Wang Hao second Chinese grandmaster to join 2020 chess title hunt

There will be at least two Chinese grandmasters in the hunt for the right to challenge world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway next year.

With his win Monday at the high-powered FIDE Chess.com Swiss tournament on England’s Isle of Man, GM Wang Hao joins compatriot GM Ding Liren in the field of the 2020 candidates tournament next spring in Russia. The 30-year-old Wang defeated English GM David Howell on Monday to finish 8-3 and edge American GM Fabiano Caruana on tiebreaks.

One of Wang’s best games in the event came against yet another elite Chinese star, GM Bu Xiangzhi, in Round 3. A very quiet line of the Giuoco Piano leads to a fierce fight for the initiative after 10. d4 exd4 11. Nb3 Qd5 12. Bf4 Bg4 13. Bxc7 Rf5 14. Bg3.

Wang’s 17. c4! seems to cede Black a massive pawn center, but it is White who draws first blood after 17…Qd6!? (Nxc4?! 18. Bxc4 Qxc4 19. Rc1 Qa4 20. Nxc5 Qxa2 21. Re1 leaves White much better) 18. Ng5! Bf5 (ceding the exchange, but little better was 18…Bxe2 19. Qxe2 Rc7 [Re7 20. Ne4] 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 21. Qe4 g6 22. Ne6, winning) 19. Nxf7 Kxf7 20. Bd3.

Bu’s bid for counterplay backfires predictably, with his exposed king a ready target for White’s counter: 20…e4? (tougher was 20…Bxd3 21. Qxd3 Kg8 22. f4 Nd7 23. Nxc5 Qxc5 24. Rad1, but even here Black is fighting for the draw) 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Qh5+ Kf6 23. Bxe4! (exploiting a crippling pin) Na4 (Nxc4 24. Qh4+ g5 25. Qh6+ Bg6 26. f4 is overwhelming) 24. b4! Qe5 (the queen dare not leave the defense of the bishop on f5) 25. f4! Qxe4 26. Rae1!, and Black resigned.

On 26…Qxe1 (Qd3 27. Qg5+ Kf7 28. Re7+ Kg8 29. Qxg7 mate; 26…Re8 27. Rxe4 Rxe4 28. Qg5+ Ke6 29. g4 wins) 27. Qg5+ Ke6 28. Rxe1+ Kd7 29. Qxf5+ Kc7 30. Re7+, mate is just a few moves away.

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Politics (unfortunately) has broken out again at the 58th World Junior Chess Championship, now at the halfway point in New Delhi. Twice in recent days, Iranian players have failed to show up for games when paired against Israeli competitors, in one case claiming a suspicious medical ailment. Organizers allowed one of the forfeiters to stay in the tournament with a warning, but the Iranian chess federation is only hurting its own cause with such unseemly boycotts.

Back at the chessboard, Armenian GM Aram Hakobyan has been one of the bright spots of the event’s first half, a point off the lead though seven rounds despite a loss Monday to tournament leader GM Evgeny Shtembuliak with four rounds to go.

In Hakobyan’s game against Indian GM P. Iniyan, Black’s unusual but solid Queen’s Indian setup reveals some unexpected attacking oomph. After 16. 0-0-0 Re8 17. Nc3, one would think the open h-file and the queen-bishop combo would give Iniyan prime attacking prospects, but that’s not how things play out.

Instead, central lines suddenly open to the White king, and Hakobyan proves equal to the tactical task: 20. dxe6 Rxe6 (and not 20…fxe6?, when White gets just what he hoped for on 21. Bxg6! hxg6 22. Qxg6+ Kf8 23. Rh7 Re7 24. Nxd4) 21. Be4 dxc3! (nicely calculated; 21…Bxe4?! 22. Nxe4 Nc5 23. Nxf6+ Qxf6 24. Rxd4 gives White a slight edge) 22. Bxb7 cxb2+ 23. Kb1 (see diagram) Qe7!! — who needs a rook when you’re winning a king?

The rest is a rout: 24. Bxa8? (Nd4 is best, but on 24…Bxd4 25. Rxd4 Re8 26. Qxb2 Re2 27. Qc3 Qf6, Black has both an extra pawn and the better position) Qxa3 25. Qd3 Qa1+ 26. Kc2 Qa2! 27. Rb1 (the pawn is stopped — for now — but Black’s other pieces join the fun) Nc5 28. Qd5 (there’s no defense; e.g. 28. Qd1 Qb3+ 29. Kd2 Qd3 mate) Qb3+ 29. Kd2 Bc3 mate.

Wang-Bu, FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss, Douglas, England, October 2019

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nbd2 Nb6 9. Bb5 f6 10. d4 exd4 11. Nb3 Qd5 12. Bf4 Bg4 13. Bxc7 Rf7 14. Bg3 Ne5 15. Bxe5 fxe5 16. Be2 Rd8 17. c4 Qd6 18. Ng5 Bf5 19. Nxf7 Kxf7 20. Bd3 e4 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Qh5+ Kf6 23. Bxe4 Na4 24. b4 Qe5 25. f4 Qxe4 26. Rae1 Black resigns.

Iniyan-Hakobyan, 58th World Junior Chess Championship, New Delhi, October 2019

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4 Bb4+ 5. Nfd2 Bb7 6. a3 Be7 7. Nc3 Nh5 8. Bg3 d6 9. e3 g6 10. Nf3 Nd7 11. Be2 Bf6 12. Qc2 Qe7 13. Nb5 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Qd8 15. Bd3 O-O 16. O-O-O Re8 17. Nc3 d5 18. e4 c5 19. exd5 cxd4 20. dxe6 Rxe6 21. Be4 dxc3 22. Bxb7 cxb2+ 23. Kb1 Qe7 24. Bxa8 Qxa3 25. Qd3 Qa1+ 26. Kc2 Qa2 27. Rb1 Nc5 28. Qd5 Qb3+ 29. Kd2 Bc3 mate.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.