Google Save the Queen

杜雨馨 (Dù Yǔxīn) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

13rd “映美杯” (“Yìngměi Cup”) Chinese Chess League; 中山 (Zhōngshān), December 3, 2017

Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. 0-0 d6 7. c3 Ba7 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Bd7 10. Nbd2 Qe7 11. Re1 g5! 12. Bg3 0-0-0! The heterogeneous castling means that Black is running to win. 13. b4 h5 14. h4 g4 15. Ng5

15. ... Ng8! Something went wrong with White’s opening as Black seized the initiative. Now the g5-Knight is in trouble. 16. d4? Amateurly speaking this is not a solution. White ought to play 16. Bxc6 Bxc6 17. Qb3. 16. ... f6 17. Ne6 Qxe6. Perhaps 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) could play for winning a piece by 17. ... Bxe6 (and if 18. d5 then 18. ... f5!), but she must have feared some kind of tricky attack against her own King. Whatever it is, her decision sounds quite good. 18. d5 Qe8 19. dxc6 Bxc6 20. Bxc6 Qxc6. Black contented herself with an extra Pawn and a much better position. 16th Women’s World Chess Champion has no difficulty in bringing home the point, which will give 重庆 (Chóngqìng) the team’s win over 深圳 (Shēnzhèn). 21. c4 Ne7 22. Qb3 Bd4 23. b5 Qb6 24. Rab1 c5 25. bxa6 Qxa6 26. Qb5 Kc7 27. Rb3 Ra8 28. Reb1 Qxb5 29. Rxb5 Rhb8 30. Nb3 Nc6 31. Nxd4 Nxd4 32. R5b2 Ra4 33. Rc1 Rba8 34. Rcb1 R8a7 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Photo: sports.sina.com.cn

Deadline

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo)
13rd Chinese Chess League; 北京 (Běijīng), June 11, 2017
Queen’s Indian Accelerated A50

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb7 4. f3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 e5 8. Be3 Be7? It looks like an improvised Pawn sacrifice in a well-known position. For 8. ... exd4 9. cxd4 Bb4+ 10. Kf2 0-0 11. Bc4 see Riumin – Chekhover, Leningrad 1934. 9. dxe5 Nd7 10. Qa4 c6 11. Rd1 b5 12. Qb3 Qa5 13. f4 0-0-0 14. Nf3 Nc5 15. Bxc5 Bxc5 16. Bd3 Rd7 17. Ke2 Rhd8 18. Rhf1. 18. e6 fxe6 19. Ng5 was also very interesting. 18. ... h6 19. f5! Qc7 20. g3! a5 21. a4! 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) ended up getting completely outplayed by his opponent. 21. ... bxa4 22. Qxa4 Qb6

23. Qc2? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) hesitates in the moment of truth, throwing all her advantage away. The trivial 23. Rb1 Rxd3! 24. Rxb6 Bxb6 25. Rb1 Re3+ 26. Kf1! Rxf3+ 27. Kg2 Rf2+ 28. Kh3 Be3 might have given Black an easier – if not better – game, but 23. e6! seemed to put insurmountable problems to Black; for instance: 23. ... fxe6 24. fxe6 Rd6 (or 24. ... Re7 25. Rb1 Qa7 26. Bc4 followed by Nf3-e5 with devastating effect) 25. e7 Re8 26. Rb1 Qa7 27. Nd4! Kc7 (or 27. ... Bxd4 28. Rf8 Kd7 29. cxd4 Rxe7? 30. e5+−) 28. Nf5 with a (likely significant) gain of material. 23. ... Ba6! Well, the rest is quite uninteresting. White’s position still might be drawable, but 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) has no longer the will to hold it, and slowly her opponent succeeded in picking the whole point. 24. Bxa6+ Qxa6+ 25. c4 a4 26. Rxd7 Rxd7 27. Ra1 a3 28. Ra2 Rb7 29. e6 fxe6 30. fxe6 Re7 31. e5 Rxe6 32. Kf1 Re7 33. Kg2 Kc7 34. Ra1 Qa5 35. Qd3 Rd7 36. Qc2 Bb4 37. Ra2 Bc3 38. Qe4 Bb2 39. e6 Re7 40. Qf4+ Kb7 41. Nd4 Qb4 42. Qb8+ Kxb8 43. Nxc6+ Kb7 44. Nxb4 Rxe6 45. Kf3 Rb6 46. Nd3 Rb3 47. Ke2 Kc6 48. Kd2 Rxd3+! 49. Kxd3 Kc5 50. h4 Kb4 51. g4 Kb3 52. Rxa3+ Bxa3 53. Kd4 Be7 54. h5 Kb4 55. Kd5 Bc5 56. Ke5 Kxc4 57. Kf5 Be7 58. Kg6 Bf6 0 : 1.

A Man Called Horse

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 马群 (Mǎ Qún)
13rd Chinese Chess League; 北京 (Běijīng), June 8, 2017
Slav Defence D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. e3 Bg4 7. Qb3 Na5 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Qa4 e6 10. Bg5 Nc6 11. Nf3 a6. For 11. ... Be7 12. Ne5 Qc7 13. Rc1 0-0 14. Bxc6 Bxc6 15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. 0-0 Rfc8 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Ne2 Rab8 see 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Fressinet, 15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2017 12. Axc6 Axc6 13. Db3 h6!? 马群 (Mǎ Qún)’s novelty actually appears to be better on 13. ... Be7 14. Ne5 0-0 15. 0-0 Nd7 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. Na4 Rab8 19. Qc3 Rfc8 20. Rac1 h5 21. b3 h4 22. h3 Rb5 23. Rc2 e5 24. Rfc1 e4 25. Qd2 Qd6 26. Rc3 g5 27. Qc2 Nb8 28. Qe2 Qg6 29. Nc5 Kg7 30. f3 exf3 31. Qxf3 Re8 32. Rf1 Re7 33. Qg4 Rxc5 34. dxc5 Nd7 35. Qf5 Qxf5 36. Rxf5 Kg6 37. Rf1 Re4 38. Rd1 1 : 0 Radjabov – Vachier-Lagrave, 3rd SportAccord World Mind Games, Rapid Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2013. 14. Bh4 Bd6 15. Rc1 Rc8 16. 0-0 0-0 17. Ne5 Bxe5! Consistent with his 13th move and well calculated. White has no real way to exploit the weakening of Black’s Kingside, and indeed she will have to play with mood and tone for keeping a sound balance. 18. dxe5

18. ... g5 19. Bg3 Ne4 20. Qd1 Kg7 21. f4 Bb5 22. Re1 Nxc3 23. Rxc3 Rxc3 24. bxc3 f5 25. exf6+ Qxf6 26. fxg5 hxg5 27. Qd4 Qxd4 28. exd4 g4 29. Be5+ Kg6 30. Bd6 Re8 31. Re3 Bc4 32. a3 Bb3 33. h3 gxh3 34. Rxh3 Bc2 35. Rg3+ Kf7 36. Rf3 Bf5 37. Kf2. The silly 37. g4? Rg8 would lose a Pawn, but probably not the game because of the opposite coloured Bishops. 37. ... Rg8 38. Rg3 Rxg3 ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: slide.sports.sina.com.cn

Not Too Long Ago

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 万云国 (Wàn Yúnguó)
13rd Chinese Chess League; 北京 (Běijīng), June 6, 2017
Pirc Defence B07

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Qd2 0-0. For 5. ... Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 [for 6. ... 0-0 7. Bh6 e5 8. Bxg7 Kxg7 9. d5 Ne7 10. Be2 Bg4 11. Ng1 Bd7 12. Nf3 h6 13. h3 Nh7 14. g4 g5 15. Nh2 Ng6 16. Nf1 Nf4 17. 0-0-0 Rh8 18. Ne3 Nf8 19. h4 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Melkumyan, World Blitz Chess Championship, Doha 2016] 7. d5 Nb8 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 c5 11. 0-0 a6 12. a4 0-0 13. Rfe1 Qa5 14. Ra3 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Mamedov, World Blitz Chess Championship, Doha 2016. 6. 0-0-0 Nc6 7. f3 Nh5? It seems a very unfortunate novelty, which only helps White to mount his serialised Kingside attack. For 7. ... a6 8. g4 Re8 9. Bh6 Bh8 10. h4 e5 see Fedorchuk – Czerwonski, 1st Bank Pocztowy SA Open, Bydgoszcz 1999. 8. Bh6 e5 9. Nge2 Bxh6 10. Qxh6 exd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 Bd7 13. g4 Nf6. 13. ... Qf6 would work only in case of 14. Qe3 (14. ... Qf4), but White would clearly go for a lot more by 14. Qd2! Qxf3 15. Rg1 Nf4 16. e5 with a win at hand. 14. h4 Qe7 15. h5 Be6 16. Rd2 Kh8 17. Qe3. Black is so harmless that White can afford himself to take all the time necessary for his army to deploy in its best possible (mating) formation. 17. ... Kg8 18. Rdh2 Rad8 19. Qh6 c6 20. Bd3 Kh8

21. e5! 1 : 0. For if 21. ... dxe5 there would follow 22. g5 Ng8 (or 22. ... Nxh5 23. Qxh7+! Kxh7 24. Rxh5+ Kg7 25. Rh7+ Kg8 26. Rh8+ Kg7 27. R1h7 mate) 23. Qxh7+! Kxh7 24. hxg6++ Kg7 25. Rh7 mate.

Welcome Home

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 王珏 (Wáng Jué)
“Jolimark Cup” Chinese Chess League Division A; 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), December 4, 2016
King’s Indian Defence E63

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 a6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bd2 Rb8 10. d5 Na5 11. b3 c5 12. a4 Qb6!? A new idea, but hardly an improvement over 12. ... e6 13. dxe6 Bxe6 14. Bf4 Nh5 15. Rc1 Nxf4 16. gxf4 Qe7 17. e3 Nc6 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Nb4 20. Qd2 Rfd8 21. Ne1 b5 22. axb5 ½ : ½ Stohl – Kindermann, Schachbundesliga 1995/1996, somewhere in Germany, 1996. 13. Ra3 e6 14. Qc2 exd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. cxd5 Bd7 17. Rb1 Rbc8 18. e4 Rfe8 19. Bf1 Bg4 20. Kg2 Qc7 21. Rc1 Qd8 22. Ng1 Bd7 23. Qb1 Qb6 24. Nf3

24. ... Rc7? The Knight on a5 is a little misplaced, so 王珏 (Wáng Jué) should have hurried on a rescue mission, even at the cost of a Pawn: 24. ... c4!? 25. b4 Nb3 26. Rxc4 Rxc4 27. Bxc4 Nxd2 28. Nxd2 h5! and Black could hope for a compensation, thanks to the Bishop pair and her volatile initiative on the dark squares. 25. b4! Now White forces the gain of a Pawn under much more favourable circumstances. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) will convert her material plus quite routinely, if a little laboriously. 25. ... cxb4 26. Rxc7 Qxc7 27. Qxb4 b6 28. Bxa6 f5 29. exf5 Bxf5 30. Re3 Rf8 31. h3 g5 32. Bd3 Bxd3 33. Rxd3 Qc4 34. Qb5 Qxb5 35. axb5 Nc4 36. Bc3 Ra8 37. Bxg7 Kxg7 38. Rc3 Ra4 39. Nd4 Kf6 40. Nc6 Kf5 41. Rf3+ Ke4 42. Rf6 Kxd5 43. Rxh6 Kc5 44. Rg6 Kxb5 45. Ne7 Ka6 46. Rxg5 b5 47. Rg4 Kb6 48. Nd5+ Kc5 49. Nc3 Ra3 50. Rg5+ Kb4 51. Nd5+ Kb3 52. Rg8 Ne5 53. Rb8 Kc4 54. Ne3+ Kc5 55. h4 b4 56. h5 Nc6 57. Rb7 b3 58. h6 Nb4 59. Nd1 Ra8 60. g4 Kc4 61. g5 Nd3 62. h7 Nf4+ 63. Kg3 Ng6 64. Rg7 Kd5 1 : 0. So 上海 (Shànghǎi) won Chinese Chess League with one round yet to go. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who was just back from Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, joined 上海 (Shànghǎi) just in time to contribute to today’s (decisive) win against 北京 (Běijīng) (4–1).

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Photo: sports.sina.com.cn

An Aesthetic Idea through Bureaucracy

丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
2016 Chinese Chess League Division A; 嘉兴 (Jiāxīng), June 24, 2016
Four Knights Game C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3 c6 11. Qf3 Rb8 12. Bf4 Bd6 13. b3 Rb4 14. Ne2 Bxf4 15. Nxf4 Qd6 16. Nh5 Nxh5 17. Qxh5 g6 18. Qf3. Thus she cannot cause Black any worries. More promising is 18. Qg5 Kg7 19. Rae1 Qf6 20. Qe3 with an edge for White, Alsina Leal – Dvirnyy, 39th International Open, Badalona 2013. 18. ... Qf4. 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) plays safe and ensures herself a comfortable balance. Anyway, 18. ... Rf4 also was good. 19. Qxf4 Rxf4 20. Rfe1 Be6 21. c3 Rd8 22. Rad1

22. ... a5! 23. Ba6 Rb8! 24. Bd3 a4! 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) is playing so well from so much time that you could well wonder why the superbosses of Chinese chess didn’t call her to join the Olympic women’s team. 25. Bc2 axb3 26. axb3 Bf5 27. Bxf5 Rxf5 28. b4 Rf4 29. Re7. White has sufficient life in her to achieve a draw. 29. ... Ra8 30. Re2 Ra3 31. b5 cxb5 32. Rxd5 Rxc3 33. Rxb5 ½ : ½.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: games.sports.cn

Silence in the Library

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) – 王珏 (Wáng Jué)
2016 Chinese Chess League Division A; 嘉兴, Jiāxīng, June 23, 2016
King’s Indian Defence E92

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Nf3 e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. 0-0 Na6 9. Be3 c6 10. Qxd8 Rxd8 11. Rfd1 Re8 12. h3 Bf8 13. a3 Nc5 14. Nd2 a5 15. b3. For 15. b4 Ne6 16. c5 Nd4 see S. Ernst – van Wely, 76th Dutch Chess Championship, Eindhoven 2010. 15. ... Ne6 16. Na4 Nd7 17. Bg4 Nd4 18. Bxd4? It seems a serious error of judgement. After 18. Nf3 f5!? the game is more or less balanced. 18. ... exd4 19. Bxd7 Bxd7 20. c5 Be6 21. Rab1 f5 22. Nf3 fxe4 23. Nxd4 Bd5 24. Nc2 Rad8 25. Ne3 Bf7 26. b4

26. ... Rd3! The biting dust begins to stung under 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)’s finger nails. 27. Rxd3. Perhaps 27. bxa5 Rxa3 would have held Black a bit more at bay. 27. ... exd3 28. bxa5 Ra8? 王珏 (Wáng Jué) misses her big chance. After 28. ... d2! (threatening ... Bf7-a2) 29. Nc3 Bxc5 Black’s position appears imposing. 29. Nb2 Bxc5 30. Nxd3 Bxe3 31. fxe3 Rxa5 32. Rxb7 Rxa3. The position is now roughly equal, but they both keep striving hand-to-hand for victory. 33. Ne5 Bd5 34. Ng4 h5 35. Nf6+ Kf8 36. e4 Be6 37. Nh7+ Ke8 38. Ng5 Bd7 39. Kf2 c5 40. Rc7 Rc3 41. e5 Bf5 42. Nf7 Rc2+ 43. Kg3 Be6 44. Nd6+ Kd8 45. Rxc5 Rd2. White’s extra Pawn is meaningless, but the two girls will agree a draw only after “theoretical” evidence. 46. Ne4 Rd4 47. Ng5 Bd5 48. e6 Ke7 49. Rc7+ Kf6 50. e7 h4+ 51. Kf2 Bf7 52. Ke3 Rd5 53. Ne4+ Ke6 54. Kf4 Rd4 55. Ke3 Rd5 56. Ra7 Rb5 57. Nd2 Re5+ 58. Kf4 g5+ 59. Kf3 Bh5+ 60. g4 hxg3+ 61. Kxg3 Re3+ 62. Kf2 Re2+ 63. Kg3 Rxd2 64. Ra5 Kf6 65. h4 gxh4+ 66. Kxh4 Be8 67. Ra7 Ke6 68. Kg3 Bd7 69. Kf4 Kxe7 70. Ke3 Rd6 71. Ke4 Ke6 72. Ke3 Bc6 73. Rh7 Kd5 74. Rh5+ Kc4 75. Rh4+ Kc5 76. Rh5+ Bd5 77. Rh8 Rg6 78. Rc8+ Kd6 79. Rc3 Ke5 80. Rd3 Be4 81. Rc3 Rg2 82. Rc5+ Bd5 83. Rc3 Ra2 84. Rd3 Bc4 85. Rc3 Kd5 86. Kf4 Kd4 87. Rf3 Bd5 88. Rf1 Rd2 89. Kf5 Bc4 90. Rf4+ Kd5 91. Kf6 Re2 92. Rf5+ Kd6 93. Rf4 Re6+ 94. Kf5 Bd3+ 95. Kg4 Be4 96. Kg3 Ke5 97. Rg4 Kd4 98. Kf4 Rf6+ 99. Kg5 Rf5+ 100. Kh6 Rf7 101. Rg7 Rf4 102. Kg5 Rf5+ 103. Kg4 Ke3 104. Re7 Rf1 105. Kg5 Rg1+ 106. Kf6 Kf4 107. Rg7 Ra1 108. Re7 Bf5 109. Rc7 Ra5 110. Rc6 Ra7 111. Rd6 Rh7 112. Rd4+ Be4 113. Rd6 Rh6+ 114. Ke7 Rh7+ 115. Kf6 Rh6+ 116. Ke7 Rxd6 ½ : ½.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: slide.sports.sina.com.cn

Light-in-Flight

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
Chinese Chess League Division A; 绍兴 (Shàoxīng), August 22, 2015
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qe2 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 b5 10. a3 Be7 11. g4 Rb8 12. Bg2 h6 13. Bh4 Bb7. For 13. ... b4 14. axb4 Rxb4 15. Bf2 g5 see 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – Negi, 11th Asian Continental Chess Championship, Ho Chi Minh City 2012. 14. Rhe1 Nb6 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. e5 dxe5 17. Ndxb5. Very bold play by 韦奕 (Wéi Yì). 17. ... axb5 18. Nxb5 Qc5. Another modus vivendi was 18. ... Qe7 19. Bxb7 Kf8 with a very unclear position. 19. b4. The immediate 19. Nd6+ followed by Nd6xb7 is probably the best. 19. ... Qe7 20. Nd6+ Kf8 21. Bxb7 exf4 22. Qf3 Nc4 23. Nxc4 Qxb7 24. Qxb7 Rxb7 25. Ne5 h5 26. Rd7 Rxd7 27. Nxd7+ Ke7 28. Nxf6 Kxf6 29. gxh5 e5 30. b5 Kf5 31. a4 f3 32. b6? Sinking into the abyss. Necessary was 32. Kd2 Kf4 33. Rb1 e4 34. b6 Rd8+ 35. Ke1 e3 36. Rb4+ Kf5 transposing into the same position of the game. 32. ... e4? Losing a vital tempo, which gives White King time to rush toward the enemy Pawns. The immediate 32. ... Kf4! left White with no resource. 33. Kd2 Kf4 34. Rb1 e3+ 35. Ke1 Rd8 36. Rb4+ Kf5 37. b7

37. ... Rd2? 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) was in serious time trouble and overlooked one really good opportunity here: 37. ... f2+ 38. Ke2 Rd2+ 39. Kxe3 Nf1+ 40. Kf3 Nxh2+ 41. Kg3 (or 41. Ke3 Nf1+) 41. ... Nf1+ drawing by perpetual check. 38. Rf4+! Surprise! 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) finds himself also in Zeitnot, nonetheless he shows all the elegance of his play. 38. ... Kxf4 39. b8=Q+ Kf5 40. Qc8+ Ke5 41. Qc7+ Ke4 42. Qe7+ Kd4 43. Qb4+ Kd5 44. Qb7+ 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: sinochess (@sinachess)