ODT090616

=**Drama in Chinese Championship**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 3.

The Chinese national championship, held in Xinghua Jiangsu earlier this month, was the occasion of plenty of drama and some controversy. GM Wang Hao was unbeaten and cantering to victory with a 1½ point lead going into the last two rounds. He then lost to his nearest challenger Ding Liren, cutting his lead to half a point, but crucially giving Ding the tie-break advantage if they finished on the same score. In the final round Ding won without having to make a move when his opponent GM Zhou Jianchao overslept and forfeited under the new FIDE rules requiring players to be seated at the board by the starting time. Needing to outscore his rival, Wang spurned some drawing continuations on his way to his second loss, to tail-ender GM Liang Chong. So untitled 16 year-old Ding Liren won the championship outright with a score of 8½/11 and a massive 2800 rating performance, half a point ahead of Wang. The controversial aspect of his victory (the win by default, when until last year a player could arrive up to 1 hour late without forfeiting) should not overshadow Ding's fantastic achievement, which included wins over three members of China's Olympiad team.

Today's game is Ding Liren's win playing White against the top seed GM Ni Hua from the sixth round in Xinghua Jiangsu. media type="custom" key="26412804" An unusual move in this offbeat variation of the Exchange Gruenfeld. The rook appears awkwardly placed defending the c-pawn until you realise White's plan is to attack on the kingside when the rook can swing over to help after c3-c4. A slightly unfortunate position for the queen. 12 ... Qc7 similarly retards 13 f4 and also threatens 13... c4!? disturbing White's rook from its kingside goal. A pawn sacrifice to open lines on the kingside. The closed centre means castling can wait. White is not interested in regaining the pawn with 19 Rxb7. The action is on the g-file leading to the black king. For the same reason Black attempts to anchor his bishop at g6, as 19 ...b6 20 h5 Be4 21 Rg3 is very dangerous. Even with queens exchanged the force of White's attack is not diminished. A brilliant sacrifice – Black wins the exchange with check, but the White mating attack of just a rook, pawn and two bishops rages on. To cover d7 via a4. If 29 ... Re4 then 30 d6! wins material due to the threat of promotion e.g. 30 ... Re6 31 Rg4+ Bg6 32 Be7 Re8 33 hxg6 etc. The black pieces are virtually paralysed, so White calmly marches a second pawn into the attack. Allowing a delightful final combination, but after say 33...Kh7 White can regain the exchange at will by a future d5-d6-d7 with a winning position. Or 34 ... Kxh7? 35 Rh4+ Kg8 36 Rh8 mate. Black must lose a piece with 35 ... Re4 or worse to stop mate by 36 Bd3 and 37 Bxh7.
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. Nf3 g6**
 * 3. c4 Bg7**
 * 4. Nc3 d5**
 * 5. cxd5 Nxd5**
 * 6. e4 Nxc3**
 * 7. bxc3 c5**
 * 8. Rb1 O-O**
 * 9. Be2 Nc6**
 * 10. d5 Ne5**
 * 11. Nxe5 Bxe5**
 * 12. Rb3!? ---**
 * 12. --- Qd6?!**
 * 13. Qd2! e6**
 * 14. f4 Bg7**
 * 15. c4 e5**
 * 16. f5! ---**
 * 16. --- gxf5**
 * 17. exf5 Bxf5**
 * 18. O-O Bg6**
 * 19. h4! h5**
 * 20. Qg5 e4**
 * 21. Bxh5 Rae8**
 * 22. Be2 Qe7**
 * 23. h5 Bh7**
 * 24. Rg3! ---**
 * 24. --- Qxg5**
 * 25. Bxg5 Bd4+**
 * 26. Kh2 Be5**
 * 27. Bf6+!! ---**
 * 27. --- Bxg3+**
 * 28. Kxg3 e3**
 * 29. Rf4 Bc2**
 * 30. Kf3! Kh7**
 * 31. g4 Kg8**
 * 32. g5 a6**
 * 33. h6 Bg6?**
 * 34. h7+! Bxh7**
 * 35. Rh4! Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Qh6! Qxe5 (else 2 Qf6# or 1... Rf8 2 Qxf8#) 2 Qxh7+! Kxh7 3 Kg2#.