Sprite

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Nafisa Muminova
Asian Nations Women’s Chess Cup; Abu Dhabi, April 2, 2016
Slav Defence D17

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 f6 12. 0-0 Nc5 13. e4 Bg6 14. Bxe5 fxe5 15. f4 Rd8 16. Qe2 exf4 17. gxf4 Be7!? This is a novelty, especially in conjunction with the next move. Anyway, 17. ... Nb3 18. Rad1 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Nd4 is also satisfactory for Black, Córdova Daza – Fressinet, 34th World Open, Philadelphia 2006. 18. Ne5 Ne6 19. Nxg6 hxg6 20. Qg4 Kf7 21. e5 Rh4 22. Qg3 Rdh8 23. h3 Kg8 24. Ne4 Qb6+ 25. Kh1 Qxb2 26. Rab1 Qe2. The position is quite unclear, but certainly Black’s game is easier to play. Now, for instance, 27. ... Rxh3+ 28. Bxh3 Qxe4+ is one among the various “threats to threaten”. 27. Qb3. Not 27. Qxg6?? Rxh3+! 28. Kg1 Rh1+! 29. Bxh1 Qh2 mate. 27. ... Qg4 28. Nf2? A serious slip, and in fact the decisive mistake. Correct was 28. Rf3! (with the threat of f4-f5) 28. ... Kh7 29. Qxb7 Nxf4 30. Rxf4 Qxf4 31. Qxe7 Rxh3+! 32. Bxh3 Qxe4+ 33. Kh2 Qc2+ drawing by perpetual check. 28. ... Qf5 29. Qxb7. A poisoned Pawn, but Black lacked good moves.

29. ... Rxh3+! 30. Kg1. If 30. Nxh3 then 30. ... Rxh3+ 31. Bxh3 Qxh3+ 32. Kg1 Bc5+ and wins. 30. ... Nxf4 31. Rb2 Bc5 32. Qxc6 Rh1+ 33. Bxh1 Qg4+ 34. Bg2 Nh3+ 35. Kh2 Nxf2+ 0 : 1. For if 36. Kg1 there follows 36. ... Rh1 mate.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo: qipai.org.cn.

Golden Gang

Sethuraman Panayappan Sethuraman – Nguyễn Huỳnh Minh Huy
Asian Nations Chess Cup; Abu Dhabi, April 5, 2016
Sicilian Defence B42

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Qc7 6. 0-0 Nf6 7. Qe2 d6 8. c4 g6 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. Rd1 0-0 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. Bc2. Sethuraman varies from one of his previous games: 12. h3 Nd7 13. Bf4 Nde5 14. Rac1 Bd7 15. b3 Rac8 16. Bb1 Qb8 17. Ne1 f5 18. exf5 gxf5 19. c5 d5 20. Na4 Ne7 21. Nb6 Rcd8 22. Bg5 Bf6 23. Bh6 Bb5 24. Bd3 Bxd3 25. Nxd3 Rf7 26. Nf4 Re8 27. Nxe6 N7g6 28. Nf4 Ng4 29. Qd2 Bg7 30. Bg5 Bf6 31. Bh6 Bg7 32. Bxg7 Nxf4 33. hxg4 Ne2+ 34. Kh1 fxg4 35. Ba1 Qd8 36. Qh6 Re6 37. Qh5 Rxf2 38. Rxd5 Ng3+ 39. Kg1 Qf8 40. Rg5+ 1 : 0 Sethuraman – Gholami, 2nd Qatar Masters Open, Doha 2015. 12. ... Nd7 13. Bf4 Nde5 14. Rac1 Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3 Ne5 16. Qg3 b6 17. b4 Bb7 18. Bb3 Rac8 19. Qe3 Ba8 20. Na4 Rb8 21. c5 dxc5 22. bxc5 b5 23. Nb6 Rfd8 24. h3 Qc6? Vietnamese Grandmaster managed so far to keep under control his opponent’s volatile initiative, but the text move – certainly a mistake – allows a spectacular, in fact decisive shot. Both 24. ... Bb7 and 24. ... Bc6 were reasonable answers.

25. Bd5!! White sacrifices his Bishop for only one Pawn, but obtains a formidable couple of passers in the centre. 25. ... exd5 26. exd5 Qe8 27. c6 Bxc6. Desperation. 28. dxc6 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Qxc6 30. Bxe5 Qxb6. 30. ... Bxe5 31. Nd7 is no better. 31. Bxb8 Qxb8 32. Qe7 1 : 0.

Adhiban Baskaran ‏(@adhibanchess)

Act Naturally

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Tsegmed Batchuluun
Asian Nations Chess Cup; Abu Dhabi, April 4, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. g3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. Bxc3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 a6 10. Qa4! Interesting move order by 韦奕 (Wéi Yì). For 10. Bg2 0-0 11. 0-0 d6 12. Qa4 see Rambaldi – Studer, 54th World Junior Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk 2015. 10. ... 0-0 11. Bg2 Nc6 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Rab1 Qc7. Deserving consideration is 13. ... Ne5, although after 14. Nf3! White keeps the edge.

14. c5! Nxd4? A bad move without good reason, after which Black gets caught in a terrific squeeze. 14. ... Rd8 was clearly called for. 15. Qxd4 Re8 16. Rb6! e5 17. Qd6! Qxd6 18. cxd6 e4 19. f4 f5 20. e3 h5 21. Rd1 Kf7 22. Rd5! g6 23. h4 Ra8 24. Ra5. “Wéi Yì is having fun today, with Black’s Queenside Bishop & Rook comically stuck!”, the Allies of World War II (idem to say chess24.com) said. 24. ... Kf6 25. Bf1! Ra7 26. Bc4 Ra8 27. Kf2 Ra7 28. Ke2 Ra8 29. Kd2 Ra7 30. Kc2 1 : 0. Crystal-clear power.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) (wearing a blue shirt)
Photo: 2100d.com

Movers and Shakers

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
Asian Nations Chess Cup; Abu Dhabi, April 1, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. c3 0-0 6. 0-0 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nbd2 Nb6 9. Bb5 Bd6 10. Re1 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Ne4 f5 13. Ng3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Qd7 15. a4. The most significant theoretical reference is 15. Nf1 Rae8 16. Be3 Nc8 17. b4 N8e7 18. Nd2 a6 19. Bxc6 Nxc6 20. Nc4 Be7 21. Bc5 Bxc5 22. bxc5 e4 23. dxe4 fxe4 24. Qe3 Ne5 25. Nxe5 Rxe5 26. f4 exf3 27. Qxe5 f2+ 28. Kh2 fxe1=Q 29. Rxe1 h6 30. Qd4 ½ : ½ 倪华 (Ní Huá) – Harikrishna, 50th New Year’s Tournament, Reggio Emilia 2007/2008. 15. ... a6 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. c4. Another try is 17. Nf1 Rae8 18. Qd1 a5 19. Nd2 e4 20. dxe4 fxe4 21. Qb3+ Kh8 22. Nxe4 Qf5 23. Qc2 Nd5 24. Re2 Qh5 25. Kf1 Bf4 26. Bxf4 Nxf4 27. Rd2 Qg6 28. Ng3 Qxg3 29. fxg3 Ne2+ 30. Ke1 Nd4+ ½ : ½ Guido – S. Brunello, 27th International Open, Bratto 2007. 17. ... Rab8. For 17. ... Rae8 18. Nf1 Nc8 see Eggleston – von Bahr, 43rd Rilton Cup, Stockholm 2013/2014. 18. a5. After very long thought. 18. ... Nc8 19. c5 Bxc5 20. Rxe5 Bd4 21. Re1 Nd6 22. Ne2 Rfe8 23. Bf4? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) is already in serious time trouble and lacks the serenity necessary for defending his slightly uncomfortable position. After 23. Rb1 Nf7! is easier to play with Black, but White’s position is quite sound. 23. ... Bxb2 24. Rab1 Nb5 25. Ng3. Clearly not 25. Rxb2?? on account of 25. ... Nd4! winning on the spot. 25. ... Bc3 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Be3 g6 28. Qd1 Bxa5 29. Ra1 Bb6? Thus Vidit lets slip much of his advantage: the immediate 29. ... f4! would have putted Black insurmountable problems. 30. Bxb6 cxb6 31. Rxa6 f4. This is still good, but not so strong as before. 32. Ne2

32. ... f3! The most speculative attempt to win. 33. Nf4?? Zeitnot drama. After 33. Ng3 Nd4 34. Rxb6 Qc7 (34. ... h5!? also deserves consideration), eventually followed by ... Qc7-e5, Black certainly keeps the initiative, but will it be enough? 33. ... Nd4 34. Ra1? As bad as any other move. 34. ... Rf8! 0 : 1.

Venkat Saravanan (‏@reachvsara)

Cooking Up the Past

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Đào Thiên Hải
Asian Nations Chess Cup; Abu Dhabi, March 30, 2016
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qe2 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 Be7 10. g4 h6 11. Bh4 g5. This is a very, very dubious plan – to put it euphemistically – as Grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek found out at his own expenses forty-three years ago! 12. fxg5 Nh7

13. Bg3. Equally appealing is the immediate 13. Nf5! exf5 14. Nd5 Qd8 (no better is 14. ... Qa5 15. exf5 Ne5 16. Nxe7 Kxe7 17. Be1 Qxa2 18. Bc3 Rd8 19. b3 Nxg5 20. Rd5 a5 21. Rxe5+ Kf8 22. Re3 d5 23. Qb5 Ne4 24. Rxe4 dxe4 25. Qc5+ Kg8 26. Qe5 f6 27. Bc4+ 1 : 0 Rodríguez Vargas – Quinteros, São Paulo 1972) 15. exf5 Ne5 16. Bg3 Bxg5+ 17. Kb1 0-0 18. h4 Bf6 19. g5 hxg5 20. hxg5 Bxg5 21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. Qg4 Kg7 23. f6+ Kg8 24. Qe4 1 : 0 Calvo – Kavalek, 2nd International Tournament, Las Palmas 1973. 13. ... hxg5 14. Nf5! Nihil sub sole novum. 14. ... exf5. If, instead, 14. ... Ne5 there might follow 15. Nxe7 Kxe7 16. h4 Bd7 17. Qd2 Rhg8 18. Be2 b5 19. a3 Rab8 20. hxg5 Nxg5 21. Rh6 a5 22. Bh4 f6 23. Rxf6 Kxf6 24. Qf4+ Ke7 25. Bxg5+ Ke8 26. Qf6 Rxg5 27. Qxg5 Nf7 28. Qg6 Qd8 29. Rh1 Kf8 30. Rh7 Qe7 31. Rg7 1 : 0 J. C. Howell – Timoscenko, 67th Challengers Chess Tournament, Hastings 1991/1992. 15. Nd5 Qb8. Đào Thiên Hải’s novelty, hardly better than the old Via Crucis 15. ... Qd8 16. exf5 Nb6 17. Nxb6 Qxb6 18. Bxd6 1 : 0 Fedorowicz – Kuligowski, Ramsgate 1981. 16. exf5 Ne5. The corollary of 15. ... Qb8. It takes very little time for 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) to smash Black’s position. 17. Nxe7 Kxe7 18. Rxd6! Qxd6 19. Bxe5 Qd5 20. Bg2 Qxa2 21. Bd6+! It’s a very easy King hunt for a superb tactician such as 韦奕 (Wéi Yì). 21. ... Kxd6 22. Rd1+ Kc7 23. Qe5+ Kb6 24. Qd4+ Ka5 25. Qc5+ b5 26. Qc7+ 1 : 0. Just a bit “cooked up”.