The Glittering Eye

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Murali Karthikeyan

2nd China–India Chess Match “国窖 (Guó Jiào) 1573 Cup”; 聊城 (Liáochéng), March 7, 2017

Sicilian Defence B49

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qc7 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. Nxc6!? bxc6 10. Qd4 c5 11. Qc4 0-0 12. Na4 d6. Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão criticizes this move in his commentary to the game. For 12. ... a5 13. Qd3 d5 (13. ... c4!?) see Lobanov – Neiksans, European Blitz Chess Championship, Tallinn 2016. 13. a3!? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)’s personal interpolation. Theory gives (gave) 13. e5 d5? 14. Qf4 Nd7 15. c3 Ba5 16. b4 Bb6 17. Nxb6 Qxb6 18. Bd3 Qc7 19. Qh4 h6? (19. ... g6 20. Qe7) 20. Bxh6! gxh6 21. Qxh6 f5 22. Qg6+ Kh8 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Qg6+ Kh8 25. f4 Nxe5 26. fxe5 Qh7 27. Qxh7+ Kxh7 28. bxc5 Rf7 29. Rf4 Rc7 30. g4 Rxc5 31. gxf5 exf5 32. Kf2 Kg6 33. Rg1+ Kf7 34. Ke3 Rxc3 35. Rh4 Ra3 36. Rh7+ Kf8 37. e6 d4+ 38. Kxd4 Ra4+ 39. Ke5 Rg4 40. Rxg4 1 : 0 Sadzikowski – Neiksans, 14th Miguel Najdorf Memorial, Warsaw 2016. 13. ... Bd7 14. e5! On 14. axb4 Bb5 Black regains his piece without paying fines. 14. ... Bb5. After 14. ... dxe5? 15. axb4 Bb5 16. Qxc5 Qxc5 17. Bxc5 Bxe2 18. Rfe1 White wins material (Leitão’s analysis). 15. Qh4 dxe5. Clearly not 15. ... Bxe2?? because of 16. exf6+− (Leitão). 16. axb4 Bxe2 17. Rfe1 Bb5 18. Nxc5± Nd7 19. c4 Bc6 20. Nxa6. Or at once 20. Qg3 (Leitão). 20. ... Qb7 21. Qg3 f5 22. Nc5 Qxb4 23. Nxe6 Rf7 24. Rxa8+. Even stronger seems the immediate 24. Bh6! (Leitão). 24. ... Bxa8 25. Ra1 Bc6. Leitão recommends 25. ... Be4! after which it might follow 26. Bh6 Qxb2 27. Rf1 f4 28. Qg5 Qb6 29. Nxg7 Qg6 30. Ne8 Nc5 (Stockfish’s analysis) and, despite his Pawn minus, Black may still hope for a draw. 26. Bh6! Qxb2 27. Rf1 e4. Also 27. ... g6 is met by 28. Nd8 (Leitão’s analysis).

28. Nd8!+− Rf8 29. Nxc6 Qf6 30. Qc7 Nc5 31. Ne7+ 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) (standing) chatting with 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
Photo: cca.imsa.cn