Monday (Or Something Like It)

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 10, 2020
Spanish Game C70

The just re-confirmed Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) must feel quite tired these days due to her intense routine, and yet she does not stir from her throne! Maybe today, in the opening and early middlegame, she wasnt’t able to do much other than survive the best she could, but then, once again, her strong nerves and fingers made the difference. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nge7 5. c3 g6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bg7 8. d5 Na5 9. 0-0. An interesting continuation is 9. Bd2 c5 (9. ... Bxb2 10. Bxa5 Bxa1 11. Nc3!) 10. Bc3⩲ Wachinger – Gharibyan, 39th World Youth Chess Championship U-16, Mumbai 2019. 9. ... b5 10. Bb3 d6 11. Bd2 c5 12. dxc6 Nxb3 13. Qxb3!? An “uncultured” novelty instead of retaking with the Pawn: 13. axb3(!) Nxc6 14. Bg5⩲ Mamedov – Abdulov, 65th Azerbaijani Chess Championship, Baku 2011. 13. ... Nxc6 14. Bc3 Be6 15. Qd1 Ne5 16. Nbd2 0-0 17. Nd4 Bg4 18. Qb3 Rb8 19. a3 Qb6 20. h3 Bd7 21. N2f3 a5 22. Rfd1 b4 23. axb4 axb4 24. Bd2 Qb7 25. Nxe5 dxe5 26. Nc2

26. ... Rfc8. As a consequence of 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s erratic and uninspired play, Gunina could (and should) have tried her luck with 26. ... Qxe4 27. Nxb4 Bc6! 28. f3 Qd4+ 29. Kh1 Ba8! firmly holding the upper hand. 27. Be1 Be6 28. Qd3 Bc4 29. Qf3 Qb5 30. Rd2 Bh6 31. Ne3 Be6 32. Rdd1 Bg5? As the clock tick-tocks, Gunina gets nervous and loses the thread completely. Good was 32. ... Bf8! 33. Nd5 Rc2 and if 34. Qf6 then 34. ... Bg7 with a draw in sight. 33. Nd5! Rc2? It’s just another step into the abyss, and now, furthermore, Gunina has only one minute left for her remaining 7 moves! Comparatively better was 33. ... Rd8 34. Qg3 Bh6 though after 35. Qxe5± White comes out a Pawn ahead and the better position. 34. Qg3! Bf4. 34. ... f6 35. h4 makes no difference. 35. Nxf4 exf4 36. Qxf4 Rxb2? 37. Bd2 h5 38. Qf6 Rxd2. A sad necessity, for if 38. ... Kf8 then 39. Qh8+ Ke7 40. Bg5+! Qxg5 41. Ra7+ with mate in two. 39. Rxd2 Kh7 40. Rad1. Now it’s only a game of cat and mouse. 40. ... Rg8 41. Rd8 Qe2 42. Kh2 Rg7 43. Ra1 Ba2 44. Rc1 Be6 45. Ra1 Ba2 46. Ra8 Be6 47. Rb8 Ba2 48. Rxb4 Qc2 49. Rb2 Qc7+ 50. g3 Be6 51. Ra8 Bc8 52. Rbb8 Rg8 53. e5 Kh6 54. Qf4+ Kg7 55. e6 Qc5 56. Qxf7+ Kh6 57. Rxc8 Rxc8 58. Rxc8 Qxc8 59. e7 1 : 0.

Luckily for herself 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) awoke before it was too late. Photo: Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.