Thoughts of Youth

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Match game 3; Hoogeveen, October 23, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk broke the ice first in the match against 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), but, indeed, the Chinese wonder boy made and unmade everything with his own hand. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 0-0 8. e3 Bf5 9. Rc1. It is worth mentioning here an interesting game by Misha Tal: 9. Be2 c6 10. Qb3 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qb6 12. Bxf6 Qxb3 13. axb3 gxf6 14. Kd2 Nd7 15. Nh4 Be6 16. Bd3 Nb6 17. f3 a5 18. Rhb1 Ra7 19. g4 Rfa8 20. Ng2 a4 21. bxa4 Nxa4 22. Ra3 b5 23. Rba1 Ra6 24. Nf4 Kf8 25. e4 dxe4 26. Bxe4 Rd8 27. Bc2 Bc4 28. Bxa4 Rda8 29. Bxb5 Bxb5 30. Rxa6 Rxa6 31. Rxa6 Bxa6 32. Nh5 f5 33. gxf5 Ke7 34. Ke3 Kd6 35. Nf6 1 : 0 Tal – Damjanović, 9th International Tournament, Sarajevo 1966. 9. ... Nbd7 10. Qb3!? Bxc3+ 11. Rxc3 c6 12. Nd2 Qa5 13. f3 Rfe8 14. Kf2 Rac8 15. Be2 c5 16. dxc5 Rxc5 17. Rhc1. It’s all right so far.

17. ... g5? But now 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) falls into a grave miscalculation. He should have played 17. ... Rxe3! at once, as 18. Kxe3 is actually met by 18. ... d4+! 19. Kxd4?? (19. Kf2 dxc3 is obviously better, but clearly in Black’s favour) 19. ... Rc4+!! and mate next move. Very probably, after 17. ... Rxe3! White would have preferred 18. Bxf6, but 18. ... Rxe2+ 19. Kxe2 Qa6+ 20. Kd1 Rb5 (followed by the capture of the Bishop) would have given Black a worthy compensation for the Exchange. 18. Bg3 Rxe3?? Now it won’t work anymore since the g3-Bishop guards the e5-square, and His Majesty easily escapes from predators. 19. Kxe3 d4+ 20. Kxd4 Re5. Ah, that damned Bishop at g3! 21. Bd3. Obviously, Ivanchuk does not bite the bait (21. Bxe5?? Qxe5+ 22. Kc4 Qc5 mate). 21. ... Be6 22. Qxb7! Kg7 23. Ne4 Nd5 24. Bxe5+ Nxe5 25. Rc5 1 : 0.