Firewall Art

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 16, 2020
Spanish Game C67

lt was a game Kosteniuk had to win just to hope to tie and eventually force a tie-breaker. But her nerves were as taut as violin strings, and, quite inevitably, she ended up crashing into 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s wall. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Rd1+ Ke8 10. Nc3 Bd7 11. b3 Be7 12. Bb2 Rd8 13. Ne4!? A novelty in place of 13. h3 h5 14. Kf1 b6 15. a4 a5 16. Ne2 c5 17. Nc3 Bc6 18. Nb5 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Bd8! 20. Bc1 Rg8 which was fine (or, at least, it should have to be fine) for Black in Savchenko – Romanov, 64th Russian Chess Championship (Higher League), Taganrog 2011. 13. ... h5 14. Rd2 Bc8 15. Re2 c5 16. Rae1 Rh6 17. c4 Kf8 18. Rd2 Rxd2 19. Nexd2 Ra6 20. a4 g5 21. Ne4 g4 22. Nfd2 Nd4 23. Nc3 c6 24. Nce4 b5 25. Nd6 Be6 26. cxb5 cxb5 27. axb5? This cannot be good, but Kosteniuk proudly refuses to “settle for half” with 27. Bxd4 cxd4 28. Nxb5 Bb4 29. Rd1 Bxd2 30. Rxd2 Bxb3 31. Nxd4 Bxa4= — as they say, “it’s better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all”. 27. ... Ra2 28. Bxd4 cxd4 29. N2c4? Thus the situation goes from bad to worse. On the other hand, 29. Rd1 (probably best) 29. ... h4! is likewise very unpleasant for White. 29. ... h4 30. Kf1 h3! 31. gxh3 gxh3 32. Re2 (32. Rd1 Bg4!+−) 32. ... Ra1+! 33. Re1 Rxe1+ 34. Kxe1 Bg5 35. Ne4 Bf4 36. Ng3 d3! Black has a Pawn less, but the powerful passer on d3 coupled with the formidable Bishop pair is more than enough for 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) to win easily, if impressively.

37. Nf1 Ke8 38. Nb2 Bf5 39. Ng3. 39. Nd1 Bd7 is no better. 39. ... d2+ 40. Kd1 Bg4+ 41. Kc2 Bxe5 42. Nd1 Bf4 43. Nf1 Be2 44. Ng3 Bf3 45. Nf1 Be4+ 46. Kc3 Bg2 47. Ng3 Bf3 48. Kc2 Kd7 49. Nc3 Kc7 50. Nf1 Kb7 51. b4 Kb6 52. Nxd2 Bg2 53. Nde4. 53. Nf1 Bxf1 54. Nd5+ Kxb5 55. Nxf4 Kxb4 is equally hopeless for White. 53. ... Bxh2 54. Nd5+ Kxb5 55. Nec3+ Kc6 56. b5+ Kb7 0 : 1. A powerful display by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who took second place, half a point behind Humpy Koneru.

There’s never only one reason why one wins and another loses, but as for this game specifically, probably one is that Kosteniuk lacked the serenity of her opponent. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.