Sixth Sense

Wesley So – Evgeny Yuryevich Tomashevsky

6th World Fischerandom Online Knockout Qualifier; match game 1; Chess.com, September 1, 2019

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Position 798

1. e4 e5 2. f3 f6 3. Ng3 Ng6 4. c3 Ne6 5. d4 c6 6. Qc2 Qc7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne3 0-0-0 9. 0-0-0 Bc5 10. Ngf5 d6 11. Kb1 Kb8 12. Bf2 g6? 12. ... h5! was more flexible with near equality. 13. Nh6 Bb6 14. Bg3 Nc5? This allows White to tighten his grip on the position until the win is assured. Black’s best was probably 14. ... Qg7 clearing the c7-square for the Bishop in the eventuality of Ne3-c4. 15. f4 Nf7 16. Nxg8 Rxg8 17. Nc4 Rge8 18. b4 Ne6 19. Qb3 Qe7 20. Nxb6 axb6 21. a4 g5 22. Bf2 gxf4 23. Bxb6 Nc7

24. b5 Ne5 25. Qb4 Qf7 26. Kb2 d5 27. Qa5 Kc8 28. g3 dxe4 29. Bxc7 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Nd3+ 31. Bxd3 exd3 32. Bxf4 1 : 0. A very elegant game, which So made look easy.

From Chaos to Harmony

Alexey Sergeyevich Dreev – Oleg Bairovich Badmatsyrenov
4th World Fischerandom Online Knockout Qualifier; Chess.com, August 25, 2019
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Position 402

1. b3 Nf6 2. Nf3 b5 3. d3 c5 4. e4 Ne6 5. Ne3 h5! 6. Be2 Rb6! Two typical “Fischerandom moves” already allow Black to claim the initiative, or, in any case, a much easier game to play. 7. 0-0. White’s “Rook-move-only” castling into the enemy’s fire is undoubtedly a “responsible” decision, if not a wrong one. 7. ... h4 8. h3 Nf4 9. Bd1 d5 10. Nf5? A disastrous mistake, which gives Black the opportunity of making the best use of his previous moves. White ought to have continued 10. exd5(!) with a playable game.

10. ... Nxg2!−+ 11. Kxg2 dxe4 12. dxe4 Nxe4 13. Qf4. If 13. N5xh4 then 13. ... Rg6+ 14. Kh2 Nd2! with mating attack. 13. ... Rh5 14. N5xh4. On 14. N3xh4 Nd2+ is sufficient to win. 14. ... Rg6+ 15. Kh2 Rgh6 16. Rg1 Nxf2 17. Rg3. Or 17. Qg3 Bxf3! 18. Bxg7 Rxh4! 19. Bxh6+ Ng4+ winning easily. 17. ... Bxf3 18. Rxf3 Rxh4 19. Qxf7+ Kh7 20. Kg2 Nxh3 21. Be5 Rg6+ 22. Rg3 Rxg3+ 23. Bxg3 Ng5 24. Qxf8 Qh3+ 25. Kf2 Ne4+ 26. Ke2 Qxg3 27. Qf5+ Kh6 0 : 1.