Modern Day Immortal Game [Chinese Player - Wei, Yi 2724]

[Nathanael Russell]

Reference: WorldChessNews
Source: http://en.chessbase.com/post/hainan-dan ... ortal-game

[pgn][Event "6th Hainan Danzhou GM"]
[Site "Danzhou CHN"]
[Date "2015.07.03"]
[Round "2.4"]
[White "Wei, Yi"]
[Black "Bruzon Batista, Lazaro"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B40"]
[WhiteElo "2724"]
[BlackElo "2669"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2015.07.02"]

{There is something about the way this young Chinese kid plays. He doesn't just beat his opponents, he crushes them. And his combinations are so crisp that you are left with this simple question in your head: "How does he do it against the best in the world?" Have a look at this game against Bruzon Batista which many say is the "Modern day Immortal Game."} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qc7 {The game has now transposed into a Sicilian Taimanov.} 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 {This move transposes into the Sicilian Scheveningen. An opening which has a rich tradition and always leads to interesting positions.} (8... Bb4 {Pure Taimanov players prefer this move.}) 9. f4 d6 10. Kh1 O-O 11. Qe1 $5 {This idea of putting your queen on g3 is common in the Scheveningen – thousands of games have been played in the past. } Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. Qg3 Bb7 14. a3 {Usually a move like a3 is a waste of time in the Sicilian. But here it is totally justified as it is important to keep the knight on c3.} Rad8 15. Rae1 Rd7 {It might seem funny to think about why exactly Black placed his rook on d7. But in doing so, he vacated the d8 square for his queen. This setup of Rd7-Qd8 is very effective against a e4-e5 break.} 16. Bd3 Qd8 (16... Re8 {is what you see in more games.}) 17. Qh3 g6 ( 17... h6 {is the computer's move. But as Scheveningen experts already know, this is a very dangerous move and any sacrifice later on h6 would be almost decisive.} 18. Re3 $40) 18. f5 $1 {A strong attacking move. Something has gone horribly wrong for Bruzon right out of the opening.} e5 19. Be3 Re8 {Little did Bruzon know that leaving the f7 point undefended would lead to a beautiful combination.} 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. Nd5 $5 Nxd5 {[#]It is here that Wei Yi's brilliant combination begins.} (21... Bxd5 {is the lesser of the evils but after} 22. exd5 $16 {Black's position is pretty bad.}) 22. Rxf7 $3 {The term bolt from the blue looks pretty clichéd here. Bruzon, a 2669 rated player, must definitely have anticipated this move, right? It is a very common pattern of dragging the black king out. What exactly did he have in mind against Rxf7 is unclear, because even a minute's glance is enough to convince you that the attack is very dangerous, even though it cannot be calculated to the end.} Kxf7 (22... Nf6 {is met with} 23. Qe6 $1 Kh8 24. Bg5 $18 {When Black is absolutely busted.}) 23. Qh7+ Ke6 (23... Kf8 24. Bh6# {is easy to calculate.}) (23... Kf6 {The computer thinks that this is the easiest move to refute, but I disagree. Rf1+ is very tempting and it leads to a draw. The correct move here is to take the knight.} 24. exd5 $1 (24. Rf1+ $2 {is incorrect due to} Nf4 25. Rxf4+ exf4 26. Bd4+ Ke6 (26... Kg5 $2 27. h4+ Kg4 28. Qxg6+ {with mate to follow in short order.}) 27. Qh3+ (27. Qxg6+ Bf6 $19) 27... Kf7 28. Qh7+ Ke6 $11 {and White has nothing more than a draw at this point.}) 24... e4 25. Rf1+ Ke5 26. Qxg6 exd3 27. Qf5#) 24. exd5+ Kxd5 {Once again we reach a critical crossroad. Black is threatening to run away with Kc6-c7. White must stop him at any cost.} ( 24... Bxd5 {White has only one way to win at this point.} 25. Bxg6 $1 (25. Qxg6+ Bf6 26. Bf5+ Ke7 27. Qh7+ Bf7 $19 {And the black king has been nicely cordoned off.}) 25... Rf8 26. Qh3+ Kf6 27. Rf1+ $1 Kxg6 28. Qh6#) 25. Be4+ $3 ( 25. Qf7+ $2 Kc6 $19) 25... Kxe4 {[#]} (25... Ke6 26. Qxg6+ Bf6 27. Qf5+ Ke7 28. Qh7+ Ke6 (28... Kf8 29. Bh6+ Rg7 (29... Bg7 30. Rf1+ $18) 30. Bxg7+ Bxg7 31. Rf1+ $18) 29. Bf5+ Kd5 30. Bxd7 $18 {Pawn up with the opponent's king on d5. Things couldn't get better!}) 26. Qf7 $3 {An extremely difficult move to foresee. Such moves are reminiscent of Tal who used to sacrifice material without care and then make a quiet move taking control of the important squares. Here the d5 square was the most important. Even though a piece and rook down Wei Yi takes control of that square.} (26. c4 $3 {The engine points out this fascinating move which helps to get the c4 square later on also wins.} bxc4 27. Qxg6+ Kd5 28. Qf7+ Kc6 (28... Ke4 29. Qxc4+ Kf5 30. Rf1+ Kg6 31. Qf7#) 29. Qxc4# {Now we see why c4 was such an amazing move!}) 26... Bf6 27. Bd2+ ( 27. Bb6+ Kf5 28. Rf1+ Kg5 29. Be3+ Kh5 {It might seem that Qh7 would end the game here, but unfortunately the rook on d7 wouldn't allow that. In fact the black king is pretty safe on the h5 square.}) 27... Kd4 28. Be3+ {No harm in repeating the position to gain some time. But it just shows that things were not so easy for Wei Yi on the board. He had not yet found the exact way to win the game.} Ke4 29. Qb3 $3 {Once again fantastic control shown by the young lad. Qd3 is a mate and something must be done about it.} (29. Qxg6+ $2 Kd5 $19 { losing control over the d5 square is unforgivable.}) 29... Kf5 30. Rf1+ Kg4 { What to do next? The black king looks like a ripe juicy target, but is there a way to finish him off?} 31. Qd3 $3 {Isn't this unbelievable? Black has so many pieces, but none of them can come to the rescue of their king. And by the way this is the only winning move.} (31. Bh6 $2 Kh5 32. Qh3+ Bh4 $19 {and White falls short of ammunition.}) (31. Bd2 Kh5 32. Qh3+ Bh4 {is similar.}) (31. c4 { trying to get the queen into the game from d1} Bxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Qa8+ 33. Kg1 Qe4 $11 {and once the black queen enters the defence, things become very complicated.}) 31... Bxg2+ {Unable to find anything Bruzon gives up his bishop in desperation.} (31... Rg7 32. Qe2+ Kh4 33. h3 Qd7 34. Kh2 Bxg2 35. Qxg2 Bd8 36. Qf2+ Kh5 37. Qf3+ Kh4 38. Rg1 $18) 32. Kxg2 Qa8+ {The queen finally enters the game, but it's too late.} 33. Kg1 {Unfortunately the black queen has no squares in the centre from where she can join in the battle.} Bg5 (33... e4 34. Qe2+ Kh4 35. Rf4+ Kg5 36. Rxe4+ Kf5 37. Qf3#) 34. Qe2+ Kh4 (34... Kh3 35. Bxg5 $18) 35. Bf2+ Kh3 36. Be1 $1 {There is just no way to prevent the mate with Rf3 or Qd3. What a mind Wei Yi must have to see all these mating patterns in this king hunt, and that too with the clock ticking on!} (36. Be1 Bf4 37. Qd3+ Kg4 38. Qxg6+ Bg5 39. h3+ Kxh3 40. Qf5#) 1-0

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