Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 14, 2024
Catalan Opening E05
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 14, 2024
Catalan Opening E05
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qa4 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Ra7 11. Rc1 Be4 12. Qb3 Nc6 13. e3 Qa8 14. Qd1 b4 15. Be1 Bd5 16. Nbd2 Nb8 17. Nh4 Bxg2 18. Nxg2 Nbd7. Also playable is 18. ... c5 19. dxc5 (19. Qf3 Nbd7 transposes to the game) 19. ... Rc8 20. Qf3 Rxc5 21. Qxa8
Rxa8 22. Nb3 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Nbd7 24. Kf1 a5 25. f3 g5 26. g4 h5
27. h3 hxg4 28. hxg4 Bd6 29. Nd2 Be5 30. Nc4 Bc7 31. b3 Kg7= with a draw agreed after another four moves, Suba – Vaganian, 1st Kings Tournament, Bazna 2007.
19. Qf3 c5 Likewise 19. ... Qxf3 20. Nxf3 c5 21. Nf4 a5 22. Nd3 Ne4 23. Rc2 Rc8 24. Rac1 Rac7 shouldn’t be anything special to White, Damljanović – Efimenko, 1st Serbian Team Chess Championship, Zlatibor 2007.
20. Qxa8 Raxa8 21. Nb3 Rfc8 22. dxc5 Nxc5 23. Nxc5 Rxc5 24. Rxc5 Bxc5 25. Rc1 Be7 26. f3 Kf8 27. Kf2 Nd7 28. Ke2 a5 29. e4 Ke8 30. Ne3 g5 31. Nc4 Ra6 32. Bd2 f6 33. g4 Bd8 34. b3 Bc7
19. Qf3 c5 Likewise 19. ... Qxf3 20. Nxf3 c5 21. Nf4 a5 22. Nd3 Ne4 23. Rc2 Rc8 24. Rac1 Rac7 shouldn’t be anything special to White, Damljanović – Efimenko, 1st Serbian Team Chess Championship, Zlatibor 2007.
20. Qxa8 Raxa8 21. Nb3 Rfc8 22. dxc5 Nxc5 23. Nxc5 Rxc5 24. Rxc5 Bxc5 25. Rc1 Be7 26. f3 Kf8 27. Kf2 Nd7 28. Ke2 a5 29. e4 Ke8 30. Ne3 g5 31. Nc4 Ra6 32. Bd2 f6 33. g4 Bd8 34. b3 Bc7
35. Nb2. Nepomniachtchi is in the unpleasant position of having to get blood out of a stone. On the other hand, 35. h3 Bf4 wouldn’t promise anything at all.
35. ... Kd8 36. Nd3 Bxh2 37. Rh1 Bd6 38. Rxh7 Ne5 39. Nxe5 Bxe5 40. Rb7 Rc6
35. ... Kd8 36. Nd3 Bxh2 37. Rh1 Bd6 38. Rxh7 Ne5 39. Nxe5 Bxe5 40. Rb7 Rc6
Time control reached. The endgame is completely equal, but Nepomniachtchi is more than motivated to bring it to exhaustion, in the hope to make 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s yesterday’s nightmare come back to her.
41. Ra7 Rc5 42. Kd3 Ke8 43. Rh7 Kf8 44. Rb7 Ke8 45. Ra7 Bc7 46. Ke2 Be5 47. Kd3 Bc7 48. Ra8+ Kd7 49. Ra6 Be5 50. Ra7+ Ke8. Three-fold repetition of position. But the show must go on anyway:
51. Rh7 Kf8 52. Rh1
41. Ra7 Rc5 42. Kd3 Ke8 43. Rh7 Kf8 44. Rb7 Ke8 45. Ra7 Bc7 46. Ke2 Be5 47. Kd3 Bc7 48. Ra8+ Kd7 49. Ra6 Be5 50. Ra7+ Ke8. Three-fold repetition of position. But the show must go on anyway:
51. Rh7 Kf8 52. Rh1
52. ... Bf4! Alea iacta est.
53. Kd4 Rc2 54. Bxf4 gxf4 55. e5 Rd2+ 56. Ke4 Re2+ 57. Kxf4 Rxe5 58. Rh8+ Kf7 59. Ra8 Kg6 60. Ra6 Kf7 61. Kg3 Rd5 62. f4 Rd3+ 63. Kf2 Rd2+ 64. Kf3 Rxa2 65. f5 exf5 66. gxf5 Ra3 67. Ra7+ Ke8 68. Ke4 Kd8 69. Kd4 Rxb3 70. Rxa5 Rf3 71. Ke4 Rf1 72. Rb5 Rb1 73. Kd5 Kc7 74. Ke6 Kc6 75. Rb8 b3 76. Kxf6 b2 77. Kf7 Rf1 78. Rxb2 Rxf5+ 79. Ke6 Rc5 80. Rd2 ½ : ½.
53. Kd4 Rc2 54. Bxf4 gxf4 55. e5 Rd2+ 56. Ke4 Re2+ 57. Kxf4 Rxe5 58. Rh8+ Kf7 59. Ra8 Kg6 60. Ra6 Kf7 61. Kg3 Rd5 62. f4 Rd3+ 63. Kf2 Rd2+ 64. Kf3 Rxa2 65. f5 exf5 66. gxf5 Ra3 67. Ra7+ Ke8 68. Ke4 Kd8 69. Kd4 Rxb3 70. Rxa5 Rf3 71. Ke4 Rf1 72. Rb5 Rb1 73. Kd5 Kc7 74. Ke6 Kc6 75. Rb8 b3 76. Kxf6 b2 77. Kf7 Rf1 78. Rxb2 Rxf5+ 79. Ke6 Rc5 80. Rd2 ½ : ½.
Today 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) needed all her nervous strength and resilience to recover from yesterday’s débâcle. Photo: Juriaan Hoefsmit. |
2 comments:
So happy for her!
It's incredible how she managed to recover her strength in such a short time, especially considering she had a cough throughout the entire game.
There's a postgame interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBLSB1Z2wCs
A very enlightening interview, in particular her observations about yesterday's game. I'm also very glad for her. Once again she demonstrated that it is not by chance or luck that she won the last two world matches in as many heart-pounding tie-breakers. As for her cough, I can't help but remember that already many years ago Prof. Serafino Dubois complained that the Dutch climate was not ideal for bronchial health... so let's hope she gets better soon!
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