Fortressing

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo)
4th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, April 19, 2016
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0 Qd7 10. b3 a6. Also good is 10. ... Bf6 11. h3 0-0-0 12. g4 h6 13. Bg2 Kb8 14. Rhe1 Rhe8 15. Kb2 a6 16. Re2 Qe7 17. Rde1 Qf8 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Bd7 22. f4 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8 with a dead equal position, Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. 11. h3. Another try is 11. h4 Bf6 12. Bg5 Qe7 13. Qf4 h6 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. Qxf6 gxf6 16. g3 Ne5 17. Nd4 0-0-0 18. Bg2 Bg4 19. Rde1 Rhe8 20. Re3 Bd7 21. Rhe1 c5 22. Nf3 Ng4 23. Rxe8 Rxe8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8 25. Bh3 f5 26. Kd2 Nxf2 27. Bxf5+ Bd7 28. Bxd7+ Kxd7 29. Ke3 Nd1+ 30. Kd2 Nf2 31. Ke3 Nd1+ 32. Ke4 ½ : ½ Lékó – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo), Szeged 2015, match game 6. 11. ... h5 12. Be2 0-0-0 13. Rhe1 Kb8 14. Kb2 d5!? 15. Nd4 Bf6 16. f4 g6. After long thought. 17. Bf3 Rhe8 18. Nxc6+ Qxc6 19. Bd4 Bh4 20. Bf2 Bf6. Black’s position appears rock solid. 21. Bd4 Bh4 22. Bf2 Bf6 23. g4 hxg4 24. hxg4

24. ... d4! A very elegant small combination that forces further liquidation. 25. Bxc6 dxc3+ 26. Qxc3 Bxc3+ 27. Kxc3 bxc6 28. g5 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 Bf5 30. Bd4 Re2 31. Rd2 Rxd2 32. Kxd2 Kc8. It’s a dead draw, but Maxime has still a doubt lingering in his mind... 33. c4 Bb1 34. Kc1 Be4. No, 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) is in no hurry to marry! Clearly not 34. ... Bxa2?? 25. Kb2 and the Bishop is trapped. 35. Kd2 Bb1 36. Kc1 Be4 37. Kd2 Bb1 ½ : ½.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. 李超 (Lǐ Chāo)
Photo: 4th Altibox Norway Chess (‏@NorwayChess)