Taking a Gamble

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Jorden van Foreest
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 15, 2024
Modern Defence B06

1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Nc6 6. h3 0-0 7. 0-0 Nh5 (7. ... e5 8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Rd1 Qe7 11. Nc3 c6 12. Bg5 Be6 13. a4 h6 ½ : ½ Espig – Adorján, 1st “Tungsram” International Tournament, Budapest 1975)
8. Rd1 (8. e5 dxe5 9. dxe5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Re1 Ng3 12. Qd3 Nf5 13. c3 Qxd3 14. Bxd3 Rd8 15. Bc2 Be6= Tekeyev – Ponkratov, 23rd Russian Team Chess Championship Higher League, Sochi 2016)
8. ... e5 9. dxe5 (9. c3 Kh8 10. Bd5⩲)
9. ... Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Bxe5 11. Nc3 c6 12. Bh6 Re8 13. Qf3 Qf6 14. Qxf6 Nxf6 15. Bd3 b5 16. Rab1 Nd7 17. f4 Bd4+ 18. Kh2 Bb6 19. b4 a5 20. a3 (20. a4 axb4 21. axb5 c5 22. Nd5 Bb7=)
20. ... Bc7 21. Kh1 Nf6 22. Bg5 Nd7 23. e5 d5

24. Nxd5!? (24. Bxb5!? cxb5 25. Nxd5)
24. ... cxd5 25. Bxb5 axb4 26. axb4 Re6 27. Rxd5 Nf8 28. c4 Rb6 29. Rbd1 Bb7 30. R5d2 Ne6 31. Bh6 (31. Be7!)

31. ... g5! 32. f5 Nd4

33. f6?⊕ (33. e6! Nxf5 34. exf7+ Kxf7 35. Rd7+ Kg6 36. Rxc7 Kxh6 37. Rxb7! Rxb7 38. Bc6 Raa7 39. Bxb7 Rxb7 40. b5)
33. ... Bxe5 34. Bxg5 (34. Rxd4 Bxd4 35. Rxd4 Rxf6 36. Bxg5 Rg6 37. Rg4 Ra3−+)
34. ... Re6! 35. Rxd4?⊕ (35. Bd7 Rd6 36. Bg4 h5! 37. Bxh5 Nf5)
35. ... Bxd4 36. Rxd4 Re2 37. c5?⊕ Ra1+ 0 : 1.

After a dull opening, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) became confident of victory and broke the equilibrium, but her gamble went wrong. Photo © Lennart Ootes.