Bridge to Terabithia

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) – Chithambaram V.R. Aravindh
55th World Junior Chess Championship U-20; Bhubaneswar, August 15, 2016
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 b6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Be3 0-0 9. Qd2 Re8 10. Nh2 e5 11. 0-0-0 a5 12. Na4. For 12. g4 a4 13. Rdg1 Nd7 14. g5 Nf8 15. h4 Ne6 16. Ng4 Nd4 see Semenova – Prudnikova, 50th USSR Women’s Chess Championship, Podolsk 1990. 12. ... Be6 13. Kb1 Nd7 14. Ng4 Qe7 15. Nh6+ Kh8 16. h4 b5 17. Nc3 f6 18. h5 Bxh6 19. Bxh6 g5 20. Rdf1 Qf7. The game is tremendously double-edged, and Black might look even better than his renowned opponent. Here Stockfish likes 20. ... a4 eventually followed by ... c5-c4, which is also very interesting. 21. g3 b4 22. Na4 Bxa2+ 23. Ka1 c4 24. f4 exf4. 24. ... cxd3 appears more suitable for Black since 25. b3 Bxb3 26. cxb3 Qxb3 leaves him with four Pawns for the Bishop and very good play. 25. gxf4 cxd3 26. fxg5 d2 27. gxf6 Bb1 28. Bg7+ Kg8 29. b3!

29. ... Nc5!? A very clever Knight sacrifice for giving strength to his own attack. 30. Nxc5 a4 31. Kb2 axb3 32. Nxb3? Black’s speculation worked! The cool 32. Nd3 would have left Black without resource. 32. ... c1=Q+? But Black misses 32. ... Red8! after which White has nothing better than a draw by 33. Rhg1 (not 33. Qg5?? because of 33. ... Ra2+ 34. Kc1 Rd1+! 35. Rxd1 cxd1=Q+ 36. Kxd1 Qxb3+ 37. Ke1 Qc3+ 38. Kf1 Qf3+ 39. Kg1 Qd1 mate) 33. ... Rxd2 34. Bh6+ Kh8 35. Bg7+ with perpetual check. 33. Nxc1 Bxe4 34. Rhg1. It’s all over now. 34. ... Ra5 35. Rg5 c5 36. Rfg1 c4 37. Qxb4 c3+ 38. Qxc3 Rb8+ 39. Nb3 Rxg5 40. Rxg5 Bd5 41. Bh6+ Kh8 42. Rxd5 Rxb3+ 43. Qxb3 1 : 0. “I wouldn’t say I was as lucky in this game as I was against Murali Karthikeyan, but Aravindh certainly made things easier for me in what was a sharp game that could have gone either way”, 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) finally said.

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) vs. Chithambaram V.R. Aravindh. Photo: wjcc2016india.com.