Yu Yangyi leads in China's Championship

[Event "ch-CHN 2014"] [Site "Xinghua CHN"] [Date "2014.03.13"] [Round "3.2"] [White "Yu, Yangyi"] [Black "Wei, Yi"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B97"] [WhiteElo "2664"] [BlackElo "2625"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "119"] [EventDate "2014.03.11"] [SourceDate "2014.01.04"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 {One would think that in this day and age, when computers thrive and we learn how to count in 'gigas' as opposed to 'megas' that the Poisoned Pawn Najdorf would be solved. And yet, quite the contrary is true. The variation is still fresh and full of new ideas.} 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Nfd7 12. Ne4 h6 13. Bh4 Qxa2 14. Rd1 Qd5 15. Qe3 Qxe5 16. Be2 Bc5 17. Bg3 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 Qa5+ 19. Rd2 O-O 20. Bd6 f5 {This is Black's latest try.} (20... Nc6 21. O-O Nce5 22. Rdd1 $5 {was played in the game Karjakin-Kokarev in the Russian Team championship of 2012. It is unclear if White is much better here, but he certainly has enough for the sacrificed material and Black's position is somewhat uncomfortable.}) 21. Bxf8 Nxf8 22. Nd6 Nbd7 23. g4 fxg4 24. Bxg4 Qa1+ 25. Bd1 $1 {Is this an earth-shattering novelty? No, but it is subtly important. This is stronger than what had been played previously:} (25. Rd1 Qa5+ 26. c3 Qe5 27. Qxe5 Nxe5 $11 {Kosintseva-Paikidze, 2012. If anything this favors Black already who will consolidate his position within a few moves.}) 25... Qe5 {The only logical move.} 26. Qxe5 Nxe5 {Now White's bishop is not hanging on g4 and White has time to start creating some threats.} 27. O-O Bd7 { Development is natural but it quickly lands Black in trouble.} (27... a5 $5 { Simply rolling the pawn forward. It would have been interesting to see how White keeps the pressure here exactly, but chances are plentiful and Black's position seems loose.}) 28. Re1 Neg6 29. Nxb7 {Technically, material is equal. Black has a knight and two pawns for a rook. The problem for the second player is that this is a wide open position, in which the rook is the clear favorite. Not only that, he cannot make use of the pawns any time soon, while White's passed c-pawn can be powerfully supported.} Nf4 30. h4 Rc8 31. Rd4 g5 32. hxg5 Nh3+ 33. Kh2 Nxg5 34. c4 Rc7 35. Nd6 Ng6 36. Re3 {Notice that Black's knights are having trouble coming to the c-file to block the pawn.} Kg7 37. Kg3 Kf6 38. Bc2 a5 39. Ra3 e5 40. Rd1 Nf4 41. Rxa5 {A pawn falls, and Black has not improved his position that much, though at least he can say his knights are closer to the action.} Ne2+ 42. Kf2 Nd4 43. Ra6 Nh3+ 44. Kg3 Ke7 45. Be4 Ng5 46. Bd5 Nge6 47. Ne4 Nf4 48. Rda1 Nf5+ (48... Nxd5 49. cxd5 Rc2 $1 {Was Black's best chance. This way he creates counterplay with the threat of Nf5+}) 49. Kf3 Nd4+ 50. Kg3 Nf5+ 51. Kf2 Nxd5 52. cxd5 Rc4 (52... Rc2+ 53. Kg1 {no longer helps Black who is too far away from causing White's king any problems.} ) 53. Re1 (53. Nf6 $1 {was certainly better.}) 53... Rc2+ 54. Kg1 Nd4 55. Rf1 Ne2+ 56. Kh1 Nf4 57. Rg1 {White has coordinated his rooks. Now that they are on opposite flanks Black cannot rely on his bishop alone to defend from checks. } Bh3 58. Ra7+ Kf8 59. d6 Bf5 60. Nf6 {A theoretically interesting game and an important win for Yu Yangyi} 1-0