The Year Without Summer

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xiong) – Andrey Evgenyevich Esipenko

1st Online Chess Olympiad Semifinal Russia – United States; Match 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 29, 2020

Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

And thus, after all, India e Russia are the two finalists of the 1st Online Chess Olympiad. However, both semifinals were tough and very hardly fought. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. e4 d5 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd3 c5 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Nd7 10. Bf4 Qh4. It should be noted that four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) preferred here 10. ... Ndc5 11. 0-0 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Bd7 13. Be2 Na4 14. cxd5 exd5 15. c4 Rc8 16. Qb3 dxc4! 17. Bxc4? Nac3! 18. a4 Bxa4! 19. Rxa4 Nxa4 20. Nf5 Nac3! 21. e6 Rxc4! 22. Qxc4 b5 23. Qb3 Qd3 24. exf7+ Rxf7 0 : 1 Ushenina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 台州 (Tāizhōu) 2013, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 3. 11. g3 Qh5 12. h4 Nxe5 13. Be2 Ng4 14. Bxg4 Qxg4 15. f3 Qh5 16. g4 Qg6 17. fxe4 e5! Only this way! If, instead, 17. ... Qf6? then 18. Ne2! e5 19. Bg5 Qf3 20. 0-0-0 and Black’s game is desperate, Vallejo Pons – So, 31st Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”, León 2018, match game 1 (time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move). 18. 0-0-0. 18. Bxe5 Bxg4 followed by ... Ra8-e8 provides Black with enough compensation for the Knight. 18. ... Bxc3 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. gxf5 Qa6!? Here is finally the long awaited novelty. A recent game went instead 20. ... Qg4 21. Be3 Bd4 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. exd5 Rac8 24. Kb1 b5 25. c5 Rfd8 26. Rhg1 Qxh4? (“Yorkshire’s James Adair has been very close to the GM title for years now, but has not reached the required 2500 rating. His live rating was in the upper 2490s when he took on Howell, which explains Black’s ambitious opening. It was level until Black took a hot Pawn where 26. ... Qf3! 27. Rxd4 Rxd5 would draw. As played, White’s central Pawns overran the Black Rooks”, Leonard Barden wrote in his The Guardian chess column of August 3, 2018) 27. c6! g6 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. Qf5 Kg7 30. c7 Re8 31. d6 Re6 32. Rdf1 Rf8 33. c8=Q! 1 : 0 Howell – Adair, 105th British Chess Championship, Hull 2018. 21. Qxc3 d4 22. Qb3 exf4 23. Rxd4 Rad8 24. Qd3 Rxd4 25. Qxd4 Rc8 26. b3 Qxa2

27. Rd1!? Now 27. Rg1 g6 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. Rxg6+ fxg6 30. Qxd5+ is only a draw by perpetual check, while instead the team needs a win. 27. ... g6 28. f6??! 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xiong) is in the same dilemma as before, and courageously goes on attacking. 28. Qf6 was probably safer, but 28. ... Qxb3 29. Rd8+ Rxd8 30. Qxd8+ Kg7 31. f6+ Kh6 32. Qf8+ Kh5 33. Qxf7 Qc3+ would end up with a draw. 28. ... h5 29. Rd3? White can no longer afford himself the luxury of such a “loss of time”. If nothing else, 29. Qd7 would be consistent with his previous choices, still hoping for 29. ... Rf8 (29. ... Ra8!!−+ is not a human obvious: if 30. Qxb7 there may follow 30. ... Re8−+) 30. Qe7 with tricky tactics (Δ Qe7xf8+), rather similarly to the game. 29. ... Qg2? This hasty move radically changes the balance of powers, as White can snatch the initiative from his opponent’s hands. Black should first have played 29. ... Re8−+ followed by the penetration of the Queen to the Kingside (if 30. e5 then 30. ... Qe2−+). 30. Qd7 Rf8 31. Qe7. Threatening Qe7xf8+ followed by mate. 31. ... Qg1+ 32. Kc2 Qb6 33. Rd6 Qa5 34. Rd5 Qb6 35. Rd6 Qa5 36. Rd5 Qb6

37. Rg5! Qf2+? And in the end, White’s bet succeeded, as His Majesty goes forward to conquer his enemy’s Kingdom. 37. ... Rc8! is the unanimous proposal of the engines, for after 38. Rxg6+ Kh8 39. Rg5 (38. Rg2!? is at least interesting) 39. ... Qf2+ 40. Kb1 Qe1+ 41. Ka2 Qd2+ 42. Ka3 Qc1+ 43. Ka4 Qa1+ 44. Kb4 Qe1+ 45. Kb5 any similarity with the position of the game after 43. Kb5 is a mere appearance, since Black would play 46. ... Qc3! (47. Rxh5+ Kg8=). 38. Kb1 Qe1+ 39. Ka2 Qd2+ 40. Ka3 Qc1+ 41. Ka4 Qa1+ 42. Kb4 Qe1+ 43. Kb5 a6+. Now it’s too late for 43. ... Rc8 44. Rxg6+ Kh8 45. Rg7 Qc3 on account of 46. Rh7+! with mate in two. 44. Kb6 Qe3+ 45. Kc7 Qc3 46. Rxg6+ Kh7 47. Rg7+. Or 47. Rh6+! Kg8 48. Qxf8+! followed by mate. 47. ... Kh6 48. Qxf8 Qe5+ 49. Qd6 1 : 0.

Taking on Giants

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 20, 2018
Modern Benoni A61

Another Chinese-American teen prodigy, 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng), comes on Caruna’s way. It will not be an easy matter for the challenger. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5. Caruana insists on Bobby Fischer’s opening repertoire. 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. Bf4 Bg7 8. e3 0-0 9. h3 Qe7 10. Nd2. White’s last three moves indicates a “not good enough” opening preparation. 10. ... Nh5! A very natural move, even though apparently it is a novelty. On the other hand, also 10. ... Nbd7 11. Be2 Ne8 12. 0-0 f5 13. Re1 Ne5 14. Bh2 g5 15. f4 Ng6 16. Bd3 gxf4 17. exf4 Qf6 worked well enough for equality in the game Salomon – Yurtseven, 28th World Youth Chess Championship Under-18, Durban 2014. 11. Bh2 f5 12. Be2 f4! 13. 0-0. 13. Bxh5 is also answered by the zwischenzug 13. ... fxe3 with good play, very similarly to the game. 13. ... fxe3. Probably it’s just an impression, but I don’t like White’s position so much. 14. Nde4! Jeffery goes for an ambitious path, joyfully sacrificing a Pawn in order to hold his opponent locked in a kind of dynamic powerlessness, and he might be even right! 14. ... exf2+ 15. Kh1. If nothing else, the temporary sacrifice of the second Pawn compels Black to make an important concession, giving up the Bishop pair. 15. ... Bxc3 16. Nxc3 Ng7 17. Bf3 Nd7 18. Rxf2 Ne5 19. Re2 Nf5 20. Bxe5 dxe5

21. d6! Once again White doesn’t fear to play two Pawns down! 21. ... Nxd6 22. Qd5+? 22. Nd5(!) Qg7 23. Nc3(!) seems a more reliable way of playing for a draw. At least in a formal sense, Caruana should have to decide whether to give back a Pawn (and then eventually another one) or concede a draw by repetition. 22. ... Nf7 23. Ne4 Rb8! Jeffery might have overlooked – or underestimated – this “short” move (in Fischer style), by which Black finally completes the development of the Queenside, giving his extra Pawn a much higher value. 24. Qxc5 Qxc5 25. Nxc5 b6 26. Ne4 Bf5 27. Nc3 Rbd8 28. a4 a5 29. Bd5 Rfe8 30. Bxf7+ Kxf7 31. Rf1 Ke6 32. Rfe1 Kf6 33. Rf1 Ke6 34. Rfe1 Kd6 35. Re3 Kc6 36. Nb5 Re7 37. g4 Bd3 38. Nc3 Bc4. Black has made significant progress, and now White’s rescue mission appears quite impossible. 39. Rc1. 39. Rxe5 Rxe5 40. Rxe5 Rd2 loses immediately. 39. ... Kb7 40. Re4 Rd4 41. Kg1 Bb3 42. Kf2 Rd2+ 43. Re2 Rf7+ 44. Ke3 Rd4 45. Nb5 Rdd7 46. Nc3 Rf4 47. Rd2 Rfd4 48. Rf2 Bxa4 49. Rf6 Bc6 0 : 1. It’s difficult to play with Caruana on these days, but 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) played quite brilliantly, except for the opening.

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) (left) vs. Fabiano Caruana (right). Photo: Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).

Passionately Ever After

Fabiano Caruana – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 25, 2017
Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

In the meantime, strange things keep happening on the Isle of Man, but don’t think too seriously about it. Who wins and who loses, who gives and who takes, who is teased and who the joker, in the end they are all friends of those who pay them. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5. It takes much courage to play this against Caruana! 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 0-0 11. Bc4 b6 12. d5!? Caruana adopts an old idea of Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi. 12. ... Ba6 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 14. d6!? Nc5 15. e5 Qd7!? Forty-five years ago Brazilian superstar Henrique da Costa Mecking – a legendary defender – preferred 15. ... f6 after which followed 16. 0-0 Rf7 17. Rad1 Rc8 18. Qe3 Rd7 19. exf6 gxf6 20. Nd4! Qe8 (20. ... Rxd6? 21. Nxe6!) 21. Rfe1 Qf7 22. h4 with a slight initiative for White, Kortschnoi – Mecking, 47th Hastings International Chess Congress, Hastings 1971/1972. 16. 0-0 Rad8 17. Rad1 Qa4 18. Rfe1 f6 19. Qe2 fxe5!? It seems a very risky affair, but maybe it is not so bad. 20. Nxe5 Rf4? This, instead, is a big mistake which loses the game almost immediately. Best was 20. ... Nd7! although after 21. Nf3! White stands much better.

21. d7! The End. 21. ... h6. 21. ... Re4 is useless because of 22. Qf3 (or also 22. Qh5) and the Black Rook must immediately return to f4. 22. g3! Rf5 23. Rd6! Rxe5. Black has nothing better than giving up the Exchange, just for the satisfaction of playing some more moves. 24. Qxe5 Rxd7 25. Rxd7 Qxd7 26. Qe2 Qd4 27. Rd1 Qf6 28. h4 Kh8 29. h5 Qg5 30. Qf3 Kh7 31. Rd4 Qe5 32. Rd8 (Δ Qf3-f7) 1 : 0.

Generational Intelligence

Magnus Carlsen – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 25, 2017
Torre Attack D02

The World Chess Champion against the World Junior Chess Champion. After all, only in an open can happen! 1. Nf3 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. d4 e6 4. Bg5 d5 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 Nc6 7. Nbd2 a6!? The alternative was 7. ... Bd6 8. Bd3 0-0 9. 0-0 e5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. e4 Be7 12. Qe2 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nh5 with a comfortable game for Black, Freiman – Breyer, Kölner Schachkongreß, Cologne 1911. 8. Bd3 Be7 9. 0-0 Nd7 10. Bxe7 Nxe7 11. Ne5 cxd4 12. exd4 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Bd7 14. Re1 Rc8 15. Nf3 b5 16. h4 a5 17. a3 Qb6 18. Qd2. In spite of his unpretentious opening, Carlsen obtained a certain advantage in position. Then, his young opponent decides – quite questionably – to sacrifice a Pawn, in a nervous attempt of not being hard-boiled into the shark’s jaws. 18. ... b4 19. cxb4 axb4 20. a4. It’s not clear why White didn’t take the Pawn. 20. ... Ra8 21. b3 0-0 22. Rac1 Rfc8 23. h5. 23. Bb5 Bxb5 24. Qxb4 Rab8 25. axb5 (25. Qxe7 Bd3 looks good for Black) 25. ... Nc6 doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. 23. ... Kf8. This seems unnecessary and wrong. Black should have infiltrated the Rook to c3 at once: 23. ... Rc3! 24. Rxc3 bxc3 25. Qxc3 Rc8 winning back the Pawn with good play. 24. g4. Now 24. Bb5! seems much stronger than before, as after 24. ... Bxb5 25. Qxb4 the Black Knight is pinned. 24. ... Rc3 25. g5. Carlsen has 35 minutes and Xióng only 9. 25. ... hxg5 26. Rxc3 bxc3 27. Qxg5 Nf5! What a coolness! With a few minutes left, Black realizes that the tempting 27. ... Ng8? would be annihilated by 28. Kh1! with the deadly threat of Re1-g1. 28. Bxf5 exf5 29. e6! Carlsen slyly adds fuel on fire, speculating on his opponent’s time panic. 29. ... Bxe6 30. h6! gxh6 31. Qf6

31. ... Kg8? Xióng, much anguished by time pressure, literally falls apart. Instead, Black had a hidden defence: 31. ... Qd8! (Stockfish) 32. Rxe6 Qxf6 33. Rxf6 Rc8 winning back the Knight and liquidating into a drawish-looking endgame. So, maybe Carlsen would have preferred 32. Qxc3, not because it is better than 32. Rxe6, but just to put his opponent more dilemmas. 32. Qxh6 Qb4 33. Kh1! 1 : 0. Other opportunities will come Jeffery’s way.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) – Wesley So
61th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 7, 2017
Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Rd1 Bc6 10. Nc3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nc6 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Bg5 Rb8 14. e3 c5 15. dxc5 Qe8 16. Rd4 Nd7! Far more convincing than 16. ... Rb4 17. Na2 Qxa4 18. Nxb4 Qxa1+ 19. Kg2 Qa5 20. Nc6 Qxc5 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Rxc4 c5 23. Bxf6 Qxf6 24. Rxc5 g6 25. b4 Qe7 26. Qd1 ½ : ½ Sjugirov – Smirnov, Siberian Bank Cup, Novosibirsk 2012. 17. Bxe7 Qxe7. The position appears to be quite balanced, but a bit easier to play for Black. 18. c6? It might be the only mistake Jeffery made in the whole game! 18. f4 (Stockfish’s move) after, for instance, 18. ... e5 leaves Black with quite a comfortable game. 18. ... Ne5 19. Qe4 Qc5 20. Nd5!? A clever attempt to claim back the initiative, for after 20. ... exd5? 21. Qxe5 White would suddenly stand better.

20. ... Nd3! The start of a masterclass in tactics worthy of Mikhail Nechemevich Tal! 21. Nxc7 Nxf2! The pointe is a purely intuitive sacrifice. 22. Kxf2 Rxb2+ 23. Kf1 Qh5! And the epitaph is a quiet Queen move. 24. Qg4 Qxh2 25. Qf3 c3 26. Rc1 e5! Much stronger than 26. ... h5!? as Grandmaster Rauf Mamedov was expecting. 27. Rh4!? As 27. Rc4 Rfb8! is absolutely hopeless, Jeffery tries something more speculative. 27. ... Qd2! 28. Rd1 Rd8! Very brilliant and very unique as well – in fact, it is the only winning move! 29. Nd5. On 29. Rxd2 Rdxd2 30. Kg1 Rb1+ 31. Qf1 Rdd1 (or even 31. ... c2) wins handily. 29. ... Rxd5! 30. Rd4 Rxd4 31. exd4 Qxd1+! 0 : 1. It’s time for Jeffery to thank Wesley for the lesson.

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) vs. Wesley So
Photo: Lennart Ootes (@CCSCSL)

In the House of Giants

Samuel L. Shankland – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
61th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 6, 2017
Réti Opening A06

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. b3 b6 5. Bb2 Bb7 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Qc2 a6 8. cxd5. If White wanted to play d2-d4, I think it were better for him to play it now. 8. ... exd5 9. d4 Bd6 10. g3 Ne4 11. Bg2 Nxc3 12. Qxc3 Nf6 13. 0-0 a5 14. a4 0-0 15. Ba3 c5 16. Rfd1 Rc8 17. dxc5 bxc5 18. Qd3 Qb6 19. Nd2 Rfd8 20. Rac1 Ba6 21. Qb1 Bf8 22. Bb2

22. ... d4! Jeffery finally shows his muscles. 23. exd4 cxd4 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Ne4 d3. Threatening ... Nf6xe4 followed by ... Rc8-c2. 26. Bxf6. I think 26. Nxf6+ gxf6 27. Rxd3 Bxd3 28. Qxd3 Bc5 29. Bd5 Bxf2+ 30. Kg2 Bg1 31. Qf5 was a better version of White’s exchange sacrifice, which, even at the cost of the f2-Pawn, would have allowed Shankland to maintain two Bishops. 26. ... gxf6 27. Rxd3 Bxd3 28. Qxd3 f5. Now Black stands much better, both materially and dynamically. The conversion into a win is all but easy, but Jeffery will manage somehow to win his first game in the U.S. Championship: 29. Nd2 Qf6 30. Nc4 Rd8 31. Bd5 Bc5 32. Kg2 f4 33. Qf3 Qg5 34. Be4 fxg3 35. hxg3 h5 36. Bf5 Kg7 37. Kh3 Qf6 38. Kg2 Qg5 39. Kh3 Rd4 40. Kg2 h4 41. Kh3 hxg3 42. fxg3 Qc1 43. Be4 Qh6+ 44. Kg2 Qe6 45. Bc6 Qg6 46. Bb5 Rd3 47. Qf4 Rxb3 48. Qe5+ Kg8 49. Nxa5 Rb1. “Xióng displayed better understanding throughout the entire game”, Canadian Grandmaster Eric Hansen said. 50. Nc4 Qc2+ 51. Kh3 Rh1+ 52. Kg4 Qd1+ 0 : 1. Bravo!

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
Photo: Lennart Ootes (@CCSCSL)

The Pond in Winter

David Wei Liang Howell – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
Winter Chess Classic; Saint Louis, March 12, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E17

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb7 4. d4 e6 5. a3 g6 6. Qc2 c5 7. dxc5 bxc5 8. Bf4 Nh5 9. Bg5 f6 10. Be3 f5 11. Rd1 Be7!? Maybe new. The sharp “matrix” was 11. ... Nc6 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. e3 0-0 15. Be2 Rad8 16. 0-0 g5 17. Ne1 g4 18. Nd3 a5 19. g3 Nf6 20. f3 h5 21. Rf2 d6 22. Nb5 gxf3 23. Bxf3 Ng4 24. Bxg4 hxg4 25. Qc3 Ba8 26. Kf1 Rd7 27. Rdd2 Rb8 28. a4 Rf8 29. b3 Kh7 30. Ke1 Nd8 31. Qxa5 Nf7 32. Nf4 Ng5 33. Kd1 Ne4 34. Kc1 Qf6 35. Kb1 Bb7 36. Qb6 Ra8 37. Nxd6 Nxf2 38. Qxc5 Ne4 39. Qb5 Nxd2+ 40. Kc2 Qe7 0 : 1 Dzagnidze – 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě), Women’s Grand Prix 2013-2014, 4th stage, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. 12. g3 g5? Black’s strategy seems just a bit too primitive (and weakening as well), following apparently in the footsteps of 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě). 13. Bg2 f4? From bad to worse: Black comes up with the idea to provoke the opening of the g-file, which evidently gives White a new and unexpected strength. 14. gxf4 gxf4 15. Bc1 Nc6 16. Qd3. Tying the Black Queen to the defence of the d7-Pawn. 16. ... Rg8. Now 16. ... Qc7 17. Nb5 would only lose time, while if 16. ... a6 (preparing for ... Qd8-c7) there might follow 17. Rg1 Qc7 18. Ng5! with the upper hand on both wings. 17. Rg1. Winter is coming, as now the threat of Qd3xh7 becomes real.

17. ... Nf6. Black resignedly gives up the f4-Pawn, which means surrender. However, it is hard to suggest anything substantially better for Black as he finds himself in a kind of strategic Zugzwang; for instance: 17. ... Rg6 18. Kf1! (but also 18. Bf1! looks very strong) 18. ... a6 19. Bh1! (in true Fischarandom style!) with overwhelming preponderance. 18. Bxf4 Qa5 19. Kf1! Worth a castle! 19. ... 0-0-0 20. Nb5! White finishes in grand style. 20. ... Rdf8 21. Bh3 Rxg1+ 22. Kxg1 Rg8+ 23. Kf1 Qb6 24. Nd6+ Bxd6 25. Qxd6 Rd8 26. Ng5 Ba6 27. Nf7 Bxc4 28. Nxd8 Nxd8 29. Rc1 1 : 0. A crystal-clear demonstration of positional dominance by Howell.

A Persian Tale

Aryan Tari – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
79th Tata Steel Challengers Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 28, 2017
Russian Defence C42

Aryan Tari (آریـن طاری) is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and the 2015 Norwegian Chess Champion. He is from Lierskogen near Drammen and is the child of Iranian immigrants. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) is a U.S. chess Grandmaster. He is an American-born person of Chinese parents. His Chinese name is 熊奕韬 (Xióng Yìtāo). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. Re1 Nb4 11. cxd5 Nbxd5 12. Qb3 c6 13. Bg5 Nc7!? A novelty, but hardly an improvement on 13. ... h6 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Bh4 Rb8 16. Ne5 Qb6 17. Qxb6 axb6 18. Ng6 fxg6 19. Rxe7 Bf5 20. Bxf5 gxf5 21. Bg3 Rfe8 22. Kf1 Rxe7 23. Bxb8 Re8 24. Bc7 Rc8 25. Rc1 Ne8 26. Bf4 Rxc1+ 27. Bxc1 Nc7 28. Bf4 Ne6 29. Be5 Kf7 30. a4 Ke7 31. b4 b5 32. axb5 h5 33. Ke2 g6 34. Kd3 Kd7 35. Kc3 Nc7 36. Kb3 Nxb5 37. Ka4 Kc6 38. f3 Nc3+ 39. Kb3 Nb5 40. Ka4 Nc3+ 41. Kb3 Nb5 42. h3 Na7 43. Ka4 ½ : ½ Kupreichik – T. Balogh, Prešov 2001. Even there, however, one feels that White could have played better. 14. Rad1 Rb8 15. Bc4 Bg4 16. d5! Tari avoids the tempting (but rather unclear) 16. Ne5!? in favour of the text, which ensures him a definite positional edge. 16. ... b5 17. dxc6 bxc4 18. Qxc4 Rb4 19. Qe2 Bd6 20. Bxf6 Qxf6 21. Ne4 Rxe4 22. Qxe4 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Qxf3 24. gxf3 Rd8 25. Kf1 Kf8. Black would desperately need to stop the advance of the White Pawns on the Queenside, but there ain’t no use in 25. ... a5 as after 26. Re5 the Pawn is doomed. 26. b4 Ne6 27. b5 Bxh2 28. Rxd8+ Nxd8 29. Rd1 Bc7. 29. ... Ne6 30. a4 Bc7 31. Rd7 Ke8 32. a5! transposes into the game. 30. Rd7 Ne6 31. a4 Ke8

32. a5! Bxa5 33. Rxa7 Bd8 34. Rb7 Nd4 35. f4 g6 36. f3 h5 37. Kf2 Ba5 38. Ke3 Nf5+. 38. ... Ne6 39. b6 h4 appears to offer more scope for resistance; for instance: 40. Kf2 Kd8 41. Rb8+ Ke7 42. c7? (well, okay, just a bit of cooperation!) 42. ... Bxb6+! 43. Rxb6 Nxc7 with a draw in sight. 39. Kd3 h4 40. Ra7 Bb6 41. Ra6 Bd8. Or 41. ... Bc7 42. b6 Bxb6 43. Rxb6 Ke7 44. Rb7+ Kd6 45. Rxf7 Kxc6 46. Rf6+ with a relatively easy win. 42. Ra8 1 : 0.

Aryan Tari (right) vs. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) (left). Photo: Tarjei J. Svensen/Matt & Patt.

Bridge to Terabithia

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) – Chithambaram V.R. Aravindh
55th World Junior Chess Championship U-20; Bhubaneswar, August 15, 2016
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 b6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Be3 0-0 9. Qd2 Re8 10. Nh2 e5 11. 0-0-0 a5 12. Na4. For 12. g4 a4 13. Rdg1 Nd7 14. g5 Nf8 15. h4 Ne6 16. Ng4 Nd4 see Semenova – Prudnikova, 50th USSR Women’s Chess Championship, Podolsk 1990. 12. ... Be6 13. Kb1 Nd7 14. Ng4 Qe7 15. Nh6+ Kh8 16. h4 b5 17. Nc3 f6 18. h5 Bxh6 19. Bxh6 g5 20. Rdf1 Qf7. The game is tremendously double-edged, and Black might look even better than his renowned opponent. Here Stockfish likes 20. ... a4 eventually followed by ... c5-c4, which is also very interesting. 21. g3 b4 22. Na4 Bxa2+ 23. Ka1 c4 24. f4 exf4. 24. ... cxd3 appears more suitable for Black since 25. b3 Bxb3 26. cxb3 Qxb3 leaves him with four Pawns for the Bishop and very good play. 25. gxf4 cxd3 26. fxg5 d2 27. gxf6 Bb1 28. Bg7+ Kg8 29. b3!

29. ... Nc5!? A very clever Knight sacrifice for giving strength to his own attack. 30. Nxc5 a4 31. Kb2 axb3 32. Nxb3? Black’s speculation worked! The cool 32. Nd3 would have left Black without resource. 32. ... c1=Q+? But Black misses 32. ... Red8! after which White has nothing better than a draw by 33. Rhg1 (not 33. Qg5?? because of 33. ... Ra2+ 34. Kc1 Rd1+! 35. Rxd1 cxd1=Q+ 36. Kxd1 Qxb3+ 37. Ke1 Qc3+ 38. Kf1 Qf3+ 39. Kg1 Qd1 mate) 33. ... Rxd2 34. Bh6+ Kh8 35. Bg7+ with perpetual check. 33. Nxc1 Bxe4 34. Rhg1. It’s all over now. 34. ... Ra5 35. Rg5 c5 36. Rfg1 c4 37. Qxb4 c3+ 38. Qxc3 Rb8+ 39. Nb3 Rxg5 40. Rxg5 Bd5 41. Bh6+ Kh8 42. Rxd5 Rxb3+ 43. Qxb3 1 : 0. “I wouldn’t say I was as lucky in this game as I was against Murali Karthikeyan, but Aravindh certainly made things easier for me in what was a sharp game that could have gone either way”, 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) finally said.

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng) vs. Chithambaram V.R. Aravindh. Photo: wjcc2016india.com.