Looking Higher

Ray Robson – Wesley So
61th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 5, 2017
English Opening A14

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. 0-0 Be7 5. b3 0-0 6. Bb2 c5 7. c4 Nc6 8. e3 d4 9. exd4 cxd4 10. Re1 Re8 11. d3 Bc5 12. Ba3 Nd7 13. Nfd2 Nb4!? Improving on 13. ... Bxa3 14. Nxa3 Nc5 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 e5 17. Qd2 a5 18. c5 Bh3 19. Nc4 f5 20. Bh1 Qf6 21. Nd6 Re7 22. f4 Rf8 23. a3 h6 24. b4 exf4 25. Rxe7 Qxe7 26. Re1 Qc7 27. b5 Nd8 28. Qa2+ Kh7 29. Qd5 fxg3 30. hxg3 f4 31. Be4+ Kh8 32. Qh5 Ne6 33. Qxh3 Ng5 34. Qh5 Qxc5 35. Nf5 Rxf5 36. Bxf5 Qxf5 37. Qe2 f3 38. Qe8+ Kh7 39. Rf1 Qxd3 40. Qe1 Ne4 0 : 1 Tomashevsky – Ganguly, World Rapid Chess Championship, Doha 2016. Yes, Black won, but surely not thanks to his opening. 14. Ne4 a5 15. f4 Be7 16. Bb2 Nc6 17. a3 b6. Black sacrifices a Pawn in order to open lines and diagonals. 18. Nd6 Bxd6 19. Bxc6 Ra7 20. Bxd4 e5 21. fxe5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5. 22. Qe2 is met by 22. ... Nf3+, while 22. Bxe8 by 22. ... Bg4. 22. ... Rxe5 23. Rxe5 Bxe5. With two powerful Bishops in an open position, Wesley may not have won yet, but certainly he holds the upper hand. 24. Ra2

24. ... Re7. 24. ... h5! (intending ... h5-h4) might have been even sharper. 25. Kg2 Qd6 26. Bf3 Qe6 27. Re2 Qh3+ 28. Kg1 h5 29. Qe1 Qf5 30. Nd2. Although Robson has less than a minute left to reach time control at move 40, he will be able to defend himself like a giant. With the text, White wisely gives back his extra Pawn in order to resuscitate his zombie Knight. 30. ... Qxd3 31. Kh1 Qf5 32. Bd5 Qf6 33. Nf3 Bg4 34. Kg2 g6 35. Re3 Bd6 36. Rxe7 Bxf3+? Conceptually a gross error or, in the better case, an excess of pragmatism aimed at achieving a draw. After 36. ... Bxe7 White hardly could have avoided the loss of a Pawn, and in any case he would have had to earn (very toughly) his own way to salvation. 37. Bxf3 Bxe7. It looks very drawish now, with Queens and opposite colour Bishops. 38. a4 Kg7 39. Bd5 Bc5 40. h4 Qb2+ 41. Kh3 Bd4 42. Qf1 f6 43. Qe1 Be5 44. Qe3 Qb1 45. Kg2 Qc2+ 46. Kh3 Qf5+ 47. Kg2 Qg4 48. Qf2 Qd1 49. Qe3 Qb1 50. Bf3 Qc2+ 51. Kh3 Qf5+ 52. Kg2 Qc2+ 53. Kh3 Qf5+ 54. Kg2 Qc2+ ½ : ½.

Wesley So
Photo: Lennart Ootes (@CCSCSL)