Another Day

于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – 吴思思 (Rochelle Wú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 13, 2022
Slav Defence D15

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6. The Chameleon Variation, first introduced by Sultan Khan at 22nd British Chess Championship in Ramsgate 1929.
5. c5 Nbd7 6. Bf4 Nh5 7. Bd2 Nhf6 8. b4 g6 9. Qc2. If 9. Qc1 then 9. ... h6 10. e3 Bg7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. 0-0 e5= Krasenkow – Movsesian, 37th Rubinstein Memorial, Polanica-Zdrój 2000.
9. ... Bg7 10. h3 0-0 11. Bf4. Probably it is not with a light heart 于 (Yú) made such a decision, but otherwise, after 11. e3 Re8 12. Be2 e5 Black obtains a very comfortable equality.
11. ... a5 12. b5

12. ... Ne4! With the strong threat of ... Nd7xc5.
13. bxc6 bxc6 14. e3

14. ... Nxc3. Very interesting is 14. ... Ndxc5! as after 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Qxc6 Black has the pleasant choice between 16. ... Bf5! with the initiative or 16. ... a4!? 17. Qxa8 Qb6 18. Rd1 Qb4+ 19. Nd2 Bg4 20. Qxf8+ Bxf8 21. hxg4 Nc3 22. Bd3 Qb2 with complex play.
15. Qxc3 f6 16. Rd1 e5 17. Bg3 e4?! 于 (Yú) said afterwards she felt relieved after the text move, suggesting instead 17. ... Qe7 when she would have probably continued with 18. Be2 followed by castling.
18. Nd2 f5 19. h4 h6 20. Be2 Rf7 21. Rb1 Nf8 22. Rb6 Ne6 23. Rxc6 (23. Bd6 Qe8 24. f4⩲)
23. ... f4 24. Rd6 Qe7

25. Bxf4 Nxf4?? A blunder, after which Black’s position disintegrates. Simply 25. ... Bxd4! would have given Black at least even chances.
26. exf4 Rxf4 27. Rxd5 Rxh4 28. Rxh4 Qxh4 29. Rd6 Kh7 (29. ... Qh1+ 30. Nf1 Qxg2 31. Bc4+ Kh7 32. Qg3+−)
30. Qg3 Qh1+ 31. Nf1 Bf5 32. Bg4 Rb8 33. Bxf5 gxf5 34. Rd7 Rg8 35. c6 Qh5 36. c7 Qe8 37. Rd8 1 : 0.

The end result aside, it was not such an easy win after all. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.