Chinese Mind Sport Games

In Wuhan the second Chinese Mind Sport Games took place in November 2011. This is a bi-annual event, and for draughts it is the most prestigious event in China. There is a team competition, with each team consisting of two men and one woman, and there are individual competions for men and women, both on 8x8 and 10x10 draughts. The team competition on 10x10 draughts was won by the organizing Hubei province, and the individual competitions were won by Gao Wen Long and Zhao Han Qing. Some of the games were broadcasted live on the Internet, and below a number of highlights can be found.

24.30-25? This move is dangerous, since black can put pressure on the vulnerable white center by taking control of both 22 and 24. It was better to play ≡ 24.40-34 14-19 25.30-25 with an equal position. ≡ 20-24! 25.44-39? Now black forces a win using a piece sacrifice. But white already had a difficult position. A variant to illustrate this is ≡ 25.40-34 18-22 26.44-39 1-7 27.34-29 7-12 28.29x20 15x24 29.39-34 12-18! (prevents 30.34-29? with the combination 8-13 31.29x20 21-27 32.32x23 13-19 33.28x17 19x48 B+) ≡ 30.41-36 4-10 31.37-31 14-19 32.43-39 9-13 33.49-43 8-12 34.31-27 22x31 35.36x27 18-23 36.34-29 23x34 37.39x30 12-18 38.45-40 2-8 39.40-34 18-23 40.34-29 23x34 41.30x39 8-12 42.27-22 12-18 43.22x11 16x7 B+. ≡ 24-29! 26.33x24 18-22! 27.28-23 White loses a piece, and normally the game would be over now. But in the last part of the game black plays too passively, which gives white chances to make a draw. 14-20 28.25x14 9x18 29.39-33 21-26 30.40-34 17-21 31.34-29 21-27 32.32x21 16x27 33.38-32 27x38 34.43x32 1-7 35.35-30 22-27 36.32x21 26x17 37.49-43 7-11 38.43-38 8-13 39.38-32 13-19 40.45-40 17-22 41.40-35 11-17? Here ≡ 11-16 42.32-28 22-27 43.30-24 19x30 44.35x24 16-21 was necessary. ≡ 42.30-24! 19x30 43.35x24 Now white has enough positional compensation for the piece loss to make a draw. 4-9 44.32-28? 9-14? Here black could win using ≡ 22-27 45.37-32 27x38 46.33x42 18-22 47.28-23 9-14. ≡ 45.37-32 3-8 46.41-37 14-19 47.24x13 8x19 and here white resigned! That was too pessimistic, since 48.37-31! was still a draw, for example 19-24 49.29x20 15x24 50.31-26 17-21 51.28x17 21x12 52.33-28 24-30 53.32-27 30-34 54.28-22 18-23 55.22-18 etc.

Black is under some pressure due to the weak pieces on 15 and 20. But after 17-22! 36.40-35 12-18 37.39-34 13-19 38.34-30 11-17 the white advantage would be only marginal. ≡ 11-16(?) 36.39-34 16-21? 37.40-35! Now the white advantage is decisive. 12-18 38.34-30 7-12! This is the best defense for black, since after ≡ 21-26? white forces a break through using 39.29-24 20x29 40.33x24 14-19 41.25-20 7-12 42.30-25! 19x30 43.35x24 and the white piece on 20 cannot be stopped. ≡ 39.29-23? This looks good, but it isn't winning. Also ≡ 39.29-24? 20x29 40.33x24 14-19 41.25-20 18-23! 42.30-25 19x30 43.35x24 23-29 44.24x33 15x24 45.33-29 24x33 46.38x29 13-19! would lead to a draw. But with ≡ 39.33-28! 21-26 40.47-41!! 13-19 (or ≡ 17-21 41.28-22 27-31 or? 42.41-36! 18x27 43.38-32 27x47 44.36x16 47x24 45.30x17 W+) ≡ 41.41-36! 18-22 (what else?) 42.36-31 22x24 43.31x11 white could win. ≡ 18x29 40.33x24 20x29 41.38-32 27x38 42.42x24 14-19 43.25-20 19-23? Here black needed to organize a counter attack using ≡ 21-27! 44.30-25 19x30 45.35x24 17-22 to make a draw. ≡ 44.20-14 23-28 45.24-19 13x24 46.30x19 28-33 47.14-9 33-39 48.9-4 39-43 49.35-30? It turns out that ≡ 49.4-31 was better, to keep black away from square 48. ≡ 21-27 50.4x31 43-48 51.30-24 12-18 52.31x4 48x26 53.19-13 17-22 54.4-9 22-27 55.9-14 26-48? 56.13-8 48-43 57.8-2 43-49 58.14-46 27-31 59.24-19 15-20 60.19-13 20-24 61.2-7 49-35 62.46-5? 35-49? 63.13-8 24-30 64.8-3 49-35 65.3-25 31-36 66.25x43 and black resigned.

24-30? With ≡ 23-29! 38.34x23 19x28 black could force a win. Then 39.42-37? is immediately lost after 11-17! and white has no good move anymore. And after ≡ 39.31-26? black has the simple combination 28-32 40.38x27 22x31 41.36x27 14-20 42.25x14 13-19 43.14x23 18x47 B+. So white has to play ≡ 39.31-27 22x31 40.36x27, but after 28-32! black wins a piece. The game continued with ≡ 38.35x24 19x30 39.31-27 22x31 40.36x27 and white was able to make a draw.

48.22-18? Here Zeng missed the slow but effective plan ≡ 48.37-31! 30-34 49.31-26 19-24 50.21-17! 12x21 51.26x17 24-30 52.17-12 30-35 53.12-8 34-40 (or ≡ 14-20 54.8-2 34-40 55.2-16 40x38 56.16x49 6-11 57.22-18! 11-17 58.18-13 etc. W+) ≡ 54.8-3 40x38 55.3x42 35-40 56.42-33 40-45 57.33-50 6-11 58.22-18! and white wins.

19-23? With ≡ 9-14! 45.38-33 14-20 46.31-27 18-22 47.27x18 12x23 Shi could have quickly ended the game, since 48.34-29? fails due to 23x34 49.30x39 19-23 50.28x30 25x43 B+

41.38-33? Zhang missed the opportunity to finish the game with the Ghestem attack ≡ 41.28-22! For example 10-14 42.38-33! 23-29 ( ≡ 14-20? 43.30-25! W+) ≡ 43.33-28 etc. W+.

21-26! 30.33-28? (here ≡ 30.32-28 26x37 31.42x31 was needed) ≡ 26x37 31.32x41 (taking forward with ≡ 31.42x31 was not possible due to 18-22 32.28x17 24-29 33.34x23 19x26 B+) ≡ 18-23! 32.27-21 (since ≡ 32.38-32? fails due to 23-29 33.34x23 16-21 34.27x16 6-11 35.16x7 8-12 36.7x18 13x44 37.40x49 19x46 B+) ≡ 23x32? Here ≡ 16x27 was much easier. ≡ 33.38x27 6-11 34.41-37 11-17? After ≡ 8-12 35.37-31 11-17 36.31-26 13-18 black would still have a substantial advantage. ≡ 35.21x12 8x17 and the game resulted in a draw.

Gao Wen Long showed a high level of play during both tournaments. In this game he obtained a convincing victory against Qiu, who also belongs to the current top players in China. 4-10 27.34-30 20-24 28.29x20 15x24 29.39-34 10-15(?) 30.43-39! 12-18 31.34-29! 18-23 This is the only move, since after ≡ 21-27? 32.29x20 15x24 33.37-32! 8-12 34.32x21 16x27 35.39-34 white wins a piece. ≡ 32.29x18 13x22 33.37-32! White first obstructs the black right wing, before he starts an attack on the black left wing. 8-13 34.39-34 13-18 35.34-29! 15-20!? Black has no defense. Also ≡ 22-27 36.29x20 15x24 is hopeless after 37.50-44 18-23 38.44-40 9-13 39.40-34 etc. ≡ 36.50-45 22-27 37.45-40 and black resigned.

23-29! The correct move! The Ghestem attack gives black a big advantage. 39.44-40 18-23 40.27-22 11-16? But this gives white the opportunity to escape from the pressure. With ≡ 15-20! black could win relatively easy, since 41.22-18? is prevented by 29-34 42.18x16 34x45 B+ ≡ 41.22x11 16x7 42.28-22! 3-9 43.48-43 9-13 44.32-27 23-28? And now white even wins using a combination. 45.43-39! 28x17 46.37-31 26x37 47.40-34 29x40 48.35x44 24x35 49.38-32 37x28 50.33x2 15-20 51.27-22 20-24 52.2-16 13-18 53.22x13 19x8 54.16-32

After 40.37-32? Tao missed the combination 23-29 41.24x33 15-20 42.25x14 13-19 43.14x23 22-28 44.33x22 17x46 B+, and played ≡ 23-28 with a draw as result.

Black probably wanted to free herself from the lock by playing 3-9, 9-14, 14-19 and 17-21 26x28 23x21. But she should have prepared this with the move ≡ 20-25! since in the game Shi found a way to prevent this exchange. ≡ 3-9? 31.34-30! 9-14 (here ≡ 20-25? 32.30-24! does not help for black) ≡ 32.30-24 20x29 33.33x24 14-19 The situation is hopeless for black, also after ≡ 23-28 34.38-33 28x39 35.43x34 W+ ≡ 34.24-20 19-24 35.20x29 23x34 36.38-33 22-28 37.33x22 17x28 38.27-21 16x27 39.31x33 W+

After 12.42-38? Zhao won using the combination 24-29 13.33x24 13-18! 14.24x22 26-31! 15.28x10 31x44 16.50x39 17x46 etc.

Here Zhao missed the spectacular combination 27.35-30! 24x35 28.45-40 35x44 29.27-22 18x27 30.32x21 23x41 31.34-29 26x17 32.29-23 19x28 33.33x2 44x33 34.2x46 W+ After ≡ 28.45-40 the game ended in a draw.

After 8-13? Gao gained a decisive advantage with the unexpected 28.27-22! 18x27 29.38-33! and after 28-32 30.34-29 23x34 31.39x8 2x13 32.25-20! it was not difficult to win the game.

Qiu discovered a magnificent combination after 37.33-28? with 14-20! 38.23-19 20x29 39.19-14 15-20! 40.14-9 25-30 41.9x18 30-34 42.39x30 20-24 43.30x19 29-34 44.40x29 8-13 45.18x9 4x31 and black won the game.

After 22-28? Wang had a combination with 26.33x22 27x18 27.34-29 23x34 28.24-20 15x24 29.43-39 34x32 30.31-27 32x21 31.26x10 and white won.

The game was suddenly over after 21-26? 17.38-33!! Now black must do something about the threat 24-19 13x24 34-29 23x34 39x10. Since ≡ 4-10? is not possible due to 18.24-19 13x24 19.37-31 26x46 20.42-38 46x28 21.33x4 W+ black played ≡ 14-19(?) which gave Shi the opportunity to make a king with 18.34-29! 23x34 19.40x29 19x30 20.39-34 30x28 21.32x1 and white won the game.

Gao showed that 36.32-28? was a careless move: 17-21! Now both 37.44-40? and ≡ 37.47-41? are not possible due to 19-24! 38.38-33 14-19 39.25x23 etc. So white played ≡ 37.45-40 21-27! 38.47-41 18-23(?) Here ≡ 27-31! was even stronger. ≡ 39.29x18 12x32 40.42-37 13-18 41.37x28 9-13 42.28-22? 27-31! 43.22-17 7-12 44.17x8 3x12 A break-through on the left white wing is inevitable now. 45.44-39 19-23 46.39-33 31-36 47.41-37 23-28 48.33x22 18x27 49.48-42 13-18 50.37-31 27-32 51.38x27 36-41 52.42-37 41x21 53.43-38 18-23 54.40-34 23-28 55.34-29 12-18 56.31-26 21-27 57.29-23 18x29 and white resigned.

After 24.30-25? Zhao won a piece with the well-known combination 24-30! 25.35x24 (note that ≡ 25.25x14? 19x10! 26.28x8 30x28 27.32x23 21x41 28.36x47 2x13 loses too) ≡ 19x39! 26.28x8 39x28 27.32x23 21x41 28.36x47 2x13 29.25x14 4-9 etc.

17-22? Xu missed a surprising win with ≡ 16-21!! Now 17.36-31? fails due to 17-22 18.28x17 23-28 19.32x23 19x28 20.33x22 18x36 and the piece on 17 gets lost. After ≡ 17.40-34? black wins using 17-22 18.28x17 24-29 19.33x24 19x30 20.35x24 14-20 21.25x14 9x40 22.45x34 23-28 23.32x23 18x40 B+ Obviously ≡ 17.39-34? is not possible either, and finally after ≡ 17.49-44? black simply waits a move with 1-6! B+

© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org