In the Meantime

刘言 (Liú Yán) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
52nd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 10, 2021
English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Bc5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Nf3 e4 6. Nh4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. d3 Ng4 9. 0-0 g5 10. d4. The strategic alternative is 10. dxe4 gxh4 11. Bf4 hxg3 12. Bxg3 Bd6 13. Qd3 Bxg3 14. Qxg3 Be6 15. exd5 Bc8 16. Nb5 Na6 17. Rac1 Bd7 18. Nd6+ Kf8 19. Rc4 Rg8 20. Qa3 Kg7 21. Rf4 Ne5 22. Qc3 Qg5 23. Rf3 Kf8 24. Rg3 Qe7 25. Nxb7 Rxg3 26. hxg3 Rc8 27. Qe3 Ng4 28. Qf4 Qe5 29. Bf3 Qxf4 30. gxf4 Rc2 31. Rb1 h5 32. b4 Rc4 33. b5 Nc5 34. Nxc5 Rxc5 35. a4 ½ : ½ Caruana – J. van Foreest, 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Eindhoven 2020. 10. ... Bb4!? An interesting novelty by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). The known continuation 10. ... Be7 ended in a disaster after 11. h3 Nxf2 (⌓ 11. ... gxh4 12. hxg4 Nc6!?) 12. Rxf2 gxh4 13. Qb3 hxg3? 14. Rf4 Nc6 15. Qxd5 f5 16. Bxe4! fxe4 17. Qh5+ Kd7 18. Be3 Qg8 19. d5 Nd8 20. Nxe4 (20. d6?? Qg5−+) 20. ... Qg6 21. Qe5 Nf7 (21. ... Re8 22. Rc1 Bd6 23. Nf6+ Qxf6 24. Qxf6+−) 22. Rxf7 Qxf7 23. Rc1 Rf8 24. Bg5 1 : 0 Antón Guijarro – Grischuk, 1st FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019, Santon 2019. 11. h3 gxh4 12. hxg4 hxg3 13. Qb3 Bxc3 14. bxc3

14. ... 0-0? This mistake — perhaps only a careless inversion of moves — costs her the game. Black should play first 14. ... Nc6!? and only after 15. fxg3 continue 15. ... 0-0∞ with complex but balanced play. 15. c4! Qb6 16. Qxg3 Qg6 17. cxd5 Bxg4

18. f3! exf3 19. Bxf3 Bxf3 20. Rxf3 f5 21. Bh6 Re8 22. Kf2! Kh8

23. Qh2! Qa6 24. Re1 Nd7 25. Rg3 Rg8. If 25. ... Re7 then 26. d6!+− winning by force. 26. Reg1 Rxg3 27. Rxg3 Rg8 28. Bf4 Re8?! A little tougher was 28. ... Qf6 after which White would continue with 29. Rd3! followed by d5-d6 and then Bf4-e5 forcing a liquidation into an easily won Rook ending. 29. Qh5 Re7. Or 29. ... Nf6 30. Qxe8+ Nxe8 31. Be5+ Nf6 32. d6 winning easily. 30. d6 Re6 31. Bh6 f4 32. Rg1 f3 33. Bg7+ Kg8 34. Bf6+ Kf8 35. Qh6+ 1 : 0.

For the second year consecutive three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) starres as a “Woman in a Man’s World” in the unisex (read: men’s) Chinese Chess Championship, which is being held as usual in 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s birth city. One year has passed since her sensational début, but it seems an eternity. While 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) appears to be a little tired, she strives to repeat her successes, but the impression is that, in the near/far future, she will have to work relentlessly in order to defend her crown from FIDE’s princesses (and frogs). Photo: Chinese Chess Association.