The Philosophy of the Unattainable

Richárd Rapport – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
5th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, October 24, 2018
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. c3 d5 3. Nf3 e6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. Nbd2 h6 6. Bh4 b6!? 7. e4!? Rapport doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice a Pawn for the sake of the initiative. 7. ... g5 8. Bg3 dxe4 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Bb5 a6 11. Bc6 Bxc6 12. Nxc6 Qc8 13. Qe2 Qb7 14. Ne5 Bd6 15. Nxd7 Kxd7 16. 0-0 Bf4 17. f3!? Maybe just a little too much farraginous. 17. Rae1 was obvious and natural — with enough play for the Pawn. 17. ... e3 18. Nc4 Nd5 19. Bxf4 gxf4 20. Ne5+ Ke8 21. Qe1 c5 22. c4

22. ... cxd4!? Approximately a Laskerian inspiration. Objectively best was 22. ... Nb4∓ and if 23. Qc3 then 23. ... Rg8 firmly keeping the upper hand. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng), instead, probably overestimating the theoretical power of his central phalanx, aims for a much more unbalanced scenario, with three Pawns for the Knight and a Queening dream. 23. cxd5 Qxd5 24. Nd3 Qf5 25. Qd1 Ke7 26. Qb3 Rhd8 27. Rfc1 Rac8 28. Rc4. Engines obviously go for the Pawn by 28. Qa3+(!) Kf6 29. Qxa6 with similar strategic outcomes as those of the game after 29. ... Ra8 30. Qc4 Rac8 31. Qb3 Rg8, but a White’s material advantage. On the other hand, Rapport’s choice seems very natural and not wrong at all. 28. ... b5 29. Rc2 Kf8 30. Rac1 e5 31. h3 Rxc2 32. Rxc2 Kg7 33. Rc7 Re8 34. Qd5 Re6 35. Nxf4? With emotions and pressure running high, White commits his first serious error. 35. h4(!) would have put Black at risk not to enjoy enough compensation (if 35. ... Rf6 there might follow 36. Qe4). 35. ... Rf6! 36. Ne2 d3! 37. Nc3? White’s Knight heads for the wrong side of the board. 37. Ng3 still gave some vague hope to simplify into a drawish Rook endgame. 37. ... Rg6 38. Re7? 38. Rxf7+ Qxf7 39. Qxd3 Qc7 cannot hold in any case, but, if nothing else, it would take Black a little more work. 38. ... b4 39. Nb1 e2 40. Qxe5+ Qxe5 41. Rxe5 Rc6! 0 : 1.

Richárd Rapport (right) vs. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) (left). Photo © John Saunders.