Crescendo

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 27, 2024
Dutch Defence A90

1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nh3 Bd6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. b3 dxc4 8. bxc4 c5 9. e3 Nc6 10. Bb2 Qb6 11. Qb3. If 11. Ba3 Black can reply 11. ... Qd8 offering a draw by repetition.
11. ... cxd4 12. exd4 Na5. Not 12. ... Nxd4?? because of 13. Qxb6 Ne2+ 14. Kh1 axb6 15. Re1 trapping the Knight.
13. Qxb6 axb6 14. Rc1 Bd7 15. Nd2 Rac8 16. Bf1 Rc7. 16. ... Bb4 17. Nf3 Rfd8 also gives Black comfortable equality.
17. Nb3 Ra8 18. f3 Nc6 19. c5 bxc5 20. Nxc5 h6 21. Nxd7 Rxd7 22. Nf2?! A little better is 22. Bb5 Rc7 with roughly even chances.
22. ... Ba3!

23. Rcb1? This loses a Pawn, which might have been avoided by 23. Bxa3 Rxa3 24. Bb5 Rxd4 25. Bxc6 bxc6 26. Rxc6 Kf7 leaving Black with an easier ending — but no certainty of a win.
23. ... Bxb2 24. Rxb2 Nxd4 25. f4 Ra3 26. Rab1 Nd5

27. Nd3. After 27. Rxb7? Rxb7 28. Rxb7 Rxa2 White has no decent defence against the threat of 29. ... Nf3+ 30. Kg2 Ne1+ 31. Kg1 Ne3 winning material.
27. ... Nc3! 28. Ra1. 28. Rc1 is also answered by 28. ... b5! with a dominant advantage.
28. ... b5! 29. Nb4 Nd1! 30. Rg2. If 30. Rxd1 then 30. ... Nf3+ 31. Kf2 Rxd1 32. Be2 Rd2! winning.
30. ... Ne3 31. Rb2 g5! Black’s crescendo is irresistible.
32. fxg5 hxg5 33. Bg2 Rc7 34. Re1 Rc4 35. Bb7 Kg7 36. Kf2 f4! 37. gxf4 gxf4 38. Rg1+ Kf6 39. h4

39. ... Rxb4! 0 : 1. For mate follows after 40. Rxb4 Rxa2+ 41. Ke1 Re2#.

Thanks to today’s win, 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) can still hope for the happiest ending. Photo © Lennart Ootes.