The Boy in the Bubble

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 王晨 (Wáng Chén)
51st Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), April 24, 2016
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. Kh1 0-0 11. Qe1 Bd7 12. Qg3 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bc6 14. Rae1 b5 15. a3 Rae8 16. Bf3 Rd8. Back to where it should have gone in the first place. However, it is all theory, lost time included. 17. Re3 Qb7. After 17. ... g6 18. e5 Black must retreat the Knight, unless to ruin himself: 18. ... dxe5? 19. Bxe5 Qb6 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Qh4 Nd5 22. Qxh7+! 1 : 0 Bernadskiy – Fedoseev, 6th Vasylyshyn Memorial, Lviv 2009. 18. Rfe1 g6 19. Qh3 Rfe8 20. Qh6 Bf8 21. Qg5 Nd7

22. Nd5! Qb8. Clearly not 22. ... exd5?? 23. exd5 and White will recover the piece with overwhelming effects. 23. Nf6+ Nxf6 24. Bxf6 Rc8 25. Bg4! Ba8? The losing move. Black could not afford the luxury to lose time anymore. It appears that 25. ... Qb7! (eyeing the e4-Pawn) would have offered the best counterchances. 26. Rh3! With the devastating threat of Qg5-h4. 26. ... Rc5 27. Qh4 h5. Or 27. ... h6 28. Qxh6! Bxh6 29. Rxh6 and mate in two moves. 28. b4! 1 : 0. White wins heavy material.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: qipai.org.cn