded on obvious tactics (19. Rxa6!? Qb7! 20. Nc6! Bc5!? would be quite unbalanced, but certainly favourable to Black). On the other hand, White’s move turns out to be much worse: 19. Be3? Rd7 20. f3 Nb4 21. Ba4 Bc5 22. Rad1 Rfd8 23. Qf2 Qc8. Also good was 23. ... Qe5! 24. Rfe1 a6! winning material. 24. Nc3 Nc6. Like in most of her other games, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) prefers to play safely, relying upon her remarkable technique. Even here, 24. ... Rxd4! 25. Rxd4 Bxd4 26. Bxd4 Nd3 appeared a neat solution to cash in on her own positional superiority. 25. Nxc6 Bxc6 26. Bxc5 bxc5 27. Rxd7 Bxd7 28. Bc2 Be8 29. Rd1 Rxd1+ 30. Bxd1 h6. In the end, facts bear 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) out in her aims. 31. Qe3 Qc7 32. Bc2 Qd6 33. Ne2 Bc6 34. Nc3 Nd7 35. b3 a5 36. Ne2 Bb7 37. Qc3 Qc7 38. Qd3 Nf6 39. Nc3 Bc6 40. Qe3 Qd6 41. Ne2 Bd7 42. Nc3 Qd4 43. Kf2 Kf8 44. Ne2 Qxe3+ 45. Kxe3 Ke7 46. Nc3 Kd6 47. g3 Bc6 48. Bd1 Nd7 49. f4 f5 50. g4 Nf6 51. h3 Bg2 52. gxf5 Bxh3 53. fxe6 Bxe6 54. Bf3 Bf5 55. Kd2 h5 56. Nb5+ Kd7 57. Nc3 h4 58. Ke3 Ke6 59. Bd1 g6 60. Na4 Kd6 61. Nc3 Nh5 62. Bf3 h3 63. Nd5 h2 64. Kf2 Bc2 65. Kg2 Bxb3 66. f5 Bxc4 67. Ne3 Bf7 68. fxg6 Nf4+ 69. Kxh2 Nxg6 70. Bd1 Ke5 71. Kg3 Kd4 72. Kf2 Ne5 73. Nf5+ Kc3 74. Nd6 Bd5 75. Nb5+ Kd2 76. Ba4 Bc6 77. Kg3 Bxb5 0 : 1. “The position after the opening was very unclear and complicated. Somehow she missed 18. ... Nxa6 and I after that am just a Pawn up. Eventually she didn’t hold it, and I won”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said afterwards.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.