Sunday, January 14, 2024

Old Times

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Dommaraju Gukesh
86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 14, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 a6 8. Nbd2 Ba7 9. 0-0


9. ... g5! Nihil sub sole novum, but most of the nineteenth century Romantic exponents would pick Black for sure.
10. Bg3 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. b4 Qc8!? A recent Indian game continued 12. ... Rg8 13. Kh1 Qd7 14. b5 axb5 15. Bxb5 g4 16. hxg4 Qxg4 17. d4 Kf8 18. Qa4 Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Qxe4 20. Rae1 Qd5 21. c4 Qe6 22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Qxc6 Re8 24. dxe5 dxe5 25. Nxe5 Qxc6 26. Nxc6 Bb6 27. Rxe8+ Kxe8 28. Nb4 Kd7 29. Nd5 Bd4 30. Rb1 Be2 31. Nf4 Re8 32. f3 c5? (⌓ 32. ... Bf6) 33. Nd5+− Rh8?? 34. Rb7+ Kd8 35. Bh4+ Kc8 36. Re7 Bf1 37. Nb6+ with mate in two moves, Praggnanandhaa – Vidit, 5th Tata Steel India Rapid Tournament, Kolkata 2023 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
13. b5 axb5 14. Bxb5 0-0 15. Re1 Bg6 16. Rc1 Nh5 17. Bh2 Ng7 18. d4 f6. Of course 18. ... exd4? 19. cxd4 Nxd4? 20. Nxd4 Bxd4 21. Bxd6 would be quite disastrous for Black.
19. Nf1 Ne7 20. Ne3 h5. More controversial is 20. ... Bxe4 on account of 21. Ng4 Bxf3 22. Qxf3 f5 23. Nxe5! with plenty of compensation.
21. c4?! White’s best policy seems to be 21. Bd3! whereupon 21. ... Kh8!? may follow, with a complex game.
21. ... exd4 22. Nd5 Qd8


23. Nxd4? This leads to big trouble. White had to take the bull by the horns with 23. Nxe7+! Qxe7 24. c5! Bxc5 25. e5! dxe5 (or 25. ... fxe5 26. Rxc5! Rxf3! 27. Qxf3 dxc5 28. Qxb7 followed by Bh2xe5) 26. Nxe5! fxe5 27. Rxe5 recovering his material with near equality.
23. ... Bc5 24. Nb3 Ba3


25. Nxc7? White quickly disintegrates, but other moves are hardly less costly; for example: 25. c5!? Nxd5 (25. ... Bxc1? 26. Nxe7+ Qxe7 27. cxd6 would make White’s dreams come true) 26. exd5 Bxc1 27. Qxc1 f5 28. Nd4 f4 with manifest advantage to Black.
25. ... Qxc7 26. c5 Nxc1 27. cxd6 Qb6 28. dxe7 Rfc8 29. e8=Q+ Nxe8 30. Bxe8 Rxa2 31. Qxd5+ Kh8 32. Nd4 Bxe8 33. Bd6 (33. Qxa2 Qxd4 34. Qe6 Qc3−+)
34. ... Qa5 0 : 1.

Between romanticism and computerism, 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) ended up feeling like a fish out of water. Photo: Juriaan Hoefsmit.

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