Game Changer

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
8th Chess World Cup; tie-break game 6 (5+3); Khanty-Mansiysk, September 22, 2019
Alekhine Defence B03

It took eight games (two classical, two 25+10, two 10+10, and two 5+3), but the young American star, 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng), finally got into the quarterfinals of the Chess World Cup 2019 on his last useful tie-break game before Armageddon. 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 Bf5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Be3 0-0 9. Be2 dxe5 10. fxe5 Nc6 11. 0-0 f6 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. b3!? White plays a chip to escape an overload of theory after 13. Qd2 Qe7 14. Rad1 Rad8 15. Qc1⩲ — in fact a tabiya of the Four Pawns Attack. 13. ... Qe7 14. Qe1 Rad8!? A novelty in place of 14. ... e5 15. Nxe5 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Bxe5 17. Bxe5 Qxe5 18. Bf3⩲ Jones – Tahbaz, 20th Dubai Open Chess Tournament, Dubai 2018. 15. Rd1 Bg4?? (15. ... Nb4!? 16. Qg3 c6∞) 16. Ne4!+− h6 17. Qg3 Bf5 18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Nh4 Bc2 20. Rxf6? 20. Rd2+− was simpler and very strong. 20. ... Bxd1? Black misses his volatile tactical resource: 20. ... Qxf6! 21. Rf1 Nxd4! (and if 22. Bh5 then 22. ... Nf5).

21. Rg6? Still a faux pas, though quite justified by the circumstances. 21. Rxh6! (Δ Rh6-h8+) instead would have won quite easily. 21. ... Nxd4! 22. Bd3 Ne2+ 23. Bxe2 Bxe2 24. Bxh6 Rd1+?? Duda’s big-time blunder puts an end to the longest five minutes of 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)’s afternoon. After the intermediate Queen check 24. ... Qc5+! 25. Be3 Rd1+ 26. Kf2 Qf8+ 27. Nf3 Bd3 everything was okay for Black. 25. Kf2+− Qf8+ 26. Nf3 Rd7 27. Kxe2 Kh7 28. Ng5+ Kh8 29. Nxe6 Qf5 30. Bxg7+ Kg8 31. Bd4+ Kf7 32. Rf6+ 1 : 0.

U.S. Grandmaster 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng), 18, got into the quarterfinals by upsetting Anish Giri and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, in spite of his being only the 31st seed in the rankings. Photo: Kirill Merkuryev/FIDE World Cup 2019.