Holographic Meditation

Wesley So – Dariusz Świercz
64th U.S. Open Chess Championship; Lichess, October 27, 2020
Grünfeld Defence D85

The 64th U.S. Chess Championship will be remembered as one of the most holographic in American chess history, as due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Saint Louis Chess Club had to host it online at Lichess with the time control of 25 minutes plus 5 minutes per move. Wesley So impressively dominated the field, scoring an almost Fischer-like 9/11. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3 c5 8. Rc1 0-0 9. Nf3 Qa5 10. Qd2 Bg4 11. d5 b5 12. Bd3!?TN (12. Be2 Nd7 13. 0-0 Bxf3 14. Bxf3 c4 15. Be2 Rfd8 16. f4 Nb6 17. Bf3 Qa3 18. h4 e6 19. h5 Na4 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. f5 exf5 22. exf5 Qd6 23. Bf4 Qb6+ 24. Kh1 gxf5 25. d6 Rab8 26. Bd5 Nc5 27. Bg3 Ne6 28. Rxf5 Rxd6 29. Bxd6 Qxd6 30. Qe3 Qb6 31. Qf3 Rf8 32. Rf1 Nd8 33. Rh5 Qc7 34. Qe4 1 : 0 Carlsen – Grischuk, 7th Norway Chess, Stavanger 2019) 12. ... Nd7 13. c4 b4 14. 0-0 Qc7? (14. ... e6!) 15. Ne1! Nb6? (15. ... f5!) 16. f4 Bd7 17. f5! Na4 18. Nf3 Nc3 19. Bh6 a5

20. e5! Bxe5 21. Nxe5 Qxe5 22. Rce1 Qd4+ 23. Be3 Qg7 24. Bh6 Qd4+ 25. Be3 Qg7 26. Bxc5 Rfc8 (26. ... Rfe8 27. Rf4!+−) 27. Bxe7 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 Bxf5

29. Rxf5! gxf5 30. Qg5+ Qg7 31. Qxf5. Now, White’s two united passed Pawns will prove too strong. 31. ... Re8 32. d6 Rad8 33. c5 a4 34. Re3 Ne2 35. Bxe2 1 : 0.