Gaming or nongaming variety

Hikaru Nakamura – 梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng)
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 21, 2018
King’s Indian Attack A08

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 e6 3. Bg2 Be7 4. 0-0 d5 5. d3 0-0 6. Nbd2 c5 7. e4 Nc6 8. Re1 b5 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf1 Bb7 11. h4 Qc7. A typical position of the King’s Indian Attack, in which, at least from a theoretical standpoint, Black’s preponderance on the Queenside should countervail White’s assault on the Kingside. Here is another convincing example of how such a game may proceed: 11. ... b4 12. Bf4 a5 13. N1h2 Ra6 14. c3 a4 15. a3 bxc3 16. bxc3 Qa5 17. c4 Nd4 18. Nxd4 cxd4 19. h5 h6 20. Ng4 Kh7 21. Bd2 Qd8 22. Bb4 Nc5 23. cxd5 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Qxd5 25. Rc1 Re8 26. Rc4 Raa8 27. Bxc5 Bxc5 28. Re4 Red8 29. Qc1 Bf8 30. Qf4 Qb7 31. Rexd4 Bxa3 32. Rxd8 Rxd8 33. Rxa4 Rxd3 34. Qe4+ Qxe4 35. Rxe4 Bc5 36. Kg2 Rd4 37. Kf3 Rd2 38. Rc4 Bb6 39. Rc6 Rb2 40. Rc8 Rb3+ 41. Kg2 Bd4 42. Rf8 Rb7 43. f4 f5 44. Nh2 Rb2+ 45. Kh3 Rb3 46. Rc8 Be3 47. Rc4 Bg1 48. Rc6 Be3 49. Rc4 Bg1 50. Rc6 Be3 ½ : ½ Nakamura – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Grand Prix 2017, second stage, Moscow 2017. 12. Bf4 Rfc8 13. Ne3 Qd8 14. c3 a5 15. Ng4 Bf8 16. h5 h6 17. Qd2 b4 18. c4 Ne7 19. Nh4 Ra7!? This is a novelty with respect to 19. ... Rab8 20. Rac1 a4 21. Qe2 Nc6 22. cxd5 Nd4 23. Qd1 exd5 24. e6 Nxe6 25. Bxb8 Rxb8 26. Nf3 Bd6 27. Qxa4 Ra8 28. Qb3 Nb6 29. Ra1 c4 30. Qd1 Nc5 31. d4 Nd3 32. Re2 Na4 33. Rb1 Ndxb2 34. Rexb2 Nxb2 35. Rxb2 c3 36. Rc2 Bc6 37. Qb1 Ra3 38. Nfe5 Ba4 39. Rc1 Qc7 40. Bxd5 c2 41. Qb2 Kh7 42. Bb3 f6 43. Nc4 Bxg3 44. Qxc2+ Kh8 45. Nxa3 Bxf2+ 46. Nxf2 1 : 0, Praggnanandhaa – Kumar, 47th Rilton Cup 2017–2018, Stockholm 2017. Thus now, after so much history, finally the game begins: 20. Rad1 a4 21. Ne3 Nb6 22. Qe2 Kh8. Black seems to have neutralised any threat White posed to him in the short term, and probably he is thinking to make his Queenside superiority tell. 23. Nf3 Nc6 24. Rc1 b3!? 25. axb3 axb3 26. Qd1. Nakamura seems to play on psychology to precipitate his very young opponent into the dilemma of playing for a win, or of contenting himself with a honourable draw. After 26. cxd5 Nxd5 27. Nxd5 Qxd5 28. Nd2 Nd4 29. Qf1 Qd7 the game seems quite even, even though a bit easier for Black.

26. ... Nd4. And apparently Nakamura’s speculation worked. 梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) should have aimed for more by 26 ... Nb4! in order to reply 27. Qxb3 with 27. ... Bc6! (Stockfish). A win was not guaranteed, of course, but White should have to strive hard to save the day. 27. cxd5 Nxd5 28. Nxd4 Nxf4 29. gxf4 cxd4 30. Nc4 Bd5 31. Bxd5 exd5 32. Nd6 ½ : ½.

Come from Away

梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 18, 2018
Sicilian Defence B31

It’s never easy to play against a wunderkind – not even for the challenger to the World Chess Championship. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nc3 0-0 8. Be3 b6 9. Qd2 e5 10. Bh6. It’s interesting to take a look at how Caruana handled the opening playing with White against another opponent: 10. a3!? Qe7 11. 0-0 Rd8 12. Bg5 Ba6 13. Qe3 Rd7 14. Rfd1 Re8 15. a4 Qf8 16. a5 b5∞ Caruana – Cornette, PRO League Group Stage, Chess.com, 2018. 10. ... Re8 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Qe3. If 12. 0-0 then 12. ... Nh5 13. Ne2 Qf6 14. Nh2 Be6 15. Ng4 Bxg4 16. hxg4 Nf4 17. g3 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Rh8= Serper – Hellers, 27th World Junior Chess Championship, Adelaide 1998. 12. ... Qd6 13. Ne2 a5 14. 0-0. The best answer to 14. Nd2 is always 14. ... Nh5(!), since after 14. ... a4 15. 0-0 b5 16. a3 Rb8 17. Rae1 Rb7 18. f4 Black could suffer White’s initiative: 14. ... exf4 19. Nxf4 Nd5!? 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. e5 Qe7 22. Nf3 b4 23. Ng5 Rf8 24. Rf6! h6 25. Nf3 bxa3 26. bxa3 Rb2? (26. ... Be6 27. h4!→) 27. Rf1 Rxc2? (27. ... Be6 28. Nh4!+−) 28. Nh4!+− Rg8 29. Rxf7+ Qxf7 30. Rxf7+ Kxf7 31. Qxh6 c4 32. dxc4 dxc4 33. Qg5 Rb2 34. Qf6+ Ke8 35. Nxg6 Rb7 36. Qc6+ Kf7 37. Qf6+ Ke8 38. Qc6+ Kf7 39. Nf4 1 : 0 Rašík – Zwardoń, 22nd Czech Chess Championship, Ostrava 2014. 14. ... Nh5 15. Nd2 Nf4 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. a4 Be6 18. b3 b5 19. Nd2 Qd6 20. Nxf4 exf4 21. Qe1 b4 22. Nf3 Qe7 23. Kh2 Qf6 24. g3 g5

25. Rg1! Kh8! Two of the most difficult moves of the game! 26. gxf4 gxf4 27. Ra2 Qh6 28. Ng5 Rad8. In order to parry the eventual check on a1 with ... Rd8-d4. 29. Nxe6. A rock-hard bone. 梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) doesn’t let himself be tempted by “sharper” lines such as 29. Qc1 Qf6 30. Qa1 Rd4 31. Qd1 Rg8 32. Qh5 h6 33. h4 c4! 34. bxc4 b3! with a dynamic balance (Stockfish’s analysis). 29. ... Rxe6 30. Qe2 Rg6 31. Raa1 Qg7 32. Qf3 Qe5 33. Rxg6 hxg6 34. Rg1 Kg7 35. Rg4 g5. A formidable mutual blockade has been raised. Caruana tries to break it, but he tries in vain. 36. Rg2 Rh8 37. Qg4 Kg6 38. f3 Kf6 39. Rg1 Kg6 40. Rg2 Kf6 41. Rg1 Rh6 42. Qd7 Kg7 43. Qd8 Rg6 44. Rg2 Qd4 45. Qxd4+ cxd4 46. Rg4 f6 47. h4 Rh6 48. e5 Rh5 49. exf6+ Kxf6 50. Kh3 Kf5 51. Rxg5+ Rxg5 52. hxg5 Kxg5 ½ : ½.

梁世奇 (Awonder Liáng) (left) vs. Fabiano Caruana (right). Photo: Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).