居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Anish Giri
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 13, 2024
Sicilian Defence B40
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 13, 2024
Sicilian Defence B40
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 Be7 6. 0-0 d5 7. Qe2 0-0 8. a4. A vintage classic is 8. Nc3 a6 (Tartakower recommended 8. ... Nd4) 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bf4 b5 11. Rfe1 d4 12. Nd1 Nd7 13. Kh1 Re8 14. Rg1 e5 15. Bd2 Nf8 16. Ne1 Ne6 17. f4 with attack, Chigorin – Tarrasch, Saint Petersburg 1893, match game 4.
8. ... dxe4 9. dxe4 e5 10. c3 h6. Of course, it’s very strange that 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) based her theoretical approach on his opponent’s colour-reversed experience without bringing anything new: 10. ... Qc7 11. Na3 Na5 12. Nd2 Rd8 13. Nac4 Bg4 14. f3 Bh5 15. Rf2 Nd7 16. Bf1 Nxc4 17. Nxc4 Nb6 18. Qc2 f6 19. Ne3 a5 20. c4 Bf8 21. Nd5 Nxd5 22. exd5 Bg6 23. Bd3 Bxd3 24. Qxd3 Bd6 25. Bd2 Rf8 26. f4 exf4 27. Bxf4 Rae8 28. Bxd6 Qxd6 29. Re2 Rxe2 30. Qxe2 Qd7 31. Re1 Qxa4 32. Qe6+ Rf7 33. d6 g5 34. Qc8+ Kg7 35. Qxc5 b6 36. Qd5 Rd7 37. Qe6 Rf7 38. Qd5 Rd7 39. Rd1 Qb3 40. Rd2 Qe3+ 41. Kf1 a4 ½ : ½ Giri – Bacrot, 3rd FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Douglas 2023.
11. Na3 Qc7 12. Nd2. 12. Nc4 b6 13. Ne3 Na5! can give rise to wild and sharp flavours (which should be suitable to Black’s taste), Keymer – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 2nd Champions Chess Tour, 1st stage, Airthings Masters, Prelims Tournament, chess24.com, February 19, 2022 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
12. ... Bg4 13. f3 Be6 14. f4 a6 15. Nac4 b5 16. Ne3 c4 17. f5 Bd7 18. Nd5 Qd8 19. Kh1 Na5 20. axb5 axb5
8. ... dxe4 9. dxe4 e5 10. c3 h6. Of course, it’s very strange that 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) based her theoretical approach on his opponent’s colour-reversed experience without bringing anything new: 10. ... Qc7 11. Na3 Na5 12. Nd2 Rd8 13. Nac4 Bg4 14. f3 Bh5 15. Rf2 Nd7 16. Bf1 Nxc4 17. Nxc4 Nb6 18. Qc2 f6 19. Ne3 a5 20. c4 Bf8 21. Nd5 Nxd5 22. exd5 Bg6 23. Bd3 Bxd3 24. Qxd3 Bd6 25. Bd2 Rf8 26. f4 exf4 27. Bxf4 Rae8 28. Bxd6 Qxd6 29. Re2 Rxe2 30. Qxe2 Qd7 31. Re1 Qxa4 32. Qe6+ Rf7 33. d6 g5 34. Qc8+ Kg7 35. Qxc5 b6 36. Qd5 Rd7 37. Qe6 Rf7 38. Qd5 Rd7 39. Rd1 Qb3 40. Rd2 Qe3+ 41. Kf1 a4 ½ : ½ Giri – Bacrot, 3rd FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Douglas 2023.
11. Na3 Qc7 12. Nd2. 12. Nc4 b6 13. Ne3 Na5! can give rise to wild and sharp flavours (which should be suitable to Black’s taste), Keymer – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 2nd Champions Chess Tour, 1st stage, Airthings Masters, Prelims Tournament, chess24.com, February 19, 2022 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
12. ... Bg4 13. f3 Be6 14. f4 a6 15. Nac4 b5 16. Ne3 c4 17. f5 Bd7 18. Nd5 Qd8 19. Kh1 Na5 20. axb5 axb5
21. b4 cxb3. Black does not fear to give up the Exchange as he gets enough for it.
22. Nxe7+ Qxe7 23. Ba3 Qd8 24. Bxf8 Qxf8 25. Rfb1 Bc6 26. h3 Qc5 27. Qd3 Qf2 28. Rb2 Kh7 29. Rab1 Qb6 30. Kh2 Rd8 31. Qe2 Rd6 32. Nxb3 Nc4 33. Ra2 Qe3? Strategically obvious, but contingently questionable. 33. ... Ne3 would be consistent, leaving Black with gratifying compensation.
34. Qxe3 Nxe3
22. Nxe7+ Qxe7 23. Ba3 Qd8 24. Bxf8 Qxf8 25. Rfb1 Bc6 26. h3 Qc5 27. Qd3 Qf2 28. Rb2 Kh7 29. Rab1 Qb6 30. Kh2 Rd8 31. Qe2 Rd6 32. Nxb3 Nc4 33. Ra2 Qe3? Strategically obvious, but contingently questionable. 33. ... Ne3 would be consistent, leaving Black with gratifying compensation.
34. Qxe3 Nxe3
35. Re2? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) misses here a unique opportunity to claim the upper hand: 35. Nc5! Nxg2 36. Re2! traps the Black Knight (which will be won by the White King) while defending the e-Pawn.
35. ... Rd3 36. Nc5 Rxc3 37. Rb3 Neg4+ 38. hxg4 Rxc5 39. Kh3 Rc4 40. Rbb2 Nxe4 41. Bxe4 Bxe4 42. Rxb5 f6 43. Rb3 Bc2. Recovering the Exchange and entering a (drawish) Rook ending with a Pawn up.
44. Rxc2 Rxc2 45. Rb8 Rf2 46. Re8 Rd2 47. Rf8 Ra2 48. Re8 Rf2 49. Rf8 Rd2 50. Re8 Rd7 51. Kg2 h5!
35. ... Rd3 36. Nc5 Rxc3 37. Rb3 Neg4+ 38. hxg4 Rxc5 39. Kh3 Rc4 40. Rbb2 Nxe4 41. Bxe4 Bxe4 42. Rxb5 f6 43. Rb3 Bc2. Recovering the Exchange and entering a (drawish) Rook ending with a Pawn up.
44. Rxc2 Rxc2 45. Rb8 Rf2 46. Re8 Rd2 47. Rf8 Ra2 48. Re8 Rf2 49. Rf8 Rd2 50. Re8 Rd7 51. Kg2 h5!
52. g5!? Apparently playable, but 52. Kh3 was much simpler.
52. ... Rd2+ 53. Kf3? This is in fact the losing move. Correct is 53. Kh3! fxg5 54. Rxe5 g6!? 55. g4! and White should draw without too much trouble.
53. ... Rd3+ 54. Kg2 fxg5 55. Rxe5 g4! The ending is now won by technique.
56. Re8 Rd6 57. Rc8 Rf6 58. Rc5 Rf8 59. Rd5 Ra8 60. Rc5 Ra2+ 61. Kg1 Ra3 62. Kg2 Rf3 63. Rd5 Kg8 64. Rd8+ Kf7 65. Rh8 Rxf5 66. Kg1 Ra5 67. Kg2 g6 68. Rh7+ Kf6 69. Kg1 Ra6 70. Kg2 Rd6 71. Kf2 Ke5 72. Kg2 Rd2+ 73. Kg1 Ke4 74. Ra7 g5 75. Ra5 Rd5 76. Ra4+ Ke3 77. Kg2 Rd2+ 78. Kg1 Re2 79. Ra3+ Ke4 80. Ra5 Kf3 0 : 1. What a disaster for 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)!
52. ... Rd2+ 53. Kf3? This is in fact the losing move. Correct is 53. Kh3! fxg5 54. Rxe5 g6!? 55. g4! and White should draw without too much trouble.
53. ... Rd3+ 54. Kg2 fxg5 55. Rxe5 g4! The ending is now won by technique.
56. Re8 Rd6 57. Rc8 Rf6 58. Rc5 Rf8 59. Rd5 Ra8 60. Rc5 Ra2+ 61. Kg1 Ra3 62. Kg2 Rf3 63. Rd5 Kg8 64. Rd8+ Kf7 65. Rh8 Rxf5 66. Kg1 Ra5 67. Kg2 g6 68. Rh7+ Kf6 69. Kg1 Ra6 70. Kg2 Rd6 71. Kf2 Ke5 72. Kg2 Rd2+ 73. Kg1 Ke4 74. Ra7 g5 75. Ra5 Rd5 76. Ra4+ Ke3 77. Kg2 Rd2+ 78. Kg1 Re2 79. Ra3+ Ke4 80. Ra5 Kf3 0 : 1. What a disaster for 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)!
居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) ended up being tricked by the illusion that “all Rook endgames are drawn” and lost control. Photo © Lennart Ootes. |
The weird thing about 52. g5!? is that it took her approximately 15 minutes to make that move.
ReplyDeleteNot a good start for her, and such a long game at the very beginning of the tournament might exhaust her, especially because of the loss.
I hope she can recover!
Interesting point. Usually she has steel nerves, but such a defeat may well trigger an avalanche. I, too, hope she may recover, but I also feel it will be not easy for her to emulate the deeds of the great 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). On the other hand, both 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) and 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) seem in good form, and perhaps they will help her, at least psychologically.
ReplyDeleteGM und Endspiel-Gurus Dr. Karsten Müller bietet eine detaillierte Analyse unter: https://en.chessbase.com/post/tata-steel-chess-2024-r1
ReplyDelete