To Whom Who Was Never Called

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Frode Elsness
11th World Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansyisk, June 25, 2017
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. a4 b4 9. d4 d6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nbd2 Bc5 12. a5. For 12. Qe2 Qe7 13. h3 h6 14. a5 Rd8 [for 14. ... Be6 15. Bc4 Nh5 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Svidler, China – Russia Match, 宁波 (Níngbō) 2015] 15. Bc4 Nd4 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Wojtaszek, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 12. ... h6 13. h3 Qe7 14. Bd5 Bb7 15. Nb3 Ba7. Or 15. ... Rad8 16. Qd3 Ba7 17. c4 Nb8 18. Nh4 Nxd5 19. Nf5 Qf6 20. cxd5 c6 21. d6 Bc8 22. Rd1 Bxf5 23. exf5 Bd4 24. Be3 Rxd6 25. Bxd4 exd4 26. Nc5 Rd5 27. Nxa6 Nxa6 28. Qxa6 Qxf5 29. Qxc6 Rxa5 30. Rxa5 Qxa5 31. Qc4 ½ : ½ Svidler – Postny, 32nd European Chess Club Cup, Novi Sad 2016. 16. Qd3

16. ... Rfd8!? As Argentine Grandmaster Oscar Roberto Panno used to say, “Decide which Rook you want to move and then move the other one”. 16. ... Rad8 might have transposed into the above-mentioned Svidler – Postny. 17. c4 Nb8 18. Rd1. Threatening Bd5xf7+. 18. ... Nxd5? Far too naive. After 18. ... Kh7(!) everything was perfectly safe and sound. 19. cxd5 c6? Stockfish regards ... Bb7-c6-b5 as the lesser evil. Now White will easily achieve an overwhelming preponderance. 20. d6 Qe6 21. Be3 Bxe3 22. Qxe3 Nd7. On 22. ... Rxd6? 23. Nc5 wins right off. 23. Nc5 Nxc5 24. Qxc5 Rab8. Black desperately goes for a Pawn sacrifice as after 24. ... f6 25. Rd3 (preventing ... Qe6-b3) White would totally dominate the board. 25. Nxe5 Ba8 26. f4 Rb5 27. Qa7 Bb7 28. Rac1 f6? This leads to a tactical disaster, but neither 29. ... Kh7 30. Rc5 nor 29. ... Qb3 30. Nc4 might have saved Black’s day. 29. Nxc6 Qxe4. Not 29. ... Rxd6?? 30. Qb8+ winning a whole Rook. 30. Re1 Bxc6 31. Rxe4 Bxe4 32. Qe7 1 : 0.