The Soviets once dominated the game, the Americans now have the biggest collection of superstars, but the future of chess may belong to China.
China’s rise in the game is nothing new: It has long dominated the women’s game, and there are eight Chinese grandmasters among the FIDE top 100 players in the world. The Chinese men won their first Olympiad gold in Tromso, Norway, in 2014, and former women’s world champion Hou Yifan is so far above her sisters in playing strength that she now competes mainly against her male peers.
But despite nurturing a generation of strong players, China has yet to produce a transcendent talent seen as a legitimate contender for the ultimate prize: world champion. That may be changing.
In one of the best individual results ever posted by a Chinese player on the international stage, GM Ding Liren took sole first earlier this month at the FIDE Moscow Grand Prix event, topping a field that included American GM Hikaru Nakamura, France’s Maxime Vachier-Legrave and Dutch star Anish Giri. Ding, currently ranked 11th in the world, may soon crack the top 10 with his win in Russia.
But the 24-year-old Ding may want to check his rearview mirror. Seventeen-year-old compatriot GM Wei Yi has already set the record for becoming the youngest player ever to crack the 2700 ratings barrier and is still the youngest player in the FIDE list of the world’s top 100 rated players, checking in — for now — at No. 25.
Wei padded his already impressive resume by winning the recent 2017 Chinese Championship in Xinghua, going an undefeated 8½-2½ to claim his third straight national title. IM Wang Chen found himself completely outclassed when he took on the Chinese prodigy during the event.
In a Taimanov Sicilian, White grabs a clear lead in development after 11. a5 Nc4 12. Bxc4 Qxc4 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. f4, and strikes forcefully before Wang has a chance to catch up: 14…Ng6!? (seeking space with 14…d5!? 15. Rad1 f5 leaves White still in control after 16. exd5 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Qxd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Rxc2 20. Re1) 15. f5! Ne5 16. fxe6 fxe6 17. Rad1 h6 18. Bd4, when a developing move like 18…Be7?? 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Qxd7 mate leads to catastrophe.
But after 18…Qc7? (Nf7 puts up a better fight) 19. Qf2 Bc6 20. Bxe5 Bxe5 21. Qg3, White dominates the entire board, with open avenues of attack on the d- and f-files; Black may already be positionally busted.
Still, Wei makes no mistakes pressing his advantage: 24. Qg6 Qc6 (setting up a nice finish, but no better was 24…Bc5+ 25. Kh1 Rf8 26. Rxf8+ Bxf8 27. Qxe6) 25. Rf7 Bd6 26. Qf6+ (also crushing would have been 26. Rxd6! Qxd6 27. Nd5, and Black is helpless) Kc7 27. Qxe6 Rcd8 28. Qf6 Rhf8 (see diagram; Black might have tried here 28…Bc5+ 29. Nxc5 Qxc5+ 30. Kh1 Rhe8 31. Rdxd7+ Rxd7 32. Nd5+ Kc8, hoping for 33. Nb6+?? Qxb6! 34. Qxb6 Rd1+ 35. Qg1 Rxg1+ 36. Kxg1 Rd8, saving the game, but Wei would surely have found 33. Qf5! Red8 34. Nb6+ Qxb6 35. axb6, and the pinned Black rook can’t deliver checkmate) 29. Rxd6!, and the Black house of cards collapses.
Wang resigns, depriving us of a pleasing king hunt after 29…Qxd6 30. Nd5+ Kc6 31. Qf2! Kb5 32. Qf1+ Ka4 33. Qc4+ Qb4 34. Qxb4 mate.
Wei-Wang, 2017 Chinese Championship, Xinghua, China, May 2017
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. Nb3 Qc7 8. Be3 Ne5 9. O-O d6 10. a4 Bd7 11. a5 Nc4 12. Bxc4 Qxc4 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. f4 Ng6 15. f5 Ne5 16. fxe6 fxe6 17. Rad1 h6 18. Bd4 Qc7 19. Qf2 Bc6 20. Bxe5 dxe5 21. Qg3 g5 22. Qg4 Bd7 23. Qh5+ Kd8 24. Qg6 Qc6 25. Rf7 Bd6 26. Qf6+ Kc7 27. Qxe6 Rcd8 28. Qf6 Rhf8 29. Rxd6 Black resigns.
• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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