天才接班人

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)
1st China Chess Kings; match game 2; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 30, 2015
Spanish Game C92

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Nbd2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nd7 15. Nf1 Na5 16. Bc2 Bf6 17. N1h2 c5 18. d5 Nc4 19. Rb1 Nde5. Theoretical novelty. For 19. ... Nce5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. f4 Ng6 20. Be3 Bh4 21. Re2 a5 22. g4 Bg3 23. Qf1 b4 24. Qf3 Ba6 25. Rg2 Bxh2+ 26. Rxh2 Bc4 27. b3 Bb5 28. h4 see Smirin – Baron, 37th Israeli Chess Championship, Acre 2013. 20. Nxe5 Bxe5 21. b3 Nb6 22. Ng4 Bd4 23. Be3 Bc3 24. Re2 b4 25. Bf4 a5 26. Re3 Bc8 27. Rg3 Bxg4 28. hxg4!? It is surprising that this move, which looks far less natural than 28. Qxg4, will allow White – although very, very slow motion – to mount an irresistible attack against the enemy King. 28. ... a4 29. g5 axb3 30. axb3 g6 31. Be3 c4 32. Rh3 Ra2 33. g3 Qc7 34. Kg2 Rea8 35. Rc1 Rb2? Surprisingly, the fatal mistake. 35. ... Ra1! 36. Bb1 cxb3 37. Qxb3 Qc4 seems a better solution, leading to satisfactory play for Black. 36. Bd4 f6 37. gxf6 Bxd4 38. Qxd4 Raa2

39. Rxh7!! What an amazing sacrifice! 39. ... Qxh7. Not 39. ... Kxh7?? because of 40. Rh1+ Kg8 41. f7+! Kxf7 (or 41. ... Kf8 42. Qf6 and mate next move) 42. Rh7+ and mate next move. 40. Qxb6 Qf7. 40. ... Rxc2?? 41. Qd8+ Kf7 42. Qe7+ Kg8 43. Qe8 mate. 41. Rh1 Ra8. If 41. ... Qxf6? then 42. e5! finis. 42. Bd1 Qxf6 43. Bg4 Re8. Also 43. ... Qxf2+ 44. Qxf2 Raa2 45. Qxb2 Rxb2+ 46. Kf3 Rxb3+ 47. Kf4 was totally hopeless. 44. Qa7. With the threat of 45. Be6+ Kf8 46. Rh8+ Qxh8 47. Qf7 mate. 44. ... Qe5 45. Rh7 Rxf2+ 46. Kxf2 Rf8+ 47. Kg2 Qxe4+ 48. Kh2 Rf2+ 49. Qxf2 Kxh7 50. Qf7+ Kh8 51. Qf4 Qc2+ 52. Kh3 Kg7 53. Qd4+ Kh7 54. Qxc4 Qf2 55. Qf4 Qg1 56. Qf3 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) fell asleep: you better don’t wake him up...
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Child King

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn)
1st China Chess Kings; match game 2; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 25, 2015
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. c3 0-0 7. Re1 Bd7 8. Nbd2 h6 9. Nf1 Re8 10. Ng3 Bf8 11. h3 Ne7 12. Bxd7 Qxd7 13. d4 Ng6 14. Qc2 Nh7. The alternative was 14. ... c6 15. Be3 b5 16. a4 a6 17. b3 Qb7 18. Rad1 Rab8 19. Rb1 Ra8 20. Rbd1 Rab8 21. Rb1 Ra8 22. Rbd1 Rab8 23. Rb1 ½ : ½ C. Balogh – Aleksandrov, 13rd International Open, Dubai 2011. 15. Be3 Be7 16. Nf5 Bf6 17. Rad1 Qe6 18. d5! Playing for a space advantage in the centre, as well on the Queenside. 18. ... Qd7 19. c4 Ne7 20. Ng3 Bg5 21. c5! b6 22. Nxg5 hxg5 23. cxd6 cxd6 24. Rc1 Rac8 25. Qd2 g4 26. h4 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Rc8 28. Rxc8+ Qxc8 29. Qb4. Black has too many weaknesses for living peacefully with them. 29. ... Qd7 30. h5 f5. 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn) offers a temporary Pawn sacrifice hoping for a breath of fresh air. 31. exf5 Nf6 32. Bg5 Nxf5. 32. ... Nexd5 33. Qd2 followed by h5-h6 would also be unpleasant for Black. 33. Nxf5 Qxf5 34. Bxf6 g3!? The only chance. Both 34. ... gxf6 35. Qxd6 and 34. ... Qxf6 35. Qxg4 lead to untenable positions. 35. fxg3 Qxf6 Black is a Pawn down and can only hope for the Queen ending.

36. Qh4! Of course 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) is not willing to cooperate. 36. ... Qxh4? A terrible mistake! After the exchange of Queens White’s task is quite easy. Black should have played 36. ... Qh6 since after 37. Kh2 or 37. Qg4 a “mathematical” win is not yet in sight for White. 37. gxh4 Kf7 38. Kf2 Kf6 39. g4 Kf7 40. Kf3 Ke7 41. Ke4 Kf6 42. g5+ Ke7 43. Kf5 Kf7 44. g6+ Kf8 45. Kg5 Kg8 46. b3 1 : 0. A very elegant finish. When all moves are exhausted, Black will be forced to move the King to f8 or h8, after which White wins inexorably by h5-h6.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: sinochess (@sinachess)

Clash of Clans

王玥 (Wáng Yuè) – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)
1st China Chess Kings; match game 2; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 25, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D44

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Be7 11. exf6 Bxf6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. g3 Na6 14. a4. The alternative was 14. Bg2 Bb7 15. Nxb5 0-0-0 16. Qa4 cxb5 17. Bxb7+ Kxb7 18. Qxb5+ Ka8 19. Qc6+ Kb8 20. Qb5+ Ka8 21. Qc6+ Kb8 22. Qb5+ Ka8 ½ : ½ Svidler – 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi), China – Russia Match, 宁波 (Níngbō) 2015. 14. ... Nb4! More enterprising than 14. ... Bb7 15. Bg2 b4 16. Ne4 Qe7 17. Qe2 0-0-0 18. Qxc4 e5 19. dxe5 Qxe5 20. 0-0 Rd4 21. Qc2 c5 22. Rfe1 Kb8 23. h4 Qd5 24. Bf3 Qf5 25. Re3 Rhd8 26. Rae1 c4 27. Qc1 Nc5 ½ : ½ Ribli – Fahnenschmidt, Schachbundesliga 1985/1986, West Germany 1986. 15. axb5 cxb5 16. Nxb5 Kf8! 17. Qd2? A safer looking try is 17. Bxc4 Bb7 18. f3, e.g. 18. ... Bxf3 19. 0-0 Qh6 20. Rxf3 Qxh2+ 21. Kf1 Qxb2 22. Kg1 Qh2+ 23. Kf1 Qb2 drawing by repetition. 17. ... a5 18. Bxc4. If 18. Rxa5 then 18. ... Nc2+ 19. Kd1 Rxa5 20. Qxa5 Bb7! gives Black a very powerful initiative. 18. ... Bb7 19. f3. It is not pleasant, but 19. 0-0?? tragically runs into 19. ... Rxh2! 20. Kxh2 Qh8+ and mate in two moves. 19. ... Rc8! Despite being two Pawns down, Black has has an overwhelming position. 20. Qc3

20. ... Rxc4! 21. Qxc4 Qxf3 22. Kd2 Rh5! 23. Rhe1 Rxh2+ 24. Re2 Bd5 25. Qc8+ Kg7 26. Rxh2 Qd3+ 27. Ke1. Else 27. Kc1 Qe3+ 28. Rd2 Bb3 leads to mate in short order. 27. ... Qxg3+ 28. Rf2 Nd3+ 29. Ke2 Nxf2 30. Qc3 Qg2 31. Ke1 Ne4 0 : 1.

卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

Fading Beauty

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) – 丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn)
1st China Chess Queen; match game 2; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 25, 2015
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Qb3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Ba3 b6 8. e3 0-0 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Be2 Na5 11. Qc2. Also after 11. Qb4 c5! 12. Qb2 Be6 13. Nd2 Qc7 we’d subjectively prefer Black, Mah – Hawkins, 4NCL 2012/2013, Staverton 2013. 11. ... c5 12. dxc5? 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) must win at any cost, and doesn’t hesitate to unbalance the position. Objectively, her move is very dubious. On the other hand, 12. 0-0 Qc7 was dead equal. 12. ... Bf5! 13. Qb2 bxc5 14. 0-0. By taking the Pawn, 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) would have subjected herself to a very powerful initiative: 14. Bxc5? Qc7 15. Bb4 Nc4! would leave White in a very unpleasant position. 14. ... Rb8 15. Qc1 Qc7 16. Nd2 Qe5 17. Bb2 Rfd8 18. Rd1

18. ... Bd3! Black gained a strong advantage. 19. Bf3 c4 20. h3 h5 21. Nf1 Nb7 22. Rd2. A bad move in a bad position. Now White will be soon overwhelmed by Black’s huge preponderance. 22. ... Nc5 23. Qd1 Qc7 24. Rc1 Qa5. Even simpler was 24. ... Bxf1 25. Kxf1 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 Nd3 and White could well resign. 25. Ba1 Na4 26. Qe1 Rd6 27. Ng3 Rdb6 28. Ne2 Rb1 29. Rdd1 Rxc1 30. Rxc1 e5 ½ : ½. White is substantially helpless, but 丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) needed just a half point to qualify for the next round.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) (R.) vs. 丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) (L.)
Photo: General Administration of Sport in China

The Other Side of the Moon

丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
1st China Chess Queen; match game 1; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 24, 2015
Four Knights Game C48

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bd6!? A very strange move, but – I must confess – very often I don’t understand chess as it is played today. 5. d3 h6 6. a3 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. Be3. For 9. Ne2 Bc5 10. Ng3 d6 11. Be3 0-0 12. 0-0 Nd4 13. Bxd4 Bxd4 14. Nxd4 exd4 15. Nf5 see Naiditsch – B. Tóth, 5th International Chess Festival, Basel 2015. 9. ... 0-0 10. Ne2 Re8 11. Ng3 Bf8 12. 0-0 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nf5 Re6 15. Nd2 Rf6 16. Ng3 Nd4 17. Ba2 c5 18. Nde4 Rg6 19. Qd2 Qh4 20. f4? A very imprudent decision. She should have first played 20. Bxd5 Bxd5 and only then 21. f4. 20. ... Nxe3 21. Qxe3 Nxc2 22. Qf2 Bxe4? Not 22. ... Nxa1? on account of 23. fxe5 Kh7 (what else?) 24. Qxf7 Be7 25. Rf4 and wins. However, here 22. ... exf4 23. Qxc2 c4 looks much stronger. 23. Qxc2 Bc6 24. fxe5 Qd4+ 25. Kh1 Ra7 26. Rae1 Qd8

27. e6!? To light the Dragon’s fire. 27. ... fxe6? 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) panics and opens up lines for White’s Bishop as well as her Rook. Correct was 27. ... Bd5 28. exf7+ Rxf7 29. Rxf7 Kxf7 30. b4 Rc6 when Black should hold her own. 28. Rxe6 Rxe6 29. Bxe6+ Kh8 30. d4! The decisive break-up of the Black’s castled position, even if it’s far (very far!) from His Majesty’s position! 30. ... c4. Clearly bad, but after 30. ... Bd6 31. Nf5 Qf6 32. d5 Black is helpless anyway. 31. Qg6. With the threat of Be6-f5. 31. ... Bd7 32. Bd5 Be7 33. Nh5 Bf6. Else 33. ... Bf8 34. Be4 mates in a few moves. 34. Nxf6 1-0.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: qipai.org.cn