居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 1st stage; Skolkovo, September 19, 2019
Catalan Opening E04
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 1st stage; Skolkovo, September 19, 2019
Catalan Opening E04
居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) keeps on winning in the East, but les jeux ne sont pas encore faits, as Indian Grandmaster Humpy Koneru has apparently returned after childbirth to the same level, if not better, than before pregnancy, thus putting to question the very primacy of 17th Women’s World Chess Champion. Whatever it will be like, time will tell very soon, as 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and Koneru will face each other on last round. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. e3 Rb8 8. Nfd2 e5 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. dxe5 Ng4 11. Nxc4 Be6 12. Nbd2 Bb4 13. b3. Or likewise, 13. Qe2 h5!? with powerful light-square compensation for the Pawn, M. O. Muzychuk – Kosteniuk, 10th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Warsaw 2013. 13. ... h5!? 14. f3!? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) decides to play with fire — with some good reason, as 14. Bb2? h4!→ would give Black full value in terms of initiative and attack, Iljushin – Smeets, World Cities Team Knockout Championship, al-’Ayn (Al Ain) 2012. 14. ... Bxd2. But Kosteniuk does not dare to play 14. ... Nxe3! 15. Nxe3 Qd4 (which was as good as critical). As a result, the game soon settles down to a very drawish Rook endgame. 15. Bxd2 Bxc4 16. bxc4 Nxe5 17. Bc3 Qxd1 18. Raxd1 f6 19. Rd4 0-0 20. Kf2 Rfd8 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Bxe5 fxe5 23. Ke2 Rb8 24. Rd1 Rb4 25. Kd3 Ra4 26. Rd2 Kf7 27. Rc2 Ke6 28. Ke4 g5 29. h4 gxh4 30. gxh4 Rb4
31. f4 exf4 32. Kxf4 Kf6 33. e4 Rb1 34. e5+ Ke6 35. Kg5 Kxe5 36. Kxh5 Kd4 37.
c5
37. ... Rb5?? This grave mistake has the immediate effect of losing an otherwise drawn ending. For instance: 37. ... a5! 38. Kh6 (38. a4 Rg1=) 38. ... a4 39. h5 a3 40. Kg7 Rb2 41. Rc1 Rxa2 42. h6 Rh2 43. h7 Rg2+ with an obvious draw. 38. Kg6+− Kd3. It’s too late for Black to rewind the tape with 38. ... Rb1 because of 39. Rh2! winning easily. 39. Rc1 Kd2 40. Rf1 Rxc5 41. h5 Rd5 42. h6 c5 43. Rf5 Rd6+ 44. Rf6 Rd8 45. Rc6 Kc3 46. Rxc5+ Kb2 47. Rxc7 Ra8
48. h7 Kxa2 49. Rg7 Rb8 50. Ra7 1 : 0.
Perhaps 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) is thinking that foreign photographers had no Russian rivals so far. Photo © David Llada.
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