Sitcom Queens

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 1st stage; Skolkovo, September 21, 2019
English Opening A20

Always looking ahead, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and Goryachkina saved much of their intensity and pent-up rivalry for their next year’s World Chess Championship match. Today’s game, indeed, was dominated most of the time by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who, however, seemed in no wise eager to win a victory before the time comes when she will have to win the crown of earthly glory. 1. c4 e5 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Nd4 d5 5. cxd5 Qxd5 6. Nc2 Nf6 7. Nc3 Qe5 8. Bg2 Na6 9. 0-0 Be7 10. d3 exd3 11. Qxd3 0-0 12. e4!? White takes another way from 12. Qe3 Bd6 13. Rd1 Re8 14. Qd4 Bc7 15. Bf4 Qh5 16. Bxc7 Nxc7 17. f3 Ne6 18. Qf2 Ng5 19. g4 Qg6 20. Ne3 h5 21. h4 Ne6 22. g5 Nf4 23. Rd4 N6d5 24. Ncxd5 Nxd5 25. Nxd5 cxd5 26. Rxd5 Be6 27. Rd2 Rad8 28. e4 f5 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Qxa7 Qf7 31. Qa5 Qd7 32. Qe5 fxe4 33. fxe4 Bh3 34. Qd5+ Qxd5 35. exd5 Bxg2 36. Kxg2 Rxd5 and Black didn’t have to struggle too much to draw the Rook endgame a Pawn down, Hammer – Giri, Grand Prix 2017, 2nd stage, Moscow 2017. 12. ... Qh5 13. Qd1 Bg4 14. f3 Rad8 15. Qe2 Bh3 16. Be3 Bc5 17. Rad1 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Nc7 19. Nd4 Bxd4 20. Bxd4 c5? 20. ... a6 21. Bb6! was certainly not too pleasant, but the text causes Black much more trouble.

21. g4! Qg5 22. f4 Qxg4+ 23. Qxg4 Nxg4 24. Bxc5 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Ne6 26. Bxa7! White is a clear Pawn up with a near winning endgame. 26. ... f5 27. Kg3 h5 28. exf5? As a matter of superstition, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) seems to be content with what she got, without pushing for more — otherwise she would have preferred 28. Rd6!+− with overwhelming preponderance. 28. ... Rxf5 29. Nd5 Kf7 30. h3 Nf6 31. Nxf6 Kxf6 32. Be3 Rb5 33. b3 Ke7 34. Kf3 g5! 35. fxg5 Nxg5+ 36. Bxg5+ Rxg5 37. Rd4 Ke6 38. h4 Ra5! 39. a4 b5 40. axb5 Rxb5 41. b4. The endgame is theoretically drawn, in spite of White’s extra Pawn, even though, of course, it’s not easy at all for Black to draw. 41. ... Rf5+ 42. Ke2 Ke5 43. Rc4 Kd6 44. Ke3 Rf1 45. Ke4 Rf2 46. Rd4+ Kc6 47. Ke5 Kb5 48. Rf4 Rg2! The only move which draws. 49. Kf6 Rg1? A mistake which could easily cost Goryachkina half a point. Correct was 49. ... Rg4!= and if 50. Ke5 then 50. ... Rg1 (as well as almost any other Rook move along the g-file) with a draw in sight. 50. Rf5+ Kxb4 51. Rxh5+− Rh1 52. Rh8 Rf1+ 53. Ke5 Re1+ 54. Kf4 Rf1+ 55. Kg3 Kc5 56. h5 Rh1 57. Kg4? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) returns the courtesy, under the form of a lost tempo. The winning move was 57. h6!+− (not allowing the Black King to get to d6), followed by White’s King march to her queening Pawn’s support. 57. ... Kd6!= 58. h6 Ke7 59. h7 Kf7 60. Ra8 Rxh7 ½ : ½.

Today 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and Goryachkina officially started the rehearsals for their next year’s all-female pas de deux. Photo © David Llada.