Two Weeks in September

Humpy Koneru – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 1st stage; Skolkovo, September 22, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

In the end, the two golden girls of chess, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and Goryachkina, had to content themselves with a tie for second place in the first stage of the “renewed” Women’s Grand Prix series. Who knows? It may even be that they wanted to leave something of themselves behind, since they will become rich within a short time. Whatever it is, at Skolkovo the limelight was all on Indian Grandmaster Humpy Koneru, who celebrated in the best way her rentrée in a rôle-titre after her recent “maternity leave”. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qb3 c5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 b6 11. e3 Nd7. A relatively recent game by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) continued: 11. ... 0-0 12. Be2 Nc6 13. dxc5 Qxc3+ 14. bxc3 bxc5 15. Rb1 Rd8 (15. ... Rb8 16. Rxb8 Nxb8 17. Kd2 Nd7=) 16. Rb5 c4 17. 0-0 Ba6? (17. ... Be6!? 18. Rfb1 Rab8 seems solid) 18. Rc5 Ne7 19. Nd4 Rac8 20. Ra5 Rd6 21. Rb1 Ra8 22. Bf3 Kf8 23. Rb4 Bc8 24. Rxc4 White came out a Pawn ahead with a near winning endgame, Karpov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), “Belt and Road” 2018 Sino-Russian Chess Champions Showdown, 哈尔滨 (Hā’ěrbīn) 2018, match game 1 (15+10). 12. Be2 0-0 13. 0-0 Bb7 14. Bb5. 14. Rfc1 Rac8 15. dxc5 Qxc3 16. Rxc3 Nxc5 is a more popular theoretical tabiya: 17. Rcc1 [or 17. Rac1 Ne6 18. Rxc8 Rxc8 19. Rxc8+ Bxc8 20. Kf1 Kf8 21. Ke1 Ke7 22. Kd2 Kd6 23. b4 Bd7 24. Kc3 g5 25. Nd2 f5 26. g3 g4 27. f4 Nc7 28. Bd3 Ne8 29. Nb3 Nf6 30. Nd4 Ne4+ 31. Bxe4 dxe4 32. b5 Kc5 33. a4 Bc8 34. Nb3+ Kd6 35. Kb4 Be6 36. Nd4 Bc8 37. a5 Bd7 38. axb6 axb6 39. Ne2 Be6 40. Nc3 Bf7 41. Na4 Kc7 42. Kc3 Be8 43. Kc4 Bf7+ 44. Kd4 Bb3 45. Nxb6 Kxb6 46. Ke5 Kxb5 47. Kxf5 Kc4 48. Kxe4 Bc2+ 49. Ke5 Kd3 50. Kf5 Kxe3+ 51. Kxg4 Bg6 52. f5 Bf7 53. Kh4 Ke4 54. g4 Kf4 55. Kh3 ½ : ½ 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 45th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2010] 17. ... Rac8 18. Rcb1 Nf8 19. Nd4 Ne6 20. Bg4 Re8 21. b4 Rc4 22. Be2 Rcc8 23. Nf5 Rc7 24. Rc1 Rec8 25. Rd1 Rd8 26. h4 Kf8 27. Bf3 Rcd7 28. a4 d4 29. Bxb7 ½ : ½ Salem – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Grand Prix 2017, 1st stage, Sharjah 2017. 14. b3 is somewhat less common, but quite interesting; for instance: 14. ... Rac8 15. Rfc1 Rc7 16. dxc5 Qxc3 17. Rxc3 Rxc5 18. Rcc1 Rfc8 19. Rcb1 Nf8 20. b4 Rc3 21. Nd4 a6 22. Nf5 Rd8 23. Rc1⩲ Stefanova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 16th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Rogaška Slatina 2011. 14. ... Rfd8!?TN 15. Rfc1 c4 16. Bxd7 Rxd7 17. b3 Rc8 18. Nd2 cxb3 19. Qxb3 Rdc7 20. Qb2 Qd6 21. Nb3 Ba6 22. Rxc7 Rxc7 23. h3 Bd3 24. Rc1 Rxc1+ 25. Qxc1 a5 26. Qc3

26. ... Qxa3. Black has not obtained enough to enable her to play for a win, but the text, if nothing else, allows a pretty drawing “combination”. 27. Qxd3 a4 28. Qa6 Kh7. If 28. ... Qxb3 then 29. Qc8+ Kh7 30. Qf5+ drawing by perpetual check. 29. Nc5. Also after 29. Nd2 Qc1+ 30. Nf1 a3 White cannot hope for more than a draw. 29. ... bxc5 30. dxc5 d4 31. exd4 Qa1+ 32. Kh2 Qxd4 33. c6 Qf4+ 34. Kg1 Qc1+ 35. Kh2 Qf4+ ½ : ½.

Humpy Koneru and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) deeply meditate and think upon the invisibility of what has passed over their heads. Photo © David Llada.