Yeoh Li Tian - GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son

GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son is the number two player in Vietnam, rated at ELO 2647. A former strong junior just like Le Quang Liem, he reportedly learnt chess at the age of three. He attained the IM title at 12 years old and the GM title two years later. His most recent success was winning the Zone 3.3 tournament, thus qualifying for the World Cup.

[Event "HDBank Open]"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.03.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Yeoh Li Tian"]
[Black "Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Liew,Jimmy"]


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8.
c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Ba6 10. b3 O-O-O 11. Bb2 Re8 12. f4 f6 13. Ne4 fxe5 14. fxe5 d5
15. Nd2 g6 16. O-O-O Bh6 17. Kb1 Bxd2 18. Qxd2 dxc4 19. Qa5 Kb7 20. g3 Rhf8 ?

I wonder if black purposely allowed the skewer. Without the black square
bishop, the white king will be exposed so maybe black is counting on this.

 21. Ba3 Qe6 22. Bxf8 Rxf8 23. Qc5 Rf5 24. Bg2 cxb3

Black rejects 24... Rxe5 25. Bxc6+ Kb8 26. Rd8+ Bc8 27. Rxc8+ Nxc8 28. Qxc4
Qxc4 29. bxc4 Nd6 30. Rf1 a6 31. Bd5 as this is drawish. However this is playing with fire.

25. Rhe1 g5 !?

A surprising move but has a point in that it sets a trap for white 

26. Rd8

White threatens 27.Bxc6 and 28 Rb8+ winning. The trap for white is (26. Bh3 Qg6
27. Bxf5 Qxf5+ 28. Ka1 b2+ 29. Kxb2 Na4+  and wins 

26... Rf6

The other alternative is 26... Nd7 27. Qb4+ Nb6 28. Bh3 wins for white as there is no tactical save as in the previous note.

27. Be4 Rh6 28. Rc1 Bc4 ??

28... bxa2+ 29. Ka1 Bc4 is still hold for black

29. axb3 Bxb3 30. Rd6 !

By now both players will be playing on increments which should explain the sub-optimal moves on both sides

Bd5 31. Bxd5 ?

White can go for the material win with 31.Rxe6 Bxe4+ 32. Ka1 Rxe6 33. Re1 wins for white as he retains the passed e-pawn

31... Qf5+ 32. Ka2 Rxh2+ 33. Ka3 cxd5 ??

This last mistake ends the game. black survives the mate after 33... Qd3+ 34. Bb3 cxd6 35. Qxc6+
Kb8 36. e6 (36. exd6 Rd2 wins the e-pawn) 36... Re2 37. Qc7+ Ka8 38. Qd8+ Kb7
39. Rc7+ Ka6  

34. Qc6+ Ka6 35. Qa4+ Kb7 36. Rxc7+ Kxc7 37. Qxa7+ Kc8 38. Qa6+ 1-0