Earth, Moon and Sun

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 1st stage; Skolkovo, September 18, 2019
Catalan Opening E04

And thus, neither 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) nor 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) — the two highest-rated women players of the world — will participate in the Grand Swiss to be taking place from October 7–21, 2019 on the Isle of Man. Now the reasons are much different. On one hand, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) ought to feel very happy over the fact that she’s gearing up to prepare for her second year of studies at Oxford University, thus showing the world that sometimes — fortunately — culture conquers ignorance. On the other hand, 17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) will have to renounce the unisex Grand Swiss due to the near-juxtaposition of her “high-noon showdown” with the Russian tsarina Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, who, although being only the challenger, will be seconded by the mightiest chess super-power on earth and its close satellites. 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qxc4 c5 7. 0-0 Bc6 8. d4 Nbd7 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. b4 Be7 11. Nc3 Rc8 12. Qb3 a6 13. a4 0-0 14. Be3? Best seems 14. b5⩲ by which White may eventually secure the Bishop pair with a small advantage. 14. ... Nd5 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Qb1 Rc4 17. b5 Rb4 18. Qd3 axb5 19. axb5 Rb3 20. Qc2 Rxb5. Thus Black has gained a clear Pawn as well as the better game. The win, however, will not come for osmosis, but it’s gonna take several other mistakes by Gunina to make it happen: 21. Rfd1 Bf6 22. Bd4 Qc8 23. Qd2 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Rc5 25. Bxd5 Rxd5 26. e4 Rd6 27. Rac1. Here 27. Nf5 was well worth considering, as after 27. ... Rxd2 28. Ne7+ Kh8 29. Nxc8 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 Nc5 the Knight and Rook endgame a Pawn up is hardly winnable for Black. 27. ... Qd8 28. Qb4 Ne5 29. Kg2 Rd7 30. Qc5? (30. Rc5!? Qf6!?∓) 30. ... Ng6 31. f4? h6 32. Rc3 b6 33. Qb4 Qa8 34. Re1 Rfd8 35. Nc6? 35. Nf3 Qa2+ 36. Kf1 Qa7 is obviously bad, but at least avoids the immediate disaster. 35. ... Qa2+ 36. Kh3 Rd2 37. Rh1

37. ... Nxf4+! 38. Kg4. If 38. gxf4 then 38. ... R8d3+ and mate in four follows. 38. ... Nd3. Or 38. ... h5+! 39. Kxf4 f6! 40. Nxd8 Rf2+ 41. Rf3 g5+ and mate in three follows. 39. Qe7 Nf2+ 40. Kf3 Nxh1 0 : 1.

No matter what’s wrong with a bona fide bid to sell the crown jewels, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) looks higher and higher. Photo © David Llada.