Becoming

Wesley So – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi

1st World Fischerandom Chess Championship; semifinal game 3; Høvikodden, October 28, 2019

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Position 357

Both Magnus Carlsen (against Fabiano Caruana) and Wesley So (against Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi) lengthened their pace in today’s two “slow rapid” games. 1. f4 b6 2. g4 f6 3. Nb3 Bb7 4. Ng3 c5 5. e4 Ng6 6. d3 Bc7 7. Be2 0-0-0 8. Be3 e6 9. 0-0-0 d5 10. exd5 exd5 11. f5 Ne7 12. d4 c4 13. Nd2 Rfe8 14. Rde1 Nc6 15. c3 b5 16. Nh5. An interesting Pawn sacrifice for which So gets enough compensation. 16. ... Bxh2 17. Qxh2 Rxe3 18. Nf4 Nc7 19. Bf3 Rde8 20. Rxe3 Rxe3 21. Qf2 Re8 22. Qg2 Ne7 23. Re1 g6. 23. ... g5!? 24. Ne6 Ng6! came in serious consideration. 24. Qh2

24. ... Bc6? Nepomniachtchi loses his way, even if, after the text mistake, it is shocking how quickly his position falls apart. Correct was 24. ... Qf7! in order to answer 25. Ne6 by 25. ... Ng8! with quite a tenable game. 25. Ne6 Nxe6 26. Rxe6 gxf5. 26. ... Bd7 27. Ra6 Kb7 28. Rxa7+! also ends very badly for Black. 27. Qd6+− Bd7 28. Rxe7 Rxe7 29. Qxe7 fxg4 30. Qc5+ Kd8 31. Bxd5 Qg5 32. Qf8+ Kc7 33. Qc5+ Kd8 34. Qd6 Ke8 35. Bg2 g3 36. Qb8+ Ke7 37. Qxa7 Ke8 38. Qb8+ Ke7 39. Qb7 Kd8 40. Qa8+ Kc7 41. Qa5+ Kc8 42. Qb6 1 : 0.