GM Wesley So's 2nd round win at the Vietnam Zonals

[Event "Men"]
[Site "HCMC, Vietnam"]
[Date "2009.07.23"]
[Round "2.10"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Ton, That Nhu Tung"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "2227"]
[ECO "B60"]
[WhiteElo "2646"]

Annotated by NM Glen Bordonada
( Originally posted at GM Wesley So's page at Chessgames.com )


SICILIAN DEFENSE

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7 7. Be2 Rc8

A top level game continued with 7... Qa5 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Nb3 Qg5 10. g3 f5 11. f4 Qh6 12. Qd2 Bg7 13. O-O-O fxe4 14. Nxe4 a5 15. Qe3 O-O 16. a3 Qe6 17. Qd3 h6 18. Kb1 a4 19. Nc1 Nd4 20. Nc3 Rfc8 21. N1a2 Nxe2 22. Qxe2 Qf6 23. Qe3 Be6 24. Nb4 Rc4 25. Nbd5 Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Rac8 27. Rd3 and Black win on to win 0-1, Morozevich, Alexander 2758 - Dreev, Alexey 2698, Moscow 2004.

8. O-O Qa5 9. Bh4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qc5 11. Qd2

Avoiding the exchange of Queens to maintain the tension. However, the game is equal. As often happens in his games, Wesley wins because of his superior middlegame and seldom because of an opening advantage.

11... Qb4?!

Playing to win a pawn.

12. Rab1!

To which Wesley obliges. For the pawn, White has a very active game --- the kind which Wesley loves to play.

12... Nxe4 13. Qf4 f5 14. a3

Here 14. Rfe1 is also strong.

14... Qd4 15. Rfd1 Qc5?

White now seizes the upperhand. Best is 15... Qe5 16. Qxe5 dxe5 17. Nxe4 fxe4 18. c3 g6 19. Rd5 Bg7 and the game is about even. The pawn deficit is balanced by the triple pawns which get in the way of the Black Bishops.

16. Nxe4 fxe4 17. Qxe4 Qxc2 18. Bd3 Qb3 19. Qe3 Qb6 20. Qf3 Rc5 21. b4 Re5 22. Re1



22... Qd4?

Slightly better is 22... Rxe1+ but White still gets an attack. For example, after 23. Rxe1 Qd4 24. Bg5 Bc6 25. Qe2 Qd5 26. f4 Qf7 27. Bc4 d5 28. Bd3 h6 (28... g6 29. b5 Bd7 30. Qe5 Qg7 31. Bf6 is crushing.) 29. Bxe7 Bxe7 30. Bg6 wins the Queen.

23. Rxe5 dxe5

If 23... Qxe5 24. Qxb7 g5 25. Bc4 e6 26. Bg3 Qf5 27. Qb8+ Kf7 28. Rb3 g4 29. Qxa7 and White is winning. The Black King is still on the run in the open center with White's pieces swarming over him.

24. Be4 g6

Black can no longer develop normally as 24... e6 25. Qh5+ g6 26. Qxg6+ leads to mate next move.

25. Rd1 Qc4

Black's options are limited. If 25... Qb6 26. Bd5 Bf5 27. Bxb7 h5 28. Bc6+ Kf7 29. Be4 e6 30. Rd7+ Kg8 31. Bxf5 and no matter how Black recaptures, White has a deadly Queen check coming.

26. Bd5 Qf4 27. Qc3!



If Black now holds on to the e-pawn with 27... Qf5, White continues with 28. Qc7 Be6 29. Bxe6 Qxe6 30. Bxe7 Bxe7 (30... Qxe7 31. Qc8+ Kf7 32. Rd7 wins the Queen.) 31. Qb8+ winning the Rook.

27... Qxh4 28. Qxe5 e6 29. Bxe6 Bxe6 30. Qxe6+ Be7

Of course, 30... Qe7 31. Qc8+ Kf7 32. Rd7 wins the Queen.

31. Qc8+ Bd8 32. Qd7+ Kf8 33. Qxd8+ Qxd8 34. Rxd8+ Kg7 35. Rxh8 Kxh8 36. f4

The extra pawn is clearly winning.

36... Kg7 37. Kf2 Kf6 38. Kf3 Ke6 39. Ke4 h5 40. g3 1-0