Two Chinese brilliancies

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
4/8/2021 – In the last couple of decades, China has become a chess powerhouse, with Ding Liren fighting at the highest level, the national squads accumulating success after success in team events and the women players continuing to show their strength. A week and a half before the resumption of the Candidates — where two of the participants are Chinese — we revisit two brilliant games by players born in the world’s most populous country: Liu Wenzhe and Wei Yi. | Photo: Niki Riga

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A chess powerhouse

The Candidates Tournament will resume a bit over a week from today, with the two highest-rated Chinese players in the world ready to get back into the fray in Yekaterinburg. While Ding Liren (world #3) did not have a good first half, Wang Hao (world #12) is still well within range to catch up with the leaders.

Having two players from China in the eight-player field should not catch anyone by surprise, as the Asian country has greatly developed his chess stars in the last two decades or so — although most likely the results began to show only after a period of deliberate attempts to rise the status of the sport in the country.

Besides Ding becoming the first Chinese player ever to participate in a Candidates Tournament and also the first one to pass the 2800 rating barrier, the biggest success achieved by the 3rd or 4th largest country in the world has been to win the Chess Olympiad twice in four years.

The Chinese won the most important team event in the world in Tromso 2014 and Batumi 2018, with three players getting gold medals in both competitions — Ding, Yu Yangyi and Wei Yi. The latter, currently 20th in the world ranking at 21, dominated the world junior ratings lists before the ascent of Alireza Firouzja, and is still the youngest player ever to reach a rating of 2700.

China, chess Olympiad

China achieved double gold at the 2018 Olympiad | Photo: Amruta Mokal

Lately, not much has been written about the Chinese prodigy — perhaps because the focus has been moved to even younger stars (Wei has not received invitations to elite events of late) — but he is still a force to be reckoned with. Back in 2015, the tactical wizard defeated Lázaro Bruzón at the Hainan Danzhou Tournament in what was dubbed as the new Chinese Immortal. The fantastic king hunt prompted pundits to reminisce on the original Chinese Immortal, played by Liu Wenzhe at the 1978 Buenos Aires Olympiad.

Let us look back at two of the greatest chess games ever played by Chinese players.

Going for the throat: Wei 1-0 Bruzón

Wei’s masterpiece was seen at the 6th edition of the Hainan Danzhou Masters in 2015, a 10-player single round robin which included 8 Chinese players, an Indian and a Cuban. The wunderkind, then 16 years old, played white against Bruzón in round 2.

Before looking at the highlights of the game, if you want to challenge yourself and see if you can find Wei’s continuations, do check out Sagar Shah’s article from 2015, where he poses five puzzles for you to solve! 

Out of a Sicilian Scheveningen, White castled short and decided to go all-in against Black’s kingside in what otherwise seemed to be a dynamically balanced position:

 
Wei vs. Bruzón (2015)

Black has just taken a knight on d5, and even before recapturing the piece Wei, in typical style, uncorked 22.Rxf7. Does he have enough firepower to checkmate the black king?

The Cuban star, of course, accepted the challenge with 22...Kxf7, and after 23.Qh7+ Ke6 24.exd5+ Kxd5 White is fully committed to the attack.

 

The good thing about going for such a king hunt is that there is no reason to doubt any more — it is all about finding a way to give checkmate! Thus, 25.Be4+. Black simply cannot reject the sacrifice now, as 25...Ke6 26.Qxg6+ will lead to White even recovering the sacrificed material. Bruzón played 25...Kxe4, and Wei once again proved he knew what he was doing from the start of the combination — 26.Qf7

 

26...Bf6 prevents mate on f3. Wei repeated the position with 27.Bd2+ Kd4 28.Be3+ Ke4 and again found the correct continuation — 29.Qb3, keeping an eye on a potential escape route for the black king along the a2-g8 diagonal. 

There followed 29...Kf5 30.Rf1+ Kg4

 

31.Qd3 and the black king is doomed, with the black heavy pieces standing as mere spectators away from the action. The Cuban GM tried a desperate defence starting with 31...Bxg2+, but Wei did not falter while putting the final touches on his masterpiece. Resignation came four moves later.

Replay the game with expert analysis by IM Sagar Shah: 

 
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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. 7.0-0 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 0-0 11.Qe1!? 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 18.f5! 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!? Nxd5
It is here that Wei Yi's brilliant combination begins. 21...Bxd5 is the lesser of the evils but after 22.exd5± Black's position is pretty bad. 22.Rxf7‼ 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! Kh8 24.Bg5+- 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! 24.Rf1+? is incorrect due to Nf4 25.Rxf4+ exf4 26.Bd4+ Ke6 26...Kg5? 27.h4+ Kg4 28.Qxg6+ with mate to follow in short order. 27.Qh3+ 27.Qxg6+ Bf6-+ 27...Kf7 28.Qh7+ Ke6= 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! 25.Qxg6+ Bf6 26.Bf5+ Ke7 27.Qh7+ Bf7-+ And the black king has been nicely cordoned off. 25...Rf8 26.Qh3+ Kf6 27.Rf1+! Kxg6 28.Qh6# 25.Be4+‼ 25.Qf7+? Kc6-+ 25...Kxe4
25...Ke6 26.Qxg6+ Bf6 27.Qf5+ Ke7 28.Qh7+ Ke6 28...Kf8 29.Bh6+ Rg7 29...Bg7 30.Rf1++- 30.Bxg7+ Bxg7 31.Rf1++- 29.Bf5+ Kd5 30.Bxd7+- Pawn up with the opponent's king on d5. Things couldn't get better! 26.Qf7‼ 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‼ 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‼ Once again fantastic control shown by the young lad. Qd3 is a mate and something must be done about it. 29.Qxg6+? Kd5-+ 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‼ 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? Kh5 32.Qh3+ Bh4-+ 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= 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+- 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+- 35.Bf2+ Kh3 36.Be1! 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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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wei,Y2724Bruzon Batista,L26691–020156th Hainan Danzhou GM2.4

Punishing an overly passive move: Liu 1-0 Donner

Liu WenzheSoon after the end of the Cultural Revolution, China participated in its first Chess Olympiad at the 1978 international competition in Buenos Aires. Suitably, Liu Wenzhe — the first Chinese player to ever defeat a grandmaster and the first-ever IM from the Asian country — played an astounding game to defeat Dutch GM Jan Hein Donner in round 8.

Liu played actively against Donner’s Pirc, and Black faltered decisively once White’s g-pawn reached the fifth rank:

 
Liu vs. Donner (1978)

10...Ne8 is both passive and takes away a potential escape square for the king. White continued with 11.Qd3, simply planning to transfer the queen to the h-file .

There followed 11...exd5 12.Nxd5 Nc6 13.Qg3 Be6 14.Qh4 f5 15.Qh7+ Kf7

 

It is here that Liu found a marvellous queen sacrifice — 16.Qxg6+ and White mates in 6 moves! There followed 16...Kxg6 17.Bh5+ Kh7 18.Bf7+ Bh6 19.g6+

 

19...Kg7 20.Bh6+ and Donner resigned — 20...Kh8 21.Bxf8 Qh4 22.Rxh4#

The game was analysed by Lubomir Kavalek in his excellent Huffington Post column:

 
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1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.g4 Sharp, very sharp. Donner is under a bayonet attack. h6 6.h3 This slow move tricked Donner into castling short. c5 7.d5 0-0 8.h4 Donner was amused by the double-step of white’s h-pawn. e6 9.g5 hxg5 10.hxg5 Ne8 Not only is this retreat passive, but it jams the black king. Black had to play 10...Nh7 11.f4 exd5 12.Nxd5 Re8 11.Qd3 exd5 12.Nxd5 Nc6 13.Qg3 Be6 14.Qh4 f5 15.Qh7+ Kf7 White simply plans to bring his queen to the h-file with a devastating effect. 16.Qxg6+ A wonderful queen sacrifice! Black is mated in 7 moves. Kxg6 16...Kg8 17.Qh7+ Kf7 18.Bh5# 17.Bh5+ Kh7 18.Bf7+ Bh6 19.g6+ Kg7 20.Bxh6+ 20.Bxh6+ Kh8 21.Bxf8+ Qh4 22.Rxh4# 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Liu Wenzhe-Jan Hein Donner-1–01978B07Olympiad8

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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