Olympic spotlight

by Oliver Reeh
12/3/2022 – In the diagram position, the fork 18...e4?? blundered the game for Black, but he did have a subtle way to get a clear advantage - enjoy the notes by Wesley So!
88 times, IM Oliver Reeh leads you step by step through the most brillant game conclusions of the world champions - in interactive Fritztrainer format, enabling you to enter the winning moves yourself.
 
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1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.Be2 Bc5 7.0-0 Nd7 8.exd5 cxd5 9.Rd1 Ngf6 10.d4 Be7 11.Bd3 0-0 12.Bf4 Nb8 13.Ne2 Nc6 14.c3 Re8 15.Re1 g6 16.Ng3 Nd7 17.Re3 e5 18.Bh6? Olympic spotlight From the diagram, the fork 18...e4?? blundered the game for Black, but he did have a subtle way to get a clear advantage - enjoy the notes by Wesley So! e4?? (...) Hrant had an hour left on the clock, but only used two minutes to make this blunder! Obviously he thought that I was ready to sacrifice a piece in return for two pawns and the bishop pair. I was expecting 18...exd4 19.cxd4 Nxd4 20.Qxd5 Nc5 when the pieces get traded and it shouldn't be too hard for White to equalize and make a draw. But much stronger is 18...Bf8! which I assume we both missed. I thought White could fight on somehow, but the position is really bad after 19.Bxf8 e4 20.Qd1 Rxf8 21.Bf1 f5 22.Re1 Kh8 and there's not a lot of tricks left for White in the position.
How did Wesley So punish Black's 18...e4??
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2773Melkumyan,H26341–02022B11Olympiad-447.2

 

Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine

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Oliver Reeh has been working for ChessBase for many years as a translator and presenter of the internet show TV ChessBase, and he also looks after the tactics column in ChessBase Magazine, for which he has also been responsible as editor-in-chief since 2019. The International Master has contributed to the CB "MasterClass" series and is the author of the DVDs "Strike like the World Champions" and "Master Class Tactics - Train your combination skills!" Volumes 1 & 2. Oliver Reeh lives in Hamburg.
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