Supertalent opens up

• Chess

By Tony Dowden


Grandmaster-elect Wang Hao (16) of China has convincingly won the second Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur with a Kasparovlike score of 10/11.
    The young Chinese player finished two full points in front of a field which included 16 GMs. “Typhoon Wang” — as the awed pundits in Malaysia called him — is the latest supertalent from China who, four months ago, proved his mettle by narrowly winning the 7th Dubai Open from 53 GMs.
    Today’s game features Wang with the black pieces against top Australian player GM Ian Rogers.
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 e3 Bb4 5 Qc2 d6 6 a3 —
Former world-champion contender Viktor Korchnoi once preferred the modest 6 d3 Bg4, 7 Be2 in this position.
6 — Bxc3 7 Qxc3 e4 8 Ng1 Ne5 9 b4 —
The thematic break in this line, but White must also keep his kingside development in mind.
9 — b6!? 10 f4?! —
This tempting move turns out badly so White needs an improvement here. 10 — exf3 11 Nxf3 Ne4! 12 Qd4 Nxf3+ 13 gxf3 Qh4+ 14 Ke2 Qf2+ 15 Kd3 Qxf3 16 Qxg7 —
On his 10th move White probably assumed this position was playable. 16 — Bf5!! 17 Qxh8+ Ke7 18 Qg7 —
Or 18 Qxa8 Nc5+!, 19 Kc3 Na4+, 20 Kb3 Qxf3, 21 Rg1 Qd1+ and White is soon mated.
18 — Rg8!
The winning move. Black mates or wins the white queen.
19 Qxg8 Nf6+?
Here the overexcited junior forgets to deliver mate after 19 Nc5+!
20 Kc3 Na4+, 21 Kb3 Qd1+, 22 Ka2 Qc2+, 23 Bb2 Qxb2#. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter as Black’s nimble queen will easily exploit White’s inability to control important squares around his king.
20 Kc3 Nxg8
21 Rg1 Qf2
22 Rxg8 Qxf1
23 e4 Be6
24 Rg3 Qxc4+
25 Kb2 Qxe4
26 Rc3 Kd7
27 d3 Qe2+
0-1


Problem: Black to play and mate in three.


Solution: 1 Rf4+!, 2 Nxf4 Nf3+, 3 Kh5 Rg5#, (or 2 Kh5 g6+, 3 Kh6 Rh4#).