Lesson Study

Vincent Keymer – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 4thd stage; 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, September 21, 2021

Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 0-0 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. 0-0 b6 13. a4 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Rc8. Another way is 14. ... Nf6 15. Bd3 h6 16. a5 bxa5 17. Rxa5 Qc7 18. Ne5 Rfc8 19. f3 Qd8 20. Bf1 Nd7 21. Nc4 Nb6 22. Ne3 Rc7 23. Rea1 Rd7 24. Nc2 Nc8 25. Bb5 Rd6 26. Qb4 Rb8 27. Bd3 Ne7 28. Rb5 a6 29. e5 Rc6 30. Rxb7 Rxb7 31. Qxb7 Rxc2 32. Qe4 Rc8 33. Rxa6 Nf5 34. Kf2 Qxd4+ 35. Qxd4 Nxd4 36. Be4 g6 ½ : ½ Salem – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Grand Prix 2017, 2nd stage, Moscow 2017. 15. Bd3 Nb8

16. d5! The exclamation mark is to emphasize that four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s lesson of all lessons, “Fight for the d5-breaks”, must have been a great inspiration not only to 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) — indeed a pupil of hers — but also to Keymer! 16. ... exd5 17. e5 Qe7. Theoretically speaking, only one game is known to feature the topic in question: 17. ... Ba6 18. Bf5 Rc7 19. Ra3 Qe7 20. Rae3 g6 21. Bb1 Nc6 22. e6 d4 23. exf7+ Qxf7 24. Re6 Bc4 25. Rxc6 Rxc6 26. Ne5 Qc7 27. Nxc6 Qxc6 28. Rc1 b5 29. axb5 Qxb5 30. Qxd4 Be6 31. Qxa7 Qb2 32. Qe3 Kg7 33. Re1 Bf5 34. Bxf5 Rxf5 35. h4 h5 36. Rd1 Rf7 37. Rd4 Qb1+ 38. Kh2 Qb8+ 39. g3 Qb2 40. Rf4 Rxf4 41. gxf4 Qc2 42. Kg3 Kf7 43. Qa7+ Kf6 44. Qd4+ Kf7 45. Qd5+ Kf6 46. Qe5+ Kf7 47. f5 gxf5 48. f3 Qd3 49. Kf4 Qd2+ 50. Kxf5 Qc2+ 51. Qe4 Qc5+ 52. Qe5 Qc2+ 53. Qe4 Qc5+ 54. Kf4 Kf6 55. Qe3 Qd6+ 56. Ke4 Qe6+ 57. Kf4 Qd6+ 58. Ke4 Qe6+ 59. Kf4 Qd6+ 60. Ke4 ½ : ½ Sarin – 徐英伦 (Xú Yīnglún), 2nd Northern Lights Open, Reykjavík 2017. 18. Qf4 Na6? The wrong piece in the right place. Correct is 18. ... Ba6!∞ 19. Bf5 Rc4 20. Qg3 Bc8 21. e6! fxe6 22. Ne5 Rh4! with an unclear but probably balanced play. 19. Ng5 h6. Not 19. ... g6 on account of 20. Qh4 h5 21. e6 and Black’s castle is only more weakened. 20. Nh7 Nb4? Black’s aim is susceptible to a clear refutation. 20. ... Rfd8 21. Nf6+! Kf8 22. Qf5! g6 23. Qf4 Kg7 24. Ng4 gives White more than enough compensation for the Pawn, but Black had nothing better.

21. Nxf8. All good and well though, but the mighty engines show that 21. Nf6+! Kh8 (21. ... gxf6 22. Bf5!+−) 22. Re3! Nxd3 23. Qf5! gxf6 (23. ... g6 24. Qg5! Kg7 25. Nh5++−) 24. Rh3+− was an even stronger argument. 21. ... Qxf8. 21. ... Nxd3 22. Qf5 also leaves White with material advantage. 22. Bf5 Rc4 23. Qg3 Bc8 24. e6 fxe6 25. Bxe6+ Bxe6 26. Rxe6 Qf7 27. Rxh6 Qc7 28. Qxc7 Rxc7 29. Rd6. Keymer is now in his element. 29. ... Kf7 30. h4 Ke7 31. Rg6 Kf7 32. Rg4 a5 33. Re1 Rd7 34. Rd4 Rd6 35. h5 Kf6 36. Rg4 Kf7 37. Rf4+ Kg8 38. g4 Rd8 39. Re7 Nc6 40. Re6 Nb4

The German wunderkind finishes in style: 41. g5! d4 42. g6 d3 43. Rd4! 1 : 0.