In the Mood

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Lê Hữu Thái
7th HDBank International Open Chess Tournament; Ho Chi Minh City, March 13, 2017
Four Knights Game C48

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. Nxe5 Qe7!? A responsible decision, which, if not properly followed, may easily turn into a serious loss of time. 5. ... 0-0 6. 0-0 Re8 may transpose into 7. Nf3 (if 7. Nxc6!? there might follow 7. ... dxc6 8. Bc4!? b5!? 9. Be2 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Rxe4 11. Bf3 Re6 12. c3 Qd3! with a Black’s crescendo, L. Paulsen – P. C. Morphy, 1st American Chess Congress, New York 1857) 7. ... Nxe4 8. Nxe4 Rxe4 9. d3! Re8 10. d4! Be7 (10. ... Bf8 might be better, reserving the e7-square for the Knight) 11. d5! a6 12. Bd3 Nb4 13. Bc4 b5 14. Bb3 with an edge for White, 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 6. Nf3 Nxe4?? Here the e4-Pawn turns out to be a tragically poisoned gift. I guess Black ought to re-enter into Rubinstein’s counter-gambit by 6. ... Nd4, after which might follow 7. Bc4 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. d3 0-0-0 10. Be3 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Rxd5 12. exd5 Re8 13. c3 Nxf3+ 14. gxf3 Qh4 15. Kd2 Rxe3 16. fxe3 Qf2+ 17. Kc1 Bxf3 18. Qe1 Bxe3+ 19. Kb1 Bxh1 20. Qxh1 Qe2 21. a4 Qxd3+ 22. Ka2 Qc4+ 23. Kb1 Qd3+ 24. Ka2 Qc4+ 25. Kb1 Qd3+ 26. Ka2 Qc4+ 27. Kb1 Qd3+ 28. Ka2 Qc4+ 29. Kb1 Qd3+ 30. Ka2 Qc4+ ½ : ½ 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – M. Adams, 12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2014. 7. 0-0 Nxc3. 7. ... 0-0 8. d4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 transposes into the game. 8. bxc3 0-0 9. d4 Bb6. Stockfish also considers 9. ... Ba3 10. Re1 Qd6, but after 11. Bd2! White stands very much better anyway. 10. Re1 Qd8

11. Ng5! d6. 11. ... h6 12. Qh5! equally exposes Black to an overwhelming attack. 12. Bd3 g6. 12. ... h6 13. Qh5 is no better at all, as White would be expected to make any kind of sacrifices. 13. Nxh7! 1 : 0. For after 13. ... Kxh7 14. Qh5+ Kg8 (14. ... Kg7 15. Qh6+ Kg8 16. Bg5+−) 15. Bxg6 fxg6 16. Qxg6+ Kh8 17. Bg5 Qd7 18. Bf6+ Rxf6 19. Qxf6+ Kh7 20. Qh4+ Kg8 21. Re3 it’s all over.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: vietnamchess.vn