Making a difference

Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020; 3rd stage; Lausanne, March 10, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 0-0 7. Bd2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd6 9. Qc2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. f4 Bxc3 13. Bxc3 Ng4 14. Bd4 c5 15. Bxc5 Re8 16. 0-0 b6 17. Rfd1!? A novelty instead of 17. Bd4 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 Rxe3 19. Qf2 Re8 20. Rad1 Qf6 21. Qd4 Qxd4+ 22. Rxd4 Bf5 23. Rfd1 g6 24. Ba6 Kg7 25. Kf2 Re7 26. a3 Rae8 27. Rc1 h5 28. Bb5 Re4 29. Rxe4 Rxe4 30. Rc4 Re7 31. Rc3 Re4 32. Rc4 Re7 33. Rc3 Re4 ½ : ½ Giri – So, 2nd Grand Chess Tour, 1st stage (Paris Rapid), Paris 2016. 17. ... Qh4 18. g3 Qh3 19. Bd4 Bb7 20. Bf1 Qh5 21. Qe2? This blatant mistake allows Black a pretty tactic. White ought to play 21. Qd2 Nxe3 (21. ... Qd5 22. Bg2 Qxg2+ 23. Qxg2 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 Nxe3+ 25. Bxe3 Rxe3= transposes into the main line) 22. Bxe3 Qf3 23. Bg2 Qxg2+ 24. Qxg2 Bxg2 25. Kxg2 Rxe3= with equality.

21. ... Bf3!−+ 22. Qd2 Bxd1 23. Rxd1 Nxe3! 24. Be2 (24. Bxe3 Rxe3−+) 24. ... Qd5 25. Bxe3 Qxd2 26. Rxd2 Rxe3 27. Kf2 Ree8 28. Rd7 Rad8 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Ke3 Kf8 31. a4 Ke7 32. Bc4 Rd1 33. b3 f6 34. Bd3 h6 35. h4 Rc1 36. Ke4 Rc3 0 : 1.

After a difficult start, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) finally got her first win, and can now still hope to bring herself back on track. Photo © David Llada.