[Event "86th Tata Steel Masters"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2024.01.28"] [Round "13.3"] [White "Wei, Yi"] [Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2740"] [BlackElo "2742"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D05"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Traditional Colle"] [StudyName "2024 Tata Steel"] [ChapterName "Wei, Yi - Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/jonbbAZH/Ab7zFdqJ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. c3 e6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 { Wei Yi's oddball opening exploration continues (he beat Ju Wenjun with the Dutch in the previous round), and this is excellent timing. } 8... Qc7 (8... e5 { is the equalizing scheme for Black in the Colle, but Black is also in a "must-win" situation and thus decides to drift into murkier waters. }) 9. e4 cxd4 10. cxd4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 b6 12. Bg5 Nxe4 13. Rxe4 Bb7 14. Rc1 Qb8 15. Rh4 $16 { A model game for fans of "system" openings like the Colle or London. White has achieved e3-e4, the isolated d4-pawn is not under any pressure, the c-rook controls one open file and the e-rook has already lifted to the kingside on its half-open file. White is firing on cylinders. } 15... f5 16. Bc4 Qe8 17. Qb3 Kh8? (17... Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Qg6 19. Bf4 Bxf4 20. Rxf4 Kh8 21. Re1 Rae8 22. Bb5 Qf7 { allows White to continue to exert pressure on the weak e6-pawn with } 23. Qb3 { but the d4-pawn will become a liability with so many trades of minor pieces, and Black has reasonable chances of holding the endgame, although it won't be easy to trade off the heavy pieces to get there. }) 18. Re1 { Now, White's pressure is too overwhelming. } 18... Be4 19. Bxe6 Qg6 20. Bd2 Nf6 21. Ng5 f4 22. Rxh7+! Nxh7 23. Nxe4 f3 24. g3 { For only the cost of a redundant rook short on squares, White has managed to keep three fantastic minor pieces and halt any meaningful kingside attack from Black. } 24... Be7 25. d5 { Now the d-pawn is more strength than weakness! } 25... Rad8 26. Qa4 a5 27. Qc6 Bb4 28. Bxb4 axb4 29. h4 Ra8 30. Nd6 { Talk about positional dominance! Black is totally busted. } 30... Ra7 31. Qxb6 Rxa2 32. Qc7 Nf6 33. Nf7+ Kh7 34. Ne5 Qh6 35. Qc2+ g6 36. Nxg6 Rfa8 37. Ne5+ Kg7? 38. Qc7+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0