- Bedford Chess Club

January 30, 2016October 21, 2016 by Neil Hickman

If your opponent has drawn eight games in a row, it may mean he is feeling peaceful. Or, as the Czech number 1 David Navara discovered at Wijk aan Zee, it may mean that he is saving something violent for a suitable victim.

This game, given by Leonard Barden in his Guardian column, shows an interesting approach against the very solid "Berlin Wall".

    [Event "Wijk aan Zee"]   [Site "?"]   [Date "2016.01.??"]   [Round "9"]   [White "Wei Yi"]   [Black "Navara, D."]   [Result "1-0"]   [ECO "C65"]   [Annotator "Hickman,Neil"]   [PlyCount "55"]     1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Nc4 Nd7 8.   Qe2 Re8 9. Bd2 Bd6 10. h4 $1 {This is a novelty.} ({Apparently Anand and   McShane have tried} 10. g4 $5) 10... c5 11. h5 h6 12. O-O-O Nb8 $6 ({I think   one files this move under "too clever by half". In the very closed Breyer   variation Black can get away with undeveloping the N like this; but here with   stormclouds already gathering over the kingside surely} 12... Nf6 {was   necessary}) 13. Rdg1 Nc6 14. g4 {Fritz will tell you this position is level.   It isn't.} f6 {Forced, which already says something about how ropey Black's   position is.} 15. g5 $1 fxg5 16. Nxg5 $1 Nd4 17. Qd1 hxg5 18. Bxg5 Be7 19. Be3   Bf6 20. h6 {As Barden wryly observes, "the kind of route one attack beloved of   hackers in chess clubs..." White's position is almost playing itself.} Re7 (   20... g5 21. Bxg5 $1 Bxg5+ 22. f4 $1 exf4 23. Qh5 Ne2+ 24. Kb1 $1 Nxg1 25. Qg6+   {and mates}) 21. hxg7 {With the Black king deprived of pawn cover and   virtually all White's pieces bearing down on the king, it will be a miracle if   Black escapes in one piece. Note that Black's queen-side pieces might as well   not be on the board.} Rxg7 22. Qh5 $1 Be6 23. Bh6 Bf7 {Forcing the queens off.   Has Black found his miracle?} 24. Bxg7 Bxh5 25. Bxf6+ Kf8 26. Bxd8 Ne2+ 27. Kb1   Nxg1 {Material is nearly equal...} 28. Bxc7 $1 {...but this adroit sidestep   leaves all of Black's pieces under threat. The rook forks the two minor pieces   and if the bishop moves there is a potential skewer picking up the rook.} 1-0