Sunday, February 19, 2017

The Crack in the Tea Cup

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Olga Alexandrovna Girya
Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 1 (25+10); Tehran, February 19, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D23

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bf5 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Nbd7 8. 0-0 Be7 9. e3 0-0 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. Nc3 e5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5 14. e4 Be6 15. h3!? The first step in the unknown, with an aim to improve on 15. f4 Qc5+ 16. Be3 Qb4 17. a3 Qb3 18. Rf2 Ng4 19. f5 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 Bc4 21. Bf1 Rfe8 22. Kg2 Bf6 23. Bxc4 Qxc4 24. Re2 Rad8 25. Rd1 Rxd1 26. Nxd1 h6 27. Nf2 c5 28. Ng4 Bd4 29. Qf3 f6 ½ : ½ Sargissian – Salgado López, 4th Ruy López Masters, Villafranca de los Barros 2010. 15. ... Rad8 16. Be3 Bc5 17. Rfd1 Bxe3 18. Qxe3 Qa5 19. b3 Nd7 20. Ne2 Rfe8 21. Nd4 Nf8 22. a3 c5 23. Nxe6 Nxe6 24. Rd5


24. ... Nd4?? And Girya makes a terrific, almost unbelievable blunder which loses a clear piece! Curiously enough, she was not too much short of time. Correct was (among others) 25. ... b6 in order to answer 26. b4 (26. Bf1 Nc7 doesn’t worry Black anyway) by 26. ... Qa4 with an approximate balance. 25. Qxd4! cxd4 26. Rxa5 d3 27. Rd1 d2 28. Bf3 Rd3 29. Kg2 1 : 0.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Olga Alexandrovna Girya
Photo: im88.com

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