Today’s game is between veteran Russian GM Ernesto Inarkiev, and young up and coming Chinese GM Wei Yi. They are playing a 12 game (6 games at Classical time control (90/40; +30m; +30sec) plus 6 game rapid (G15;+10)) match. The match is part of Tower of Solidarity Chess Festival., in Magas, the capital city of the Russian Republic of Ingushetia. This is bit of a strange match in that Inarkiev (33) is very much a journey man GM while Wei (19) is one of the great hopes of Chinese chess and already the author of several brilliances. The mismatch seems to be confirmed in that Wei after 4 games is well ahead with 3-1 score. Today’s game shows Wei at his attacking best, when just a slight error by Inarkiev led to his being put under great pressure that ended with his king going for a walk to mate.
2018 Tower of Solidarity Chess Festival, Magas, RUS Yi Wei (2735) — Ernesto Inarkiev(2690)
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 A bit unexpected as we have come to expect cutting edge theory from Wei. 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Qc7 5.0–0 Nd4 6.Re1 a6 7.Bf1 Ng4 8.g3 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 Ne5 10.Qe2 d6 11.Nd5 Qd8 12.Bg2 e6 13.Ne3 All of this has been seen before 13…g6?! Something new but perhaps not so good 13…Be7 had been seen before, g6 is a bit slow here. 14.b4!? An interesting notion - a Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4) approach to Black's slow g6. 14...cxb4 He could try14...Bg7 If 15.bxc5 Nf3+ (15...dxc5 16.Bb2 Nf3+ 17.Qxf3 Bxb2 18.Rab1 Bg7 19.e5 Bxe5 20.Nd5 exd5 21.Rxe5+ Be6 22.Bh3 0–0 23.Bxe6 fxe6 24.Qe2 b5 25.Rxe6 is also good for White) 16.Bxf3 Bxa1 17.c3 traps the bishop 15.a3 More open lines for the pawn. 15...bxa3 16.Bxa3 Be7 17.d4 And now Black’s knight loses its nice square 17…Nc6 17...Nd7 18.Nc4 Nb6 19.Nxb6 Qxb6 20.e5 0–0 21.c4 Qd8 22.exd6 Bxd6 23.c5 Be7 24.Rad1 Qa5 25.Qe3 Bd7 26.Rb1 (26.Bxb7 Rab8 27.Rb1 Bb5 28.Be4) 26...Bc6 27.d5 exd5 28.Bb4 Qc7 29.Qxe7 18.Rad1 For the mere cost of a pawn, White has a huge lead in development and a large center, not too bad. 18...Qa5 Asking for trouble. Necessary was 18...0–0 19.d5 exd5 20.Nxd5 Bf6 21.Nxf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxd6 Be6 23.e5 Qf5 24.f4 a5 25.Be4 Qg4 26.Bf3 Qf5 27.Rb1 when White is much better but Black is still playing 19.Nc4 Hitting b6 and d6 with tempo 19...Qc7 20.e5! dxe5 or 20...d5 21.Nd6+ Kf8 22.Qf3 f5 23.exf6 Bxd6 24.Qf4 Ke8 25.Bxd6 g5 26.Qxg5 Qxd6 27.Bxd5 Kd8 28.Bg2 h6 29.Qg7 Qf8 30.d5 With a winning attack 21.Bxc6+ bxc6 21...Qxc6 22.Bxe7 Kxe7 23.d5 Qd7 24.Qxe5 With yet another winning attack 22.Bxe7 Qxe7 Black jettisons an exchange as the lesser of two evils: 22...Kxe7 23.dxe5 Bd7 24.Qe3 Kf8 (24...Rab8 25.Qc5+ Kd8 26.Nd6 Rf8 27.Nb5) 25.Qh6+ Kg8 26.Ne3 With the winning threat of Ng4 23.Nb6 Rb8 24.Qxe5 Rxb6 25.Qxh8+ Qf8 26.Qxh7 White's up an exchange and we have entered the technique phase of the game. Some players would just exchange off pieces, others, and Wei is one of those, would keep pursuing the attack. 26...Rb5 27.Qh4 Qb4 28.Re5 28.c4! is the more aggressive choice: 28…Qxc4 29.Qh8+ Kd7 30.Qf8 Kc7 31.Qxf7+ Bd7 32.Rc1 Qd5 33.Qxg6 28...Bd7 29.Qe4 a5?! 29...Qc4 30.Qd3 Qxd3 31.Rxd3 30.Rxb5 cxb5? 30...Qxb5 31.Qd3 Qxd3 32.Rxd3 a4 33.f3 f6 34.Ra3 c5 35.dxc5 Kd8 36.h4 31.Qa8+ Ke7 32.d5! Qg4 33.d6+ Kf6 34.Qh8+ Kf5 35.Rd4 With the idea of Rf4+ leading to mate which wins Black's queen: 35...Qe2 36.Rf4+ Kg5 37.Qh4#: 1–0
