Come from Away

梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 18, 2018
Sicilian Defence B31

It’s never easy to play against a wunderkind – not even for the challenger to the World Chess Championship. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nc3 0-0 8. Be3 b6 9. Qd2 e5 10. Bh6. It’s interesting to take a look at how Caruana handled the opening playing with White against another opponent: 10. a3!? Qe7 11. 0-0 Rd8 12. Bg5 Ba6 13. Qe3 Rd7 14. Rfd1 Re8 15. a4 Qf8 16. a5 b5∞ Caruana – Cornette, PRO League Group Stage, Chess.com, 2018. 10. ... Re8 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Qe3. If 12. 0-0 then 12. ... Nh5 13. Ne2 Qf6 14. Nh2 Be6 15. Ng4 Bxg4 16. hxg4 Nf4 17. g3 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Rh8= Serper – Hellers, 27th World Junior Chess Championship, Adelaide 1998. 12. ... Qd6 13. Ne2 a5 14. 0-0. The best answer to 14. Nd2 is always 14. ... Nh5(!), since after 14. ... a4 15. 0-0 b5 16. a3 Rb8 17. Rae1 Rb7 18. f4 Black could suffer White’s initiative: 14. ... exf4 19. Nxf4 Nd5!? 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. e5 Qe7 22. Nf3 b4 23. Ng5 Rf8 24. Rf6! h6 25. Nf3 bxa3 26. bxa3 Rb2? (26. ... Be6 27. h4!→) 27. Rf1 Rxc2? (27. ... Be6 28. Nh4!+−) 28. Nh4!+− Rg8 29. Rxf7+ Qxf7 30. Rxf7+ Kxf7 31. Qxh6 c4 32. dxc4 dxc4 33. Qg5 Rb2 34. Qf6+ Ke8 35. Nxg6 Rb7 36. Qc6+ Kf7 37. Qf6+ Ke8 38. Qc6+ Kf7 39. Nf4 1 : 0 Rašík – Zwardoń, 22nd Czech Chess Championship, Ostrava 2014. 14. ... Nh5 15. Nd2 Nf4 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. a4 Be6 18. b3 b5 19. Nd2 Qd6 20. Nxf4 exf4 21. Qe1 b4 22. Nf3 Qe7 23. Kh2 Qf6 24. g3 g5

25. Rg1! Kh8! Two of the most difficult moves of the game! 26. gxf4 gxf4 27. Ra2 Qh6 28. Ng5 Rad8. In order to parry the eventual check on a1 with ... Rd8-d4. 29. Nxe6. A rock-hard bone. 梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) doesn’t let himself be tempted by “sharper” lines such as 29. Qc1 Qf6 30. Qa1 Rd4 31. Qd1 Rg8 32. Qh5 h6 33. h4 c4! 34. bxc4 b3! with a dynamic balance (Stockfish’s analysis). 29. ... Rxe6 30. Qe2 Rg6 31. Raa1 Qg7 32. Qf3 Qe5 33. Rxg6 hxg6 34. Rg1 Kg7 35. Rg4 g5. A formidable mutual blockade has been raised. Caruana tries to break it, but he tries in vain. 36. Rg2 Rh8 37. Qg4 Kg6 38. f3 Kf6 39. Rg1 Kg6 40. Rg2 Kf6 41. Rg1 Rh6 42. Qd7 Kg7 43. Qd8 Rg6 44. Rg2 Qd4 45. Qxd4+ cxd4 46. Rg4 f6 47. h4 Rh6 48. e5 Rh5 49. exf6+ Kxf6 50. Kh3 Kf5 51. Rxg5+ Rxg5 52. hxg5 Kxg5 ½ : ½.

梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) (left) vs. Fabiano Caruana (right). Photo: Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).