Go and Stop

Haik Mikaeli Martirosyan – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
6th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship; Sharjah, May 21, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 0-0 8. Rc1 dxc4 9. Bxc4 c5 10. 0-0 cxd4 11. Ne4 Qe7 12. a3 Ba5 13. Qxd4 Rd8 14. Qe5 Bb6 15. Rfd1. 15. Qh5 Bd7 16. Ne5 Be8 leads nowhere for White, 郭琦 (Guō Qí) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), First China Women’s Chess Open Finals 2022, 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 2023, Semifinal match game 2 (time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move).

15. ... Nd7. Black’s best is 15. ... Bd7 16. Qd6 Kf8 17. Qf4 Nc6 18. g4 g5 19. Qf6 Qxf6 20. Nxf6 Bc8= 21. Bb5 Ke7 22. Ne4 Bd7 23. Nc5 Bxc5 24. Rxc5 Rac8 (24. ... f6 25. Kg2 Rac8 26. Kg3 Ne5 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Bxd7 Nxd7 29. Nd4 Ne5 30. h4 Nc6 31. Rc1 Kd7 32. Nb3 b6 33. Nd2 Rf8 34. f4 gxh4+ 35. Kxh4 f5 36. gxf5 Rxf5 37. Nf3 Rf8 38. Kg3 Rg8+ 39. Kf2 Rf8 40. Rd1+ Kc7 41. Rc1 Kd7 42. b4 a6 43. Rd1+ Kc7 44. Rc1 Kd7 45. Ke2 Rg8 46. Kd3 Rg2 47. Nd2 Ne7 48. Nc4 Nd5 49. e4 Nxf4+ 50. Ke3 Nh3 51. Nxb6+ Kd6 52. Rc5 Rg3+ 53. Kd4 Nf4 54. e5+ Ke7 55. Rc7+ Kd8 56. Rc8+ Ke7 57. Rc7+ Kd8 58. Rc8+ Ke7 59. Nc4 h5 60. Rc7+ Kf8 61. a4 h4 62. b5 axb5 63. axb5 h3 64. b6 Rb3 65. Rh7 Kg8 66. Rh4 Ng2 67. Rh5 Nf4 68. Rh4 Ng2 69. Rh6 Kg7 70. Rf6 Nh4 71. Rf1 Nf5+ 72. Kc5 Ng3 73. Re1 h2 74. Na5 Rb2 75. b7 h1=Q 76. Rxh1 Nxh1 77. Kc6 Nf2 78. Nc4 Rxb7 79. Kxb7 Nd3 ½ : ½ Grachev – Predke, 14th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2016) 25. Rdc1 a6 26. Be2 Na7 27. Kg2 Rxc5 28. Rxc5 Rc8 29. Rxc8 Nxc8 30. Kg3 Nd6 31. Nd2 f6 32. h4 ½ : ½ Berkes – Pârligras, 22nd European Team Chess Championship, Batumi 2019.
16. Qd6 Kf8 17. Qf4 Nf6 18. Ne5 Kg8 19. Rxd8+ Bxd8 20. Bd3 Nd5? This allows a petite combinaison which leaves White a Pawn up with the much better endgame. The prophylactic move of 20. ... Ne8! was now called for.

21. Qxf7+! Qxf7 22. Nxf7 Kxf7 23. Nd6+ Kf8 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Nxc8 Bf6 26. b3 a6 27. Be4

27. ... b5? (27. ... Bd8 28. Nd6 Be7 29. Nxb7 Bxa3 30. Kf1±)
28. Bxd5 exd5 29. Nb6 Bb2 30. Nxd5 Bxa3 31. b4 Ke8 32. Nc7+ Kd7 33. Nxa6 Kc6 34. Kf1 Kb6 35. Nc5 Bxb4 36. Nb3 Bd6 37. h3 Kc6 38. Ke2 g5 39. Kd3 Kd5 40. g3 b4 41. f4 41. f4 h5 42. e4+ Ke6 43. Nd4+ Kd7 44. e5 Bc7 45. Ke4 h4 46. g4 gxf4 47. Kxf4 Bb6 48. Ke4 Bxd4 49. Kxd4 Ke6 50. Kc4 Kxe5 51. Kxb4 Kd4 52. Kb3 Kd5 53. Kc3 Ke4 54. Kc4 Ke5 55. Kd3 Kd5 56. Ke3 Ke5 57. Kf3 Kf6 58. Ke4 Kg5 59. Ke5 Kg6 60. Kf4 Kh6 61. Ke4 1 : 0.

Three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), apparently tired of being centre stage, lost her bearings in an opening variation which she should have known well. Photo: Sharjah Masters (@shj_masters).