Sliding Doors

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 15, 2020
Spanish Game C70

In a certain sense, it’s like when Peter Pan defeated Captain Hook just in time to save Tiger Lily. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 g6 5. d4 exd4 6. c3 Bg7 7. cxd4 b5 8. Bb3 Nge7 9. d5 Na5 10. Bd2 Nxb3 11. Qxb3 c5 12. Bc3 f6 13. a3 d6 14. h4!? From a theoretical standpoint, this seems to be a new idea. 14. ... 0-0 15. Nbd2 Qe8 16. 0-0 Bd7 17. Qc2 Rc8 18. b3 h6 19. a4 Ra8 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Ra1 Qb7 23. Qa2? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) pursues an aimless strategy, which will soon cause her to cope with a very uncomfortable position. 23. b4! would have given White good prospects. 23. ... Nc8 24. Ne1 b4 25. Bb2 Bb5 26. Nc2 Bd3 27. Ne3. After 27. Ne1 Be2 Black’s game is just a little easier to play. 27. ... Qe7. Maybe Black should have gone for the 27. ... f5! break. 28. Re1 Nb6 29. Qa1 Ra8 30. Qc1 h5 31. Nec4? This only makes things much more difficult for White. 31. g3 Ra2 32. Ng2 Bh6 33. Nf4 Bb5 was also uneasy, but not yet overly so. 31. ... Nxc4 32. Nxc4 Ra2 33. g3 Kh7. 33. ... Qd7! at once was stronger: 34. Kg2 (34. Ba1 Bxc4 35. bxc4 Qa4−+) 34. ... Kh7−+ winning easily. 34. Nd2? And now 34. Re3 was White’s most stubborn defence; then there might follow: 34. ... Bh6 (maybe, Black can do better by interpolating ... Bd3xc4) 35. f4 Bxe4 36. Qb1! Bxb1 37. Rxe7+ Kg8 38. Bxf6 Bf8 39. Re8 Kf7 40. Re6 with a likely draw. 34. ... Bh6 35. f4 Qa7 36. Nc4 Qd7 37. Re3 Bxc4 38. bxc4 Qg4 39. Kh1

39. ... Bxf4! “Simple, elegant, yet bold”, as she says. 40. gxf4 Qxh4+ 41. Kg1 Qg4+ 42. Kh1 Qxf4 43. Qb1 Rxb2 44. Qxb2 Qxe3 45. Qxf6 Qxe4+ 46. Kh2 b3 47. Qf7+ Kh6 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qd8+ Kf5 50. Qd7+ Ke5 51. Qg7+ Kf4 52. Qf6+ Kg4 53. Qe6+ Qf5 54. Qxd6 Qf2+ 55. Kh1 Qf3+ 56. Kh2 Qh3+ 57. Kg1 Qg3+ 0 : 1.

With today’s win, 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) made her own history and that of the Cairns Cup a matter of record. Photo: Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.