1st Qin Huangdao Open

While we have been pre-occupied with the on-going Grand Slam in Sao Paolo (now on the way to Bilbao, Spain), a strong open tournament has been going on in China. All the top Chinese are there as expected e.g. Bu XiangZhi, Wang Yue, Li Chao etc.

In the fourth round, the recently crowned Malaysian Open champion Li ShiLong made a major scalp. His opponent is none other than the Vietnamese prodigy and 2717 ELO rated Le Quang Liem. The game is quite good.



[Event "1st Qin Huangdao Open Chess Tournament"]
[Site "Qin Huangdao/Hebei/China"]
[Date "2011.10.03"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Li, Shilong"]
[Black "Le, Quang Liem"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2519"]
[BlackElo "2717"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8. e3
Nc6 9. Rc1 g5 10. Bg3 Ne4 11. Bb5 Qa5 12. O-O Bxc3 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 14. bxc3 Bg4
15. Qb3 Qa6 16. dxc5 


A very brave move sacrificing the exchange. White could not have seen everything so this was an intuitive sac.

Bxf3 17. gxf3 Nd2 18.Qc2 Nxf1 19. Bd6 

The point of the sac. The black king will be caught in the centre.

19. Qc8 

Necessary as white threatened 20. Qf5 with mating threats of 22.Qe5+ Kd8 22. Qe7+ Kd8 23. Qc7 mate.

20. e4 

Amazing how white just ignores the knight and continues to open lines for his attack.

20...f5 

The only move. Black has to create a square for his king to flee 20... Kd7 21. exd5 {Threat
Qf5+} cxd5 22. c4 {Same threat} Ne3 {To close the e-file} 23. fxe3 Ke8 24. Qc3
Rg8 25. cxd5 {Threat Qe5+} Qf5 26. e4 and the queen has to give up the e5
square. Or (20... f6 21. exd5 Kf7 22. Re1 with deadly threat on e7

21. exd5 cxd5 22. c4 d4 23. Rxf1

Slightly inaccurate 23. Kxf1 Qe6 24. Re1 {winning the queen}

23... Kf7

23... Qe6 {was better and holds although it is still very unpleasant for black.}

24. c6 Qe6 25. c5 Qd5 26. Rd1 Qxf3 ??

The position is bad but this is a terrible blunder. Black probably thought his king could shelter on g4 or h4. But he misses some important tactics.

27. Qc4+ Kg7 28. Be5+ Kg6 29. Qe6+ Kh5 30. Qf7+ Kg4 31. Rxd4+ f4 32. Rxf4+ gxf4

Or 32... Qxf4 33. h3+ Kf3 34. Bxf4 gxf4 35. Qc4 Rad8 36. Qc2 Rhe8 37. Kf1 This needs a diagram because the symmetry is striking. The rooks must stand guard on the d and e files.

The end now is 37.. h5 38. c7 Rd5 39. c8=Q Rxc8 40. Qe2#

33. Qe6+  Kg5 34. Bf6+ Kg6 35. Be7+  1-0

Black is mated after 35...Kh5 36. Qf5 mate or 35..Kg7 36.Qf6+ Kg8 37.Qg6 mate