Sunday, January 28, 2024

Hypermodern Times

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 27, 2024
Colle System D05

Comments in quotation marks by Irving Chernev, “Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained”, Batsford, London, 1998, pp. 47-53.

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3. “Indicating his design: obviously White is preparing the typical Colle formation of Bishop at d3 and Knight at d2, to control the key e4-square, a jumping-off point for the pieces in this attack”.
3. ... c5 4. c3 e6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Re1 Qc7. “An ideal location for the Queen. From c7 the Queen bears down on the centre, especially e5, and exerts great pressure on the c-file”.
9. e4! “The key move in the Colle! With this move White intends to blast the position wide open and release all the stored-up energy of his pieces in a searing attack”.


“The immediate threat is 10. e4-e5, a simple, brutal attack on two pieces”.
9. ... cxd4 10. cxd4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 b6. “Intending to mobilize his c8-Bishop. Somewhat more to the point was 11. ... Bf4 restraining one of White’s menacing Bishops”.
12. Bg5. “The Bishop joins the attack, and vacates the c1-square. The a1-Rook will swing there, drive the Queen off and assume complete control of a beautiful open file”.
12. ... Nxe4 13. Rxe4 Bb7 14. Rc1! “A fine ‘in-between’ move! The Rook is developed effectively on the open file, while the Queen is banished to the first rank. There she interferes with the a8-Rook, preventing its development for a long time — forever, as it turns out!”.
14. ... Qb8. “There is nothing else as 14. ... Bxe4 15. Rxc7 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Bxc7 17. Qc6 wins a piece for White”.
15. Rh4! “The point! White’s threat of 16. Bd3xh7+ forces one of the Pawns in front of the King to move forward. White gets an advantage, no matter which Pawn advances [...]”.


15. ... f5. “If Black tries defending the h-Pawn by 15. ... Nf6, then 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Bxh7+ wins the Pawn just the same. Or if Black advances the h-Pawn by 15. ... h6, then 16. Bxh6 gxh6 17. Rxh6 is an obvious sacrificial combination which shatters the cordon of Pawns and exposes the King to a mating attack”.
Finally, if 15. ... g6 then 16. Bb5! Qe8 17. Ne5 Bc8 18. Rxc8! Qxc8 19. Bxd7 Qc7 20. Ng4! h5 21. Nf6+ Kg7 22. Nxh5+ gxh5 23. Qxh5 Rh8 24. Bh6+ 1–0 Przepiórka – Prokeš, Szén Memorial, Budapest 1929.
16. Bc4 Qe8. No better is 16. ... Re8 17. Qd3 Be4 due to 18. Rxe4! fxe4 19. Qxe4 with a vehement attack, M. Knežević – Dizdar, 54th Czechoslovak Chess Championship & International Tournament, Trenčianske Teplice 1985.
17. Qb3 Kh8? Probably overlooking White’s next move. Comparatively better is 17. ... Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Qg6, though after 19. Bf4 Bxf4 20. Rxf4 Kh8 21. Re1 White keeps the upper hand.


18. Re1! Be4 19. Bxe6 Qg6 20. Bd2 Nf6 21. Ng5. Threatening Be6-f7.
21. ... f4


22. Rxh7+! The brilliant point of White’s attack: the e4-Bishop is well worth an Exchange!
22. ... Nxh7 23. Nxe4 f3 24. g3 Be7 25. d5 Rad8 26. Qa4 a5 27. Qc6 Bb4 28. Bxb4. Not yet 28. Qxb6?? because of 28. ... Rxd5! turning the tables.
28. ... axb4 29. h4 Ra8 30. Nd6 Ra7 31. Qxb6 Rxa2 32. Qc7 Nf6 33. Nf7+ Kh7 34. Ne5 Qh6 35. Qc2+ g6


36. Nxg6! The finishing touch. If now 36. ... Qxg6 then 37. Bf5 ends matters.
36. ... Rfa8 37. Ne5+ Kg7 38. Qc7+ 1–0.

Today 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) gave proof of both his tactical strength and chess culture. Photo © Jurriaan Hoefsmit.

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