Wesley So – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
4th Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Saint Louis, September 8, 2021
qnrbbnkr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/QNRBBNKR w HChc - 0 1
Position #105
1. b4 d6. The alternative 1. ... a5 2. b5 d5 3. c4 dxc4 4. a4 c6 5. Rxc4 Nbd7 may be quite reasonable, Shankland – Svidler, ibidem. 2. c4 e5 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qb2 Ne6 6. Ne3 Bg5
7. Nd5! A brilliant Exchange sacrifice, which yields White a terrific initiative. 7. ... Bxc1 8. Qxc1 0-0 9. b5 Ncd8. 9. ... Ne5 10. f4! is likewise disastrous.
And now the reigning Fischerandom World Champion delivers a knockout blow: 10. Nf6+!! gxf6 (10. ... Kh8 11. Bc3+−) 11. Qh6 (Δ Bd1-c2) 11. ... f5 12. Qf6 Ng7 13. Bc3 Nde6 14. h4! Bxb5 (14. ... h5 15. Rh3 f4 16. e3+−) 15. h5! Rce8 16. h6 Qd8 17. hxg7?! So plays for a win by inertia, almost running the risk of throwing most of his advantage away. 17. cxb5! Qxf6 18. Bxf6+− was much simpler and stronger. 17. ... Qxf6 18. gxf8=Q+ Nxf8 19. Bxf6 Bxc4. Now Black can legitimately hope for a compensation. 20. Nc3 b5 21. Rh4 Re6 22. Bd8 c5 23. Bb3 Bxb3 24. axb3 b4 25. Nd5 Ng6 26. Rh3 Rxe2 27. Re3? Perhaps the only (major) inaccuracy by So in the whole game. Better to play first 27. Kf1! Rb2 and then 28. Re3! with strong initiative. 27. ... Rd2? But Black misses his only chance to stay afloat: ⌓ 27. ... Rxe3 28. Nxe3 f4 29. Nc4 Ne5∞ with an unclear ending.
28. Re8+ Kg7 29. Bf6+ Kh6 30. Ne3 f4 31. Nc4 Rd3 32. Ra8 f3? 33. g4! Nf4 34. Rg8 Ne6 35. Ne3 1 : 0.
So made a spectacular début on the contemporary scene of Fischer’s chess. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club. |
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