国际妇女节 (International Women’s Day)

David Arturovich Paravyan – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

1st Prague International Chess Festival; Challengers Tournament; Prague, March 8, 2019

Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bf5 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Re1 Nc6 9. c4 0-0 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Re8 13. cxd5 Qxd5 14. Bf4 Bd6 15. Ng5 g6 16. Ne4. Another way is 16. Bd2 Be7 17. h4 b5 18. Nf3 Bd6 19. a4 a6 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Bg5 h5 23. Bf6 Bf8 24. Ng5 Bg7 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Qg3 Rc8 27. Qf4 Qd7 28. Qe4 Rd8 29. Re3 Qd5 30. Qf4 Rd6 31. Rf3 Nd8 32. Qe3 b4? (32. ... Rd7 33. Qe8 c6 offered a robust defence) 33. cxb4 Qxd4 34. Rxf7+! 1 : 0 Anand – Charbonneau, 36th Chess Olympiad, Calvià 2004. 16. ... Re6!? This is a new move, or at least a new move order, in comparison to 16. ... Kg7 17. Qf3 Bxf4 (17. ... Re6 transposes into the game) 18. Qxf4 Qf5 19. Qxf5 gxf5 20. Nc5 Na5 21. g3 c6 22. Kg2 b6 23. Nd3 Re4 24. f3 Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Kf6 26. h4 Rd8 27. Nf4 Nc4 28. g4 fxg4 29. fxg4 c5 30. d5 b5 31. Kg3 h6 32. Nh5+ Kg6 33. Re7 Nb6 34. Rc7 Na4 35. Rc6+ Kh7 36. g5 hxg5 37. hxg5 Nxc3 38. Rh6+ Kg8 39. Nf6+ Kg7 40. d6 Ne2+ 41. Kg4 c4 42. Rh2 Nd4 43. Rh7+ Kg6 44. Rh6+ Kg7 45. Kh5 Rh8 46. d7 Nc6 47. Ne8+ Kg8 48. Nf6+ Kg7 ½ : ½ Iljiushenok – Iljin, 25th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2018. 17. Qf3 Kg7 18. Nxd6 Qxf3 19. gxf3 cxd6 20. Rxe6 fxe6 21. Bxd6 Rd8 22. Bg3 Rc8 23. c4 Rd8 24. Rb1 Rd7. White’s extra Pawn is meaningless, to say the least, because of Black’s much better Pawns and King. On the other hand, by giving it back with 25. Bf4 or 25. d5, White would increase his own drawing chances substantially. Instead, Paravyan does his very best to lose the game: 25. Be5+? Nxe5 26. dxe5 g5!∓ 27. Kf1!? Kg6

28. Ke2. 28. c5 Kf5 29. Rb5 was also worth considering. 28. ... Kf5 29. Rb5!? The effects of such a move may even be reversible, but conceptually it carries in itself the seeds of its own nemesis. 29. ... b6 30. a4? This seems to be the fatal faux pax. Correct was 30. Ke3! to be followed by a2-a4-a5 or c4-c5 (or both), making it very hard for Black to progress. 30. ... Rc7! 31. a5 Rc5 32. Rb1. Or 32. axb6 Rxb5 33. cxb5 axb6 with a won Pawn and King ending. 32. ... Rxe5+ 33. Kf1 Rxa5 34. Rd1 Ra4 35. Rd7 a5 36. Rc7 Ke5 37. c5 b5 38. Rxh7 Rc4 39. f4+ Kxf4 40. h4 a4 41. c6 Rxc6 42. h5 Kg4 43. Kg2 Ra6 44. f3+ Kh4 0 : 1.

Today 17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) received flowers from organisers in celebration of the International Women’s Day (IWD). Photo: Vladimir Jagr.