Another Last Day

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 6; 上海 (Shànghǎi), January 12, 2020
Spanish Game C67

In the sixth and last game of 上海 (Shànghǎi)’s half of the Women’s World Chess Championship match, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) saved herself by a hair’s breadth, so in the end no one succeeded in taking a lead under the sky of the Celestial Empire. It’s a fact, however, that 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s inability to take advantage of the home factor might well have its effect on the final outcome of her career as a chess queen. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1. In the second game, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) opted for 10. Re2. 10. ... Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Nf5 13. a4 d5 14. a5 Be7!? Goryachkina introduced a number of novelties so far, including this latter one. A recent game continued: 14. ... c6 15. Nd2 Nd6 16. Nb3 Bf5 17. Bf4 Rc8 18. Nc5 b6 19. axb6 axb6 20. Nd3 h6 21. Be5 Be7 22. b3 Bf8 23. Bf4 c5 24. dxc5 bxc5 25. h3 c4 26. bxc4 Nxc4 27. Ne5 Nxe5 28. Bxe5 Ra8 29. Rxa8 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Giri, Grand Prix 2019, 2nd stage, Riga 2019, tie-break game 3 (10+10). 15. Nd2 Bd6 16. Nf3 Ne7 17. b3 Bf5 18. c4 c6 19. Bb2 a6 20. Ne5 Qf8 21. Qc3 Rd8 22. Nd3 Ng6 23. g3 Be4 24. Bg2 Bxg2 25. Kxg2 Ne7 26. c5. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) ambitiously decides to turn the Berlin lullaby into a thrill King’s Indian-like high noon between White’s Queenside expansion and Black’s Kingside counterattack. 26. ... Bc7 27. Qb4 Rb8 28. Re1 Qd8 29. Bc3 Ng6 30. Qa3 h5. Stylistically, they are walking in each other’s shoes. 31. f4 Qf6 32. Qb2

32. ... Nh4+! 33. Kh1 (33. gxh4?? Qg6+−+) 33. ... Nf5 34. Qe2 Qg6 35. b4 Qd8 36. Qf3 f6 37. Qe2 Kh7 38. Nf2 Rd7 39. Qd3 Re7. White’s Bishop is “bad” enough to encourage Goryachkina to try her luck in the endgame — but apparently in vain. 40. Rxe7 Nxe7 41. Qxg6+ Kxg6 42. Kg2 h4 43. Kf3 hxg3 44. hxg3 f5 45. Nd1 Kf6 46. Ne3 Ng6 47. Be1 Nf8 48. Nd1 Ne6 49. Bf2 g5 50. Be3 Kg6 51. Nc3 Bd8 52. Ne2 Kh5 53. Bf2 Bf6 54. Be3 gxf4 55. gxf4 Bh4 56. Ng3+ Bxg3 57. Kxg3 Ng7 58. Bc1 Ne8 59. Bd2 Nf6 60. Be1 Ne4+ 61. Kh3 Kg6 62. Kg2 Kh6 63. Kh2 Nf6 64. Kh3 Ne8 65. Kg3 Kh5 66. Kh3 Nc7 67. Bc3 Ne6 68. Kg3 Kg6 69. Kf3 Ng7 70. Be1 Kh6 71. Kg3 Nh5+ 72. Kh2 Nf6 73. Bd2 Ng4+ 74. Kh3 Kg6 75. Kg2 Nf6 76. Kh2 Nh5 77. Kh3 Kh6 78. Kh2 Ng7 79. Kg2 Ne8 80. Kh3 Kg6 81. Kg2 Nc7 82. Bc3 Ne6 83. Kg3 Ng7 84. Kg2 Nh5 85. Bd2 Kh6 86. Kh2 Nf6 87. Kg2 Ng4 88. Kf3 Kg6 89. Kg2 Nh6 90. Kh2 Kh5 91. Kh3 Nf7 92. Kg3 Nd8 93. Be1 Ne6 94. Bc3 Nf8 95. Kh3 Kg6 96. Bd2 Kh6 97. Kg2 Ne6 98. Be3 Kh5 99. Kg3 Nc7 100. Bc1 Ne8 101. Bd2 Nf6 102. Kh3 Kh6 103. Kh2 Ng4+ 104. Kg2 Kg6 105. Kh3 Nf6 ½ : ½. Goryachkina then conceded that she assessed the endgame as being in her favour, but since she did not find a way to capitalise on it, she had no choice but to accept the draw.

Both 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and Goryachkina agreed that an equal score after six games is not so strange a thing. “It is a World Championship, and apparently it is a close match”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.