Saturday, January 20, 2024

Deadlock

Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 20, 2024
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 h6 7. Bh4 g6 8. e3 Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. Nge2 Bg7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. f3 Re8 14. Rad1 Qe7 15. Bf2


15. ... Rad8. 15. ... Nb6 16. b3 Nc8 followed by ... Nc8-d6 seems also interesting. Nevertheless, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) shows herself well prepared to counter White’s inevitable minority attack, and has no trouble at all in pursuing her goal, that is, to get a draw.
16. Rfe1 Nf8 17. h3 a6 18. a3 Ne6 19. Qc2 Nh5 20. b4 a5 21. Qb3 axb4 22. axb4 b5 23. Na2 Nf6 24. Nac3 Nd7 25. e4 Nb6 26. exd5 Nxd5 27. Nxd5 cxd5 28. Nf4 Qd6 29. Nxe6 Rxe6 30. Rxe6 Qxe6 31. Rc1 Bf8 32. Qd3 Qd7 33. Bg3 Bxb4 34. Rc7 Qe8 35. Rb7 Bd6 36. Bxd6 Rxd6 37. Rxb5 Rd8 38. Kf2 h5 39. Qe2 ½ : ½.

Another very dead draw by agreement for 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) today against Donchenko. Photo © Jurriaan Hoefsmit.

No comments: