Featured is a round 7 game from the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India between USA’s Wesley So and Armenia’s Hrant Melkumyan. The opening is Caro-Kann Defense, Two Knights Attack. About half the game is quiet development and maneuvering, however play sharpens immediately after Melkumyan’s 17….e5. What follows is a brilliant tactical idea by Wesley So that can easily remind the chess enthusiast of old school romantic style combinations. Are king walks ever not enjoyable?

Image of Wesley So in thumbnail courtesy of Lennart Ootes
lennartootes.com

PGN
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Bc5 7. O-O Nd7 8. exd5 cxd5 9. Rd1 Ngf6 10. d4 Be7 11. Bd3 O-O 12. Bf4 Nb8 13. Ne2 Nc6 14. c3 Re8 15. Re1 g6 16. Ng3 Nd7 17. Re3 e5 18. Bh6 e4 19. Rxe4 Nf8 20. Rf4 f5 21. Nxf5 gxf5 22. Rxf5 Qd6 23. Qg4+ Ng6 24. Rxd5 Qf6 25. g3 Bf8 26. Rf5 Qe7 27. Bc4+ Kh8 28. Bg5

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