Five of the eight grandmasters who made it into the quarterfinals of the World Cup were younger than 20. The least well-known of them was Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, who for the past several years has been working as an understudy to his countryman Veselin Topalov, the former world champion. Cheparinov has a decidedly aggressive style, featuring great creativity in the opening. His encounter with China’s Wang Yue was one of the most scintillating games of the tournament.

WANG VS. CHEPARINOV (white) (black) King’s Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6. Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8. Qd2 f5 9.0-0-0 a6 This line has been previously employed by both Kasparov and Topalov. Black’s pawn thrust reveals his intention to act on the queenside. 10. Kb1 In game 21 of the 1990 Lyon/New York match between Karpov and Kasparov 10. Bd3 c5?! 11. dxc6 Nxc6 12. Nd5 Be6 13. Bb6 Qd7 14. Ne2 Rac8 15. Kb1 was played with better prospects for white. In Timman – Topalov, 1994 black created complications after 10. exf5 gxf5 11. Nge2 b5 12. Ng3 Nf6 13. Bg5 b4 14. Nb1 Qe8!? 15. Qxb4 h6 16. Bd2 a5 17. Qa3 Na6 18. Nc3 Bd7 with compensation for the pawn. 10… Nd7 11. Bd3 Nc5 12. Bc2 b5!? 13. cxb5 Deserving of attention was 13.b4!? Nd7 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Nge2 and it is not so easy for black to develop an initiative. 13… axb5 14. Nxb5 Ba6 15. Nc3 Qb8 16. Nge2 It was dangerous to open the long dark diagonal by 16. exf5 gxf5. For example: 17. Bxc5 (or 17.g4 Nf4 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19. Bxf5? Rxf5! 20. gxf5 Bd3+ 21. Ka1 Qb3! with a decisive attack: 22. Nh3 Bc4 23. Kb1 Rxa2! 24. Nxf4 exf4 25. Qg2 Qxc3!) 17… dxc5 18. Qg5 Bc4! 19. Qxh5 Rxa2! 20. Nxa2 e4! And black is winning. 16… Qb4 Releasing the tension in the center by 16…fxe4 was a reasonable alternative 17. Nxe4 (or 17. fxe4 Qb4 18. Nc1 Rfb8 19. Nb3 Bc4) 17…Nxe4 18. Bxe4 (18. fxe4 Qb7 followed by …Rab8 and …Nf4 or …Nf6) 18… Bc4 19. Nc3 (19. Nc1 Qb7) 19…Qb4 with a pleasant initiative on the queenside. 17. Bxc5 After 17. Nc1 Rfb8 18. Nb3 Nxb3 19. Bxb3 Nf6 Black has comfortable play for a pawn. 17… dxc5 The natural 17…Qxc5!? was also good. For example, 18. exf5 gxf5 19. Qg5 Bxe2 20. Nxe2 Rxa2! 21. Kxa2 Qxc2 and black is winning. 18.a3!? In case of 18. Ng3 Bc4! 19. Nxh5 Rfb8! 20.b3 gxh5 21. exf5 Bxb3! 22. axb3 e4 white is defenseless. 18… Qa5 19. Nc1 Bc4! Worse was 19…c4?! 20.d6! cxd6 21. Nd5 forcing the exchange of queens because it is bad for black to enter upon 21…Qd8?! 22. exf5 gxf5 23. Bxf5! Rxf5 24. Ne7+ Qxe7 25. Qd5+ with white winning both black pieces on the queenside. 20. Bb3?! Black cannot use either of his bishops. Exchanging off one of them is good for him. A better defense was 20. Na4! Qb5 21. Nc3 Qa6 22. Ba4! and the position is unclear. 20… Bxb3 21. Nxb3 Qb6 22. Qc2 Rfb8 23. Ka2 Nf4! Including the knight in the attack. Worse was the immediate 23…c4 24. Nd2 Qa6 25.g3 Bf8 26. Ncb1 24. Nc1?! The best chance for defense was 24. Nb1! Nxg2 25. Rd3 Nf4 26. Rc3 Bf8 27. Rd1. 24… c4! 25. Rd2 This doesn’t solve white’s problems. Better was 25.g3 Nh3 26. Rd2 Bf8 27. Ka1 Ng1! 28. Qd1 Bc5! 25… Bf8! 26.g3 After 26. Nb1 Bb4 27. Rdd1 Black destroys his opponent’s defense with 27…Nxg2! 28. Qxg2 Bxa3! 29. Nxa3 Rxa3+! 30. Kb1 (30. bxa3 Qb1#; 30. Kxa3 Ra8#) 30…c3 and black wins. 26… Bxa3! 27. bxa3 Rxa3+! 28. Kxa3 Qb4+ 29. Ka2 Ra8+ 30. Na4 c3! This is more precise than 30… Rxa4+ 31. Qxa4 Qxa4+ 32. Kb1 c3 33. Rc2 Nh3 34. exf5 Qb5+ 35. Ka1 gxf5 36. Re1. 31. Ka1 31. Rf2 loses after 31… 31…Rxa4+ 32. Qxa4 Qxa4+ 33. Kb1 Nh3 34. Re2 fxe4 35. fxe4 Nf2! 36. Rxf2 Qxe4+ 31… cxd2 32. Na2 Rxa4 33. gxf4 Qd4+ 34. Kb1 Rc4! 35. Qb3 fxe4 36.d6! The only way to prolong the struggle. Of no use was 36. Rd1 e3. 36… cxd6 37. fxe4 Qxe4+ 38. Kb2 Qxh1 39. Qxc4+ Kg7 40. Qe6! The best chance. It wouldn’t have helped to play 40. Nc3 Qc1+ 41. Kb3 d1Q+ 42. Nxd1 Qxd1+ with a winning queen endgame

See Diagram

40… d1N+! A beautiful conclusion to a fascinating game! Of course not 40… d1Q?? 41. Qe7+ with a draw by perpetual check. 41. Kc2 Ne3+ 42. Kd3 Nf5 43. fxe5 Qf3+ 44. Kd2 Qf2+ 45. Kd3 Qd4+ 46. Kc2 dxe5 47. Nc3 Qf2+ 48. Kb1 Qg1+ 49. Kb2 Qxh2+ 50. Ka3 Qg3 51. Kb4 Qf4+ 52. Ka5 Qd4 53. Nd5 Qc5+ 54. Ka4 Qd6 0-1