ChessBase.com has published its Best of 2017 list. It included Male Player, Female Player, and Game for 2017. Based on readers’ votes, Levon Aronian was the clear Player of 2017, getting 42 percent of the votes, with Magnus Carlsen next with 18 percent. Hou Yifan is the Female Player of the year, receiving 41 percent, with Anna Muzychuk next with 22 percent. As expected by most, the game of the year was Bai Jinshi vs. Ding Liren, which featured a queen sacrifice and a very nice king hunt from the Chinese Chess League, winning with 38 percent. Next was Aronian-Carlsen from Norway Chess 2017, with 13 percent. The third favorite was today’s game with 12 percent, Dennis Wagner vs. Padraig Nikolic from the 2016-17 German Schach Bundesliga season, it was also voted the best game of that season by the readers of www.SchachBundesliga.de.
In the game, Wagner assays the very aggressive f3 line in the Nimzo-Indian. It would seem that this day that Nikolic just didn’t want to be attacked as his defense left much to be desired. With some very sharp moves, White forced Black’s resignation after just 22 moves.
Bundesliga 2016/17
Dennis Wagner (2543) - Predrag Nikolic (2622)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 the very reliable Nimzo-Indian Defense 4.f3 The 4.f3 line in the Nimzo-Indian is a very aggressive line. White plans either to play for e4 or as in this game launch his pawns towards Black's king. In either case, Black has to pay close attention to about everything here 4...d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 h6?! No need for this now. And as we will see, this makes castling kingside really problematical 7.cxd5 exd5 8.e3 Bf5 9.Ne2 0–0?! Walking, no, running into trouble, c5 was necessary delaying for a white the placement of his king 10.g4! Bh7 11.h4 Ne8 11...Nfd7 12.Nf4 Nb6 is another game of 13.g5 hxg5 14.hxg5 Qxg5 15.Bd3 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Re8 17.Qh7+ Kf8 18.Kf2 Qf6 19.a4! 1-0 (30) Wagner, D (2571) - Komarov, D (2506) Drancy 2016 12.Nf4 Nc6 13.g5! hxg5?! Necessary however unappealing, was 13...Ne7 14.gxh6 gxh6 15.Ra2 c6 16. c4 Ng6 17.Nxg6 fxg6 18.Rg2 with a plus but Black is still playing. 14.hxg5 Qxg5 Black does not have the time for 4...Nd6; 15.Ra2 Re8 16.Rah2 wins 15.Ra2! Doubling on the h-file is the winning idea 15...Qd8 or 15...Qg3+ 16.Rf2 Bf5 17.Ke2 Qg5 18.Rfh2 f6 19.Rg2 16.Rah2 Nf6 17.Qc2!! g6 What else? Of course not 17…Bxc2 18.Rh8 mate or 17...Re8 18.Rxh7 Nxh7 19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.Qf5 Qd6 21.Rh8+ Ke7 22.Qg5+ f6 (22...Kd7 23.Bh3+ Re6 24.Rxa8) 23.Qxg7+ Kd8 24.Bh3 with a winning attack 18.Rxh7! Nxh7 19.Qh2 Mate is the threat 19…Re8 Another try is19...Kg7 but after 20.Qxh7+ Kf6 21.e4 Rh8 22.e5+ Nxe5 23.dxe5+ Kxe5 24.Qxf7 Qe8 25.Qxg6! White is winning 20.Qxh7+ Kf8 21.Qh6+ Ke7 22.Qg5+ Black gave up here as after 22...Kd7 (22...Kf8 23.Rh8+ Kg7 24.Nh5+! Kxh8 25.Qh6+ Kg8 26.Qg7#)23.Bh3+ f5 (23...Re6 24.Qxd5+ Ke7 25.Bxe6 Qxd5 26.Bxd5 wins) 24.Bxf5+ gxf5 25.Qxf5+ Ke7 26.Rh7+ Kd6 27.Qxd5 is mate; 1–0
Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.
