Hard Luck

Nils Axel Grandelius – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 30, 2019
English Opening A21

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 a5 4. Nf3 d6 5. a3 c6 6. axb4 cxd5 7. cxd5 Nf6 8. d3 Nxd5 9. Bd2 Nc6 10. bxa5 0-0 11. g3 h6!? No doubt 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s novelty is also an improvement on 11. ... b6? (an essentially incorrect and unsound second Pawn sacrifice) 12. axb6 Rxa1 13. Qxa1 Ndb4 14. Bxb4 Nxb4 15. Qa5 Nc6 16. Qb5 Bb7 17. Bh3! Nd4 18. Nxd4 Bxh1 19. Nc6 Bxc6 20. Qxc6 f5 (Hillarp Persson – Hector, 86th Swedish Chess Championship, Ronneby 2018) and now 21. b7! would have given White an overwhelming advantage. 12. Bg2 Be6 13. 0-0 Nxa5 14. e4 Nf6 15. Bc3 Qb6 16. Qa4 Nb3 17. Qxa8 Rxa8 18. Rxa8+ Kh7 19. h3 Nc5. Another good option seems to be ... Nf6-d7-c5. 20. Rd1

20. ... Ncxe4? A clear miscalculation by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who seems to have greatly overestimated her Kingside attack. Simply 20. ... Bb3 21. Rd2 Na4 granted Black a very comfortable equality. 21. dxe4 Nxe4 22. Be1 Nxg3 23. Nd4! Black must have overlooked this interference move, which leaves White with formidable Bishop and Rook pairs against Queen, Bishop and three Pawns. 23. ... Nf5. 23. ... exd4 24. fxg3 Qxb2 25. Bf2 is hardly better, as White will soon consolidate. 24. Nxf5 Bxf5 25. Bc3 Qc7 26. Ra7 Qc8 27. Kh2 Qc4 28. Rxb7 Qf4+ 29. Kg1 Qg5. Who knows, maybe 29. ... Bxh3! 30. Bxh3 Qf3 was a little more unclear. 30. Kf1 Qh5 31. Rxd6 Bxh3 32. Rb4 e4! 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) does her best to make her opponent think her Queen and Bishop battery can still be dangerous, but Grandelius cooly defends with a powerful deployment of both Rooks on the fourth rank: 33. Rdd4! (33. Rxe4?? Qf3!−+) 33. ... e3! Threatening ... Qh5-f3. 34. Bxh3 (34. fxe3?? Qf3+−+) 34. ... Qxh3+ 35. Ke2 exf2 36. Kxf2 Qh2+ 37. Ke1 f6 38. Kd1 h5 39. Kc1 Qg1+ 40. Kc2 Qg2+ 41. Kb1. Now Black has nothing to hope for, as everything only depends upon her opponent’s technique. 41. ... Qc6 42. Rf4 Kg6 43. Rfc4 Qd6 44. Ka2 Qe6 45. b3! Qe2+ 46. Bb2 Kh6 47. Rc7 Qe1 48. Rcc4 Qf2 49. Ra4 Qb6 50. Rcb4 Qc7 51. Rb5 Kg6 52. Rd5 Qb7 53. Rd2 Qc7 54. Rdd4 Qb7 55. Rd8 Kh7 56. Ra5 Qf3 57. Rdd5 g5 58. Rf5 1 : 0.

Nils Grandelius vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © John Saunders.