[Event "45th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024"] [Site "Budapest"] [Date "2024.09.22"] [Round "11"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Wei, Yi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2752"] [BlackElo "2762"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B51"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation"] [StudyName "45th FIDE Olympiad"] [ChapterName "So, Wesley - Wei, Yi"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/y8ExkpJx/bIOBC7bJ"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:54] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:52] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:18] } 2... d6 { [%clk 1:31:14] } 3. Bb5+ { [%clk 1:31:04] } 3... Nd7 { [%clk 1:31:31] } 4. a4 { [%clk 1:31:02] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:27] } 5. Nc3 { [%clk 1:30:50] } 5... g6 { [%clk 1:31:33] } (5... a6 6. Be2 b6 { is the main alternative, although 6. ... g6 is also playable. This is a position Wei Yi has played a number of times, including in a game against Carlsen where Black eventually equalized before losing in the endgame: } 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Bb7 9. O-O e6 10. Rd1 Qc7 11. Be3 Be7 12. Nd2 O-O 13. Nc4 d5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Bf4 Qb7 17. Nd6 Bxd6 18. Bxd6 Rfc8 19. Ra3 Qc6 20. Rg3 g6 21. Bf4?! (21. Bb4!) 21... Qxc2 22. Bh6 f6 23. Re1!? (23. Re3!) 23... Qe4 24. Qd1 Qc2 $10 { Carlsen – Wei Yi, Lindores Abbey, 2020. }) 6. d4!? { It is unusual for White to commit to d2-d4 so early, as the a4-a5 push is thought to be advantageous. But this takes the game out of well-trodden theory. } { [%clk 1:29:17] } (6. a5 { is popular here, pre-empting ... b7-b5 after } 6... a6 (6... Bg7 { is more common: } 7. O-O { with a position reached over a 100 times at the top level. }) 7. Bc4 { , although Black still plays 6. ... a6 sometimes. }) 6... cxd4 { [%clk 1:31:32] } 7. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:29:43] } 7... Bg7 { [%clk 1:30:22] } 8. O-O { [%clk 1:29:44] } 8... O-O { [%clk 1:22:15] } 9. Re1 { [%clk 1:29:59] } (9. Be3 { has been tried by Niemann in 2021 against Sarana. }) 9... Nc5 { Although this was the most popular move in the small handful games here in the database, this was where White took his first think. The alternative is Bb5-f1. } { [%clk 1:21:47] } 10. f3 { [%clk 1:17:27] } (10. Bf1 { A logical try in the Moscow is to castle, get the rook to the e-file, and then tuck the bishop away for safe-keeping. White argues that the early 3. Bb5+ disrupted Black's development, but if Black does not take the time to provoke a trade of bishop for knight, then it's best to keep the bishop pair. }) 10... a6 { [%clk 1:10:39] } 11. Bc4 $146 { Played after a 14-minute think. Wesley is clearly aware that Bb5-f1 is the more thematic idea, even if he was not familiar with either game to reach this position. We will see his idea shortly. } { [%clk 1:03:37] } 11... Qc7 { [%clk 0:55:31] } 12. Bf1!? { Apparently, White's intention was to provoke ... Qd8-c7 before committing to tucking the bishop away. Black threatened ... Nc5xe4 with a discovery on the bishop. I thought his idea might have been } { [%clk 0:54:57] } (12. Ba2!? { , arguing that the bishop is more useful on the a2-g8 diagonal. So was likely weighing his options, as he did not retreat to f1 quickly. }) 12... e5!? { [%clk 0:36:53] } (12... b6 13. Bg5 { Arguably, Black's queen is worse on c7 than it was on d8, as now Nc3-d5 ideas come with tempo. }) 13. Nb3 { [%clk 0:54:32] } 13... Be6 { [%clk 0:37:11] } 14. Be3 { With Black's queen on the c-file, White is especially happy to fully open the c-file with c2xb3. In the Sicilian, White often has trouble defending the c2-pawn and is thus a bit restricted in queenside mobility. } { [%clk 0:53:30] } 14... b6 { [%clk 0:35:48] } 15. Re2 { [%clk 0:45:02] } 15... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:25:58] } 16. Rd2 { White's position is making a lot of sense, with pressure against the backwards d-pawn being the latest achievement. } { [%clk 0:45:10] } 16... Rd7 { [%clk 0:24:18] } (16... Nb7 { is not a move anybody wants to play, but it might be necessary. } 17. Kh1 Rd7 { is safer than playing this move instantly. }) 17. Nxc5! { Time is of the essence. White correctly assesses that both recaptures leave Black with big issues. } { [%clk 0:40:06] } 17... dxc5 { [%clk 0:24:31] } (17... bxc5 18. a5 Bf8 19. Qe1 Rdd8 20. Na4 $16) 18. Rxd7 { [%clk 0:39:18] } 18... Qxd7?! { The alternatives give White some attacking chances, but Black's weaknesses will be more exposed after the queen trade. } { [%clk 0:15:53] } (18... Nxd7 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. a5 $16) (18... Bxd7 19. Bc4 $16) 19. Qxd7 { [%clk 0:36:46] } 19... Nxd7 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 20. Rd1 { [%clk 0:37:11] } 20... Bf6 { [%clk 0:13:34] } 21. Rd6! { White's rook penetrates the weaknesses in Black's camp. } { [%clk 0:23:58] } 21... Be7 { [%clk 0:13:55] } 22. Rc6 { [%clk 0:22:42] } 22... Kf8 { [%clk 0:12:52] } 23. Nd5 { Another piece enters, and capturing is unsavory because the passed d-pawn will be well taken care of. } { [%clk 0:21:13] } 23... Bd8 { [%clk 0:09:38] } 24. Bc4 { [%clk 0:19:04] } 24... Ke8 { [%clk 0:09:58] } 25. Kf2 { A solid, slow way to capitalize on the advantage, very much in So's style. } { [%clk 0:12:31] } (25. Nc7+ { was more forcing, but for a very subtle reason: } 25... Bxc7 26. Bxe6 Ra7 (26... fxe6?! 27. Rxc7 $16) 27. Bd5! { This is likely where White stopped, as } 27... Nb8 { appears to allow a repetition after 28. Rf6 Bd8 29. Rd6 Bc7. But White wins with } 28. Rxc5! { as } 28... bxc5 29. Bxc5 { traps the rook, and the extra pawns join the bishop pair for a beautiful position after } 29... Bb6 30. Bxb6 Re7 31. c4 $18 { It's even possible, though, that White decided that it was not worth allowing such transformations. }) 25... Ra7?! { [%clk 0:07:40] } (25... Nb8!? { was more prudent. } 26. Rd6 Ra7 { and now there is no Rc6-c8. } 27. a5 { keeps a significant advantage, however. }) 26. Rc8 { [%clk 0:12:45] } 26... Nf8 { [%clk 0:07:45] } 27. Rb8 { On a relatively crowded board, White's rook has done remarkable work to go from d1-d6-c6-c8-b8 in only eight turns. } { [%clk 0:11:58] } 27... Nd7 { [%clk 0:07:31] } 28. Rc8 { [%clk 0:12:26] } 28... Nf8 { [%clk 0:07:52] } 29. Nxb6! { Finally, So commits to a transformation of the position to crystalize his strategic advantage. } { [%clk 0:10:33] } 29... Bxc8 { [%clk 0:08:14] } 30. Nxc8 { [%clk 0:11:01] } 30... Ra8 { [%clk 0:05:20] } (30... Rc7 31. Nd6+ Kd7 32. Nxf7 Bf6 33. Bxa6 $18 { with three pawns for the Exchange. }) 31. Nd6+ { [%clk 0:11:24] } 31... Kd7 { [%clk 0:05:45] } 32. Nxf7 { White has two pawns for the Exchange and Black has no way to defend both the c5- and e5-targets. A great positional sequence from So. } { [%clk 0:10:13] } 32... Bf6 { [%clk 0:05:58] } 33. Bxc5 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 33... Ne6 { [%clk 0:03:49] } 34. Ba3 { Keeping the pair of bishops, of course. } { [%clk 0:05:20] } 34... Rc8 { [%clk 0:03:31] } 35. b3 { Not only is White ahead a point in material, but Black's remaining pieces are completely struggling to activate. } { [%clk 0:05:36] } 35... Nd4 { [%clk 0:03:41] } 36. Bb2! { The trade of c2- and e5- pawns gives White's e-pawn room to run, so clearly favors White. } { [%clk 0:05:03] } 36... a5 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 37. Bxd4 { [%clk 0:01:57] } 37... exd4 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 38. e5 { [%clk 0:02:10] } 38... Be7 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 39. f4 { [%clk 0:02:25] } 39... Kc6 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 40. Kf3 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 40... Kc5 { Having reached time control, Black decides he has seen enough and resigns after: } { [%clk 0:00:44] } 41. Ke4 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:02:26] } 1-0