Such a Long Journey

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Seyyed Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei
6th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship; Sharjah, May 20, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. e3 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qd6 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Bf5. After 10. ... 0-0 11. Bd3 Bg4 (Keene – Inkiov, 7th European Team Chess Championship, Skara 1980) “one way to retain a positional edge is 12. Rc1 c6 13. h3 Be6 and then 14. Ne2 followed by 0-0 and a minority attack (b4-b5); the more assertive 14. f4!? is also promising after 14. ... Re8 15. Nf3 f6 16. 0-0 Nd7 17. Nh4, exploiting Black’s Kingside light squares and preparing moves like Rf1-f3, Bc2-g6 and Qc3-d3”, International Master John Watson wrote in his book “A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White”, Gambit Publications, London, 2012, p. 10.
11. Qb4. Or, by transposition, 11. Rc1 c6 12. Ne2 0-0 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. h4 Nd7 15. h5 Bh7 16. Bd3 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Qe6 18. Ne2 Rfe8 19. Nf4 Qf6 20. Kf1 a5 21. b3 a4 22. b4 Nb6 23. g3 Nc4 24. Kg2 b5 ½ : ½ Donner – Lombardy, 14th Chess Olympiad, Leipzig 1960. It is just the case to note that the position after Black’s tenth move was reached via 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. e3 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Qb3 Qd6 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Bf5 (Nimzo-Indian Defence E30).
11. ... Qxb4+ 12. axb4 Ke7 13. Ne2 Nd7 14. Nc3 Nb6 (14. ... c6 15. b5 a6=)

15. Kd2 (15. Ra5 c6 16. b5⩲)
15. ... a6 16. f3 c6 17. h4 h5 18. b3 Rae8 19. Bd3 Bxd3 20. Kxd3 Rd8 21. Rad1 Nc8 22. e4 dxe4+ 23. fxe4 Rh6 24. g3 Nd6 25. Rhf1 Rg6 26. Ne2

26. ... f5 27. exf5 (27. e5 Ne4 28. Rxf5 Nxg3=)
27. ... Rf6 28. Nf4 Rxf5 29. Rde1+ Kd7 30. Re5 Rdf8 31. Rfe1 R8f7 32. R1e2

32. ... R5f6! 33. Nxh5 Rf1 34. Re1 R1f2 ½ : ½.

Three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) continues undeterred in her “desert crossing”. Photo: Sharjah Masters (@shj_masters).