Betrothal

李超 (Lǐ Chāo) – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
4th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, April 20, 2016
Vienna Game C26

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bc5 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nge2 d5 6. exd5 cxd5 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 0-0 9. 0-0 Bg4 10. Qd3 Bxd4 11. Qxd4 Nc6 12. Qc5. After 12. Qf4 Qd7 13. b3 Rfe8 14. Bb2 Bh3 Black is fine, Dmitriev – Lengyel, Budapest 1995. 12. ... d4 13. h3 Bxh3 14. Bxh3 dxc3 15. bxc3 Re8 16. Qb5 Qa5

17. a4! 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) offers the temporary sacrifice of two Pawns as he feels that his Bishop pair compensates for it. 17. ... Qxc3 18. Bb2 Qxc2 19. Rac1 Qe2 20. Bg2 Qe7 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Qxb7 Nd4 23. Rfe1 h5 24. Qxa8. So a betrothed husband does his best for the welfare of his own soon-to-be-family. 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) does not hesitate to unbalance the situation, even at risk to lose. 24. ... Rxa8 25. Bxa8 h4. The battery of Queen and Knight was regarded as very dangerous when the people of my age was young, but the world changes quickly. 26. Rc8+ Kh7 27. Be4+ g6 28. gxh4 Qe6. All chess engines advocate the immediate 28. ... Qxh4 with much greater chances of winning the lottery. Maybe that’s true. But maybe it doesn’t care. 29. Re8 Qg4+ 30. Kf1 Qxh4 31. Re7! Very elegant. In fact, the Rook is taboo for if 31. ... Qxe7?? then 32. Bxg6+ and wins. 31. ... Qh3+ 32. Kg1 Qg4+ 33. Kf1 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Kg7 35. Bd5 Qg4+ 36. Kf1 Qh3+ 37. Kg1 Nf3+ 38. Bxf3 Qxf3 39. Rxa7 Qg4+ 40. Kf1 Qh3+ 41. Kg1 Qg4+ 42. Kf1 Qh3+ ½ : ½.

李超 (Lǐ Chāo)
Photo: Tarjei J. Svensen/Matt & Patt