The Chinese national chess has been on a triumphal Long March through the chess world. In a team championship held in the Russian city of Nizhniy Novgorod, the Chinese first trounced their hosts, with both the female and male teams coming out ahead. Then they moved on to crush England, winning double the number of points of their British opponents. Wang Yue was one of the Chinese stars. Here we see him taking on Artyom Timofeev of Russia, adroitly combining offensive and defensive action, and landing a deadly blow at the pivotal moment.

WANGYUE VS. TIM OFEEV (white) (black) Gruenfeld Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 0-0 9. Be2 b6 For several decades the main line was 9…cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12.0-0. After this line was played to the point of exhaustion, the consensus became that it is too difficult for black to defend this position. The search for something better commenced. 10.0-0 Bb7 11. Qd3 Ba6 12. Qe3 Qd7 13. dxc5!? This promises more to white than 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 14. Qe2 Nc7 15. Rd1 Rfd8 16. Be3 Qa4! which gives black the initiative in Avruch-Kasparov, 2000. 13… Bxe2 A crude error would be 13…bxc5? 14. Rxb8 Raxb8 15. Bxa6 and white is winning, as in Gelfand-Sokolov, 1988. 14. Qxe2 bxc5 A good alternative is 14…Qc7!? 15. cxb6 axb6 and in exchange for the pawn, black has good counterplay against the weak white pawns on a2 and c3. 15. Qc4! Qc6

The attempt to control the e5 square via 15…Qc7 16. Bg5 e6 17. Rfd1 Nd7 18. Be7 gives white a better position. 16.e5 Nd7 17. Re1 e6!?
This is more solid than 17…Nb6 18. Qh4 Qa4 19. Qxe7 Qxa2 20. Rb5! and white’s position is better, as in Van Wely-Avruch, 2000. 18. Qh4 Rfb8 19. Ra1! A beautiful defensive maneuver. With four rooks on the board it is more difficult for black to create counterplay. 19… Qc7 20. Bf4 c4! The most active plan. The black knight is heading for d3. 21. Rad1 Nc5 22. Bh6 Nd3 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 The white rook is untouchable:

L 23…Nxe1 24. Qf6 Nxf3+ 25. gxf3 Rd8 26. Bh6! Rxd1+ 27. Kg2 with mate inevitable. 24. Qf6+ Kg8 25. Re4 Rb2 26. Rf1! Rab8 27.h4 Rxa2?

The decisive moment. Black underestimates white’s threats. He had to choose between 27…Rb1 28. Nd2! Rxf1+ 29. Nxf1 h5 30. Ne3 Qa5; and 27…h5 28. Ng5 (28.g4 hxg4 29. Rxg4 Qd8 30. Rxg6+ fxg6 31. Qxg6+ Kf8 32. Ng5 Qe8 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Qh7+ which leads only to a draw by perpetual.) 28…Rf8 29.g4 Qd8 and black has sufficient counterplay in both cases.

28. Ng5! Rf8 29.h5! Qd8

(See Diagram)

Black hoped to extinguish white’s initiative by exchanging of queens. But that plan is refuted by a combination. No better was 29…h6 30. hxg6! hxg5 31. Qxg5 with white having a winning attack.

30. Nxh7! Qxf6

Black would be mated in the event of 30…Kxh7 31. hxg6+ fxg6 32. Rh4+ 31. Nxf6+ Kg7

More stubborn was 31…Kh8! 32. hxg6 Kg7! 33. gxf7 Rc2. Black failed to foresee the next blow. 32.h6+! Kh8

Even worse was 32…Kxh6 33. Rh4+ Kg5 34.g3 Rb8 35.f4+ Nxf4 36. Rhxf4 Rbb2 37. Rg4+ Kh6 38. Rh4+ Kg7 39. Rh7+ Kf8 40. Ng4 and black is losing.

33.f4 Rc8 34. Rd4! g5

The main line was 34…a5 35. Rd7 Rf8 36. Rb1 threatening 37. Rxf7 Rxf7 38. Rb8 36… 36…Rb2 37. Rxb2 Nxb2 38. Re7! Nd3 39. Nd7 Rd8 40. Rxf7 and black doesn’t have any defense against 41. Nf6 and the ensuing mate on h7.

35. fxg5 Nxe5

36. Rfd1 Nd3

37. Rd7 Rf8

38.g6!

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