World championship youth 2016
In the Turkish city Izmir the world championships youth took place for all categories. In the junior boys category there was only one favorite for the title, namely reigning world champion Martijn van IJzendoorn. He had already been playing fantastic during the whole year long, and there was little doubt that he was going to win again. But after three rounds he was already 3 points behind the leader Bursuk.
In the 2nd round, after 25 moves he won a piece with 18-22 26.27x18 13x33 27.38x29 25-30. Of course this is winning, but he should have ended the game immediately using the spectacular combination ≡ 18-23 26.28x19 8-12 27.19x8 15-20 28.24x13 12-18 29.13x22 17x39 30.26x17 3x43. Near the end of the game he lacked precision, which gave the white player a chance to escape with a draw.
[CORRECTION: it turns out that the white piece on 42 was actually on 43!] In the crucial 5th round van IJzendoorn had completely outplayed his opponent. But when Bursuk sacrificed a piece with 48.26-21 27x16 49.36-31 van IJzendoorn failed to finish the game with the logical 16-21. Instead he played ≡ 28-32?? 50.38x27 23-29 51.42-38(?)
An easier way to make a draw was ≡ 51.31-26 22x31 52.26x37 29x38 53.42x33 18-23 54.39-34 11-17 55.37-32 17-22 56.32-28 23x32 57.34-29 14-20 58.25x23 22-28 etc.
≡ 11-17 52.38-32! 29x38 53.32x43 17-21 54.47-42 21x32 55.42-38 22-28 56.38x27 18-23 57.39-34 24-29 58.31-26 29x40 59.35x44 23-29 60.43-38?
White collapses under the pressure. A draw was still possible after ≡ 60.44-40 19-23 61.43-39 2-8 62.40-35 29-33 63.30-24 33x44 64.24-20 14-19 65.20-15 ≡ 28-32 61.26-21 32x43 62.44-39 43x34 63.30x39 19-23 64.21-17 23-28 65.27-21 16x27 66.17-11 29-33 67.39-34 33-38 68.11-6 38-42 69.6-1 42-47 70.1-6 28-32 71.6-1 27-31 72.1-18 2-8 and white resigned.
In the 6-th round Van IJzendoorn took a nice combination against fellow countryman Slump after 5-10(?) 19.38-32! 27x47 20.26-21 17x26 21.37-32 26x28 22.48-42 47x38 23.43x5
Even though black still has a lot of counter play, it is clear that only white has chances to win. The white king cannot be captured immediately, which makes the black position extremely difficult to defend.
11-17 24.5-37 22-27 25.37-42 27-32 26.46-41 18-22 27.36-31! 7-11 28.42-47
Now that the white king is safe, the chances for black to survive are almost zero.
1-7 29.35-30 12-18 30.31-26 22-28 31.33x22 17x28 32.30-25 18-22 33.39-33 28x39 34.41-37 32x41 35.47x1 11-17 36.29-24 17-22 37.25-20 22-28 38.26-21 9-14 39.20x18 28-32 40.18-13 39-44 41.49x40 32-37 42.1-34 37-41 43.40-35 41-46 44.21-16
In the 7-th round Van IJzendoorn had gained a concrete advantage against Valjuk. A possible defense for black would now be 12-17. Then black is in time to counter 46.38-32 10-15 47.49-43 15-20 48.43-38 with 29-33! And if white attacks the black right wing with ≡ 46.27-22 the piece sacrifice 19-23 47.28x30 17x28 is possible, while also ≡ 10-14 leads to a (narrow) draw. But the plan chosen by the black player is still OK.
≡ 29-34 46.38-33 10-14 47.26-21 34-40 48.28-22 19-23?
The decisive mistake. After ≡ 40-45! white has many different plans to make a king, but it's not enough for a win. For example 49.22-18 12x23 50.21-17 23-29 51.33-28 24-30 52.17-12 30-35 53.12-7 29-34 54.7-2 34-40 55.2x24 40-44 etc.
≡ 49.22-18 23-29 50.18x7 29x38 51.21-17! 38-42 52.49-44! 40x49 and black didn't await the total annihilation after 53.17-11 49x21 54.7-1 16x7 55.1x48.
In the 8-th round van IJzendoorn secured the world title with an instructive win against Tserenbyamba. 31.40-34? This move is losing. White should have played ≡ 31.37-31! This looks quite dangerous after 7-11, but white can reply with 32.42-37!! Normally one would not even consider such an ugly move, but in this case black cannot take advantage of it. After 21-26 white can develop the left wing with 33.27-22 with an equal position, and ≡ 8-12? is prohibited due to 33.39-34 followed by 34.34-29.
Trainer Rik Keurentjes shared some interesting information about this position. It turns out that exactly the same position with swapped colors appeared earlier this year during the European Youth Championships:
14-20 29.44-40 9-14! 30.30-25 12-17 31.27-21 16x27 32.32x12 23x41 33.12x23 26x37 34.36x47 19x28 35.42x31 28-33 36.38x29 24x33 37.47-42 13-19 38.40-34 8-13 39.45-40 11-17 40.43-38 19-24 41.38x29 24x33 42.48-43 13-19? 43.43-38 19-24 44.38x29 24x33 45.35-30 3-9 46.40-35 33-39 47.34x43 9-13 48.43-38 17-22 49.38-33 13-18 50.42-38 6-11 51.31-26 11-17
Martijn knew about this game, and played towards the same position on purpose.
≡ 24-30! 32.35x24 20x40 33.45x34 14-20! 34.25x14 9x20
This is a well known method to immobilize the white right wing.
The alternative ≡ 35.34-30 wasn't any better due to 23-29! 36.33x24 20x29 37.39-33 (not ≡ 37.30-25? 29-34 38.39x30 19-23 39.28x19 13x35 B+) ≡ 19-24 38.30x19 13x24 with a hopeless position for white.
≡ 20-24 36.37-31 3-9 37.31-26 7-12 38.26x17 12x21 39.42-37 9-14 40.33-28 14-20 41.48-42 24-29 42.34-30 20-24
The game is over now.
43.30-25 24-30 44.25x34 29x40 45.38-33 40-45 46.39-34 45-50 47.43-39 15-20 48.37-31 20-24 49.22-17 21x12 50.34-29 23x43 51.33-29 24x22 52.27x9 43-49
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org