Two Lines

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 徐英伦 (Xú Yīnglún)
7th HDBank International Open Chess Tournament; Ho Chi Minh City, March 15, 2017
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qb6 8. 0-0 Qxb2. The alternative 8. ... Qc5 would have evoked in 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) a sweet memory: 9. Bd5 e6 10. Re1 Be7 11. Be3 Qa5 12. Bxe6! fxe6 13. Nxe6 Nc5? 14. b4!+− 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – van Wely, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. Rb1 Qc3 11. Bxd5 Qc7. 徐英伦 (Xú Yīnglún), perhaps fearing something new from his opponent, departs from 11. ... g6 12. Rb3 Qc7 13. Qa1 Rg8 14. Rfb1 Nc5 15. Qc3 Ra7 16. Rb6 Bg7 17. a4 Ne6 18. Qxc7 Nxc7 19. Be3 Nxd5 20. exd5 Ra8 21. c4 Bxd4 22. Bxd4 f6 23. c5 dxc5 24. Bxc5 Kf7 25. Re1 Re8 26. a5 Rb8 27. h3 Bd7 28. Bb4 h5 29. f3 h4 30. f4 Bf5 31. Re3 Rbd8 32. Rxb7 ½ : ½ Azarov – 徐英伦 (Xú Yīnglún), 14th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2016. 12. f4 e6 13. Re1 Nc5? An unfortunate novelty, giving White a straightforward target for his initiative. Best was 13. ... Nf6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 with an unclear but quite sound game. 14. f5! Be7? Not 14. ... exd5?? on account of 15. exd5+ Kd7 16. Qh5 winning immediately. If, instead, 14. ... f6 there might follow 15. Qh5+ Kd8 16. fxe6! hxg5 17. Qxg5+ Be7 (also after 17. ... Qe7 18. Qd2 the threat of Rf1-e1-f7 looks overwhelming) 18. Qxg7 Re8 19. Rf1 with an imposing grip. Possibly best was, however, the line suggested by Leontxo García on his El País column: 14. ... h6 15. Bh4 g5 16. fxg6 fxg6 17. Qg4 h5! 18. Qxg6+ Qf7 which seems to offer Black the best chances of surviving. 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. fxe6 fxe6

Now 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) demolishes Black’s position with an impressive succession of tactical blows: 17. Nf5! Qc7 18. Bc6+!! The pointe. 18. ... Qxc6 19. Nxd6+ Ke7 20. Qg4! Nd7. It is not a way out at all, but neither 20. ... Kxd6? 21. Red1+ nor 20. ... Qxd6 21. Qxg7+ Ke8 23. Qxh8+ Qf8 24. Qe5! would have saved the day. 21. e5! 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) vs. 徐英伦 (Xú Yīnglún)
Photo: vietnamchess.vn