[Event "WCO"] [Site "Chennai, India"] [Date "2022.08.05"] [Round "7.2"] [White "So Wesley"] [Black "Melkumyan Hrant"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2773"] [WhiteTeam "U.S.A."] [BlackElo "2634"] [BlackTeam "Armenia"] [Annotator "Nathan Solon"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B11"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/cS8lSqW7/2Fi1jv2q"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 { The Two Knights Attack is a common change-up when White wants to avoid the mainlines with d2-d4. } 3... Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 { White gets the bishop pair, but Black is extremely solid. } 5... e6 6. Be2 Bc5 7. O-O Nd7 8. exd5 cxd5 9. Rd1 Ngf6 10. d4 Be7 11. Bd3 O-O 12. Bf4 Nb8 13. Ne2 Nc6 14. c3 { After some maneuvering by both sides we've reached a very standard Carlsbad structure. With the bishop pair and slightly more active pieces White has the edge. } 14... Re8 15. Re1 g6 16. Ng3 Nd7 17. Re3 e5 18. Bh6 { Here's where things start to get weird. Objectively this move isn't best, but it sets a diabolical trap. } (18. dxe5 Bc5 19. e6! Rxe6 20. Rxe6 fxe6 { was possible with a normal game. }) 18... e4?? { If your opponent allows what seems to be an obvious win, double check to make sure it works. If your opponent is Wesley So, quadruple check it. Without taking anything away from the beauty of the refutation that follows, you have to say it was quite naive of Helkumyan to walk into this. He could have gained the upper hand with a clever zwischenzug. } (18... Bf8! 19. Bxf8 e4! 20. Qd1 Rxf8 { Black emerges with equal material and a powerful pawn wedge in the center. }) 19. Rxe4 Nf8 (19... dxe4 20. Qxf7+!! { is the spectacular point if Black takes the rook. The king is now drawn out into the middle of the board. } 20... Kxf7 21. Bc4+ Kf6 22. Nxe4+ { This is why it had to start with the rook sacrifice. White needs the knight for this crucial check. } 22... Kf5 23. g4+ Kxe4 24. Re1+ Kf3 25. Bd5# { A long line, but calculating this is child's play for someone like Melkumyan. He must have completely overlooked Rxe4. }) 20. Rf4 { With an extra pawn and a huge attack White is winning easily. } 20... f5 21. Nxf5 { Wesley crashes through energetically. } 21... gxf5 22. Rxf5 Qd6 23. Qg4+ Ng6 24. Rxd5 Qf6 (24... Qxd5 25. Bxg6 hxg6 26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Qg7#) 25. g3 { White even has time for this calm little pawn move. Well he already has four pawns for the piece, why not? } 25... Bf8 26. Rf5 Qe7 27. Bc4+ Kh8 28. Bg5 { Here Melkumyan had seen enough. White's attack is overwhelming. One possible finish would be } 28... Qd6 29. Rf6 Qc7 30. Rf7 Qd6 31. Rxh7+ Kxh7 32. Qh5+ Kg7 33. Qh6# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0