Half of One Thing

Nana Dzagnidze – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 14, 2020
Trompowsky Attack D00

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. e3 c5 4. Nd2 cxd4 5. exd4 Qb6 6. Ngf3 Nc6 7. Nb3 Ne4 8. Be3. The alternative is 8. Bf4, which the World Champion used to prefer: 8. ... Bg4 9. Be2 e6 (or 9. ... a5 10. a4 e6 11. 0-0 Bd6 12. Ne5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Qc7 with a draw agreed to at move 77, Stefanova – Carlsen, Smartfish Chess Masters 2004/2005, Drammen 2005) 10. 0-0 Be7 11. c3 0-0 12. a4 a6 13. a5 Qd8 14. Nfd2 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 Nxd2 16. Qxd2 Rc8 17. Rfe1 Re8 18. Re3 Bd6 19. Bxd6 Qxd6 20. Nc5 Rc7 21. b4 Ne7 22. Rae1 Nf5 23. Re5 Qd8 24. Qf4 Rce7 25. R1e2 Kh8? (25. ... Nd6) 26. Nxb7! Rxb7 27. Qxf5+− Rc7 28. Qd3 Qc8 29. R5e3 Rc6 30. Rh3 h6 31. Qd2 Kh7 32. Re5 Re7 33. Reh5 Qf8 34. f4 f5 35. Re3 Qf7 36. Rhh3 Rec7 37. Re5 Qf8 38. Rd3 Qc8 39. Ree3 Rc4 40. h3 Qf8 41. Rxe6 1 : 0 Carlsen – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), 5th Grand Chess Tour, 1st stage, Côte d’Ivoire Blitz, Abidjan 2019. 8. ... g6!?TN (8. ... Bg4 9. Be2 e6 10. 0-0 Bd6 11. h3 Bh5 12. c4 Qc7 13. Nc5 Nf6 14. Rc1 dxc4 15. Rxc4 0-0 16. a3 Nd5 17. b4 Bxc5 18. Rxc5 Qd6 19. Ng5 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 Nce7 21. Rfc1 Nf5 22. Nf3 Rfd8 ½ : ½ Berkes – Bok, 15th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2017) 9. c4 Qd8 10. cxd5 Qxd5 11. Rc1 Bg7 12. Bc4 Qd6 13. d5 Ne5 14. Bb5+? That seems a strange way to put it, involving an unclear Pawn sacrifice. Simple and strong was 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Qe2 with excellent prospects for White. 14. ... Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Qxd7 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. 0-0 Bxb2 18. Bd4? White just cannot afford such bravery. 18. Rc4 Nd6 19. Nc5 Qb5 20. Rc2 was probably good enough for avoiding worst-case scenarios: 20. ... Bg7 21. Bd4 Bxd4 22. Qxd4 0-0 23. Rb2 regaining the Pawn with fine drawing chances. 18. ... Bxd4. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) plays it safe without taking any risks. 19. Qxd4 Nf6 20. Rfd1 b6! 21. d6 0-0 22. Qe5 Rfe8 23. h3 Nh5! 24. Rc7 exd6 25. Qc3? Nothing good can come from this — with two Pawns down White is now doomed. Comparatively best was 25. Rxd6! Qa4! (25. ... Qxc7? 26. Rxg6+ is what Black shouldn’t do) 26. Qc3 Qe4 leaving Black only a Pawn ahead with a safe advantage. 25. ... Qe6 26. Qf3 Qf6 27. Qc6 d5! 28. Nd4 Kg7 29. a4 Nf4 30. Qxf6+ Kxf6 31. Nb5 Re7 32. Rc6+ Kg7 33. g3 Nxh3+ 34. Kg2 Ng5 35. Rxd5 Ne6 36. Rdd6 Rd8 37. a5 bxa5 38. Rxd8 Nxd8 39. Ra6 Re5 40. Nd4 Ne6 41. Nb3 Nd8 42. Nxa5 Re7 43. Nc4 h5 44. Ne3 Ne6 45. Ra2 Rd7 46. Ra5 Nd4 47. Ra2 Nb3 48. Ra3 Rb7 49. Ra6 Nc5 50. Ra5 Nd3 51. Ra3 Nb4 52. Nc4 a6 53. Ra4 Rb8 54. Ne3 Kf8 55. Kf3 Rb5 56. Ke4 a5 57. Ra1 Nc6 58. Kd3 Rc5 59. f4 Ke7 60. Nc4 g5 61. Ne3 gxf4 62. gxf4 Kf6 63. Rb1 Nb4+ 64. Ke4 h4 65. Rd1 Rh5 66. Rd6+ Ke7 67. Rd2

Now Black has three or four easy wins at her disposal (64. ... a4, 67. ... Ke6, 67. ... Kf6, and so on) — but 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), quite incredibly, succeeds in finding a way to draw! 67. ... h3?? 68. Nf5+ Rxf5. Otherwise it is either mate or a Knight fork to King and Rook. 69. Kxf5 a4 70. Re2+ Kd6 71. Rd2+ Ke7 72. Re2+ Kd7 73. Rd2+ Ke7 74. Re2+ ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) actually demonstrated that one of the most difficult things in chess is to win a won game. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.