Once Upon a Desert

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Ray Robson
6th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship; Sharjah, May 25, 2023
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 0-0 7. Re1 h6 8. h3 a6 9. a4 Re8 10. Nbd2 Be6 11. b4 Ba7 12. Bxe6 Rxe6 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. Nf1 d5 15. Be3 d4 16. cxd4 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Bxd4 Qxd4 19. Qxc7 Qxd3 20. Qxb7 Ree8 21. Rad1 (21. Red1 Qxe4 22. Qxe4 Nxe4 23. Rac1 Rec8 24. Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Ne3 Nc3 26. Rd6 Nxa4 27. Rxa6 Nc3 28. Ra5 Rb8 29. Rc5 Na4 30. Rxe5 Rxb4 31. g4 Nc3 32. Kg2 Ne4 33. Nd5 Ra4 34. Nb6 Rd4 35. Re8+ Kh7 36. Nd7 Rxd7 37. Rxe4 g5 38. Ra4 Rd3 39. Re4 Kg7 40. Ra4 Kh7 41. Re4 Kg7 42. Ra4 Kh7 ½ : ½ Swiercz – Robson, 65th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2021)
21. ... Qa3 22. a5 Reb8 23. Qe7 Rxb4 24. Qxe5 Rb5 25. Qf4 Qxa5 26. Ne3 Qc3 27. Nf5 Qe5 28. Qe3

28. ... Nd5? (28. ... Rb4 29. Nd6 Ne8)
29. exd5 Qxf5 30. d6 Rb7 31. g4 Qc8 32. Qf3 Raa7 33. Rd3 Qc5 (⌓ 33. ... Qb8 Δ ... Rb7-d7)
34. Rc3 Qd4 35. Rd1 (35. Re8+ Kh7 36. Rcc8+−)
36. ... Qe5 36. Re3 Qf6 37. Re8+ Kh7 38. Qe4+ Qg6 39. Qc4? (39. Qd4!)
39. ... Rb1 40. Rxb1? (40. Ree1 Rxd1 41. Rxd1 Rd7 42. Qxa6±)
40. ... Qxb1+ 41. Kh2 Rd7 42. Rh8+ Kxh8 43. Qc8+ Kh7 44. Qxd7 Qb6 45. Kg2 Qd4 46. Qf5+ Kg8 47. Qc8+ Kh7 48. d7 Qd5+ $8 49. Kg3 Qd3+ 50. f3 Qd6+ 51. f4 Qd3+ 52. Kf2 Qd2+ 53. Kf3 Qd3+ 54. Kf2 Qd2+ 55. Kg3 Qd3+ 56. Kg2 (56. Kh4?? Qe3!−+ Δ 57. d8=Q Qe1+ 58. Kh5 g6#)
56. ... Qd2+ 57. Kg3 Qd3+ 58. Kg2 ½ : ½.

At her rentrée OTB (over the board), 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) showed at her best, and it was only a bit of bad luck that kept her from winning against Robson today. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy/ChessBase India.