Wei Yi Wins Knockout Tournament Between China’s Best

Sixteen-year-old prodigy and current Chinese Champion, Wei Yi, won the China Kings and Queens tournament in convincing fashion. The tournament was a World Cup-style elimination event between the top eight Chinese players of each gender (in separate sections). The men's section included World #9, Ding Liren. Endgame #1 What was Wei's path to victory in this king and pawn endgame?

Wei Yi vs. Zhao Jun

White to move.

Show Solution

46. b3! White will lose a tempo on the queenside and win on the kingside after Black is forced to play either ...Kh8 or ...Kf8. For example: 46...a6 47. a3 a5 48. a4 Kh8 49. h6 gxh6 50. Kxh6 e4 51. g7+ (The point - It is important that this move is with check or White would be a tempo behind.) 51...Kg8 52. Kg6 e3 53. h5 e2 54. h6 e1=Q 55. h7# Black resigns.

In the semi-final GM Yu Yangyi and Wei Yi drew five out of six games, but Wei Yi's one victory was enough to win the match.

In the final, Wei Yi won a complicated battle in the Ruy Lopez against Bu Xiangzhi.

[pgn]
[Round "3.2"]
[White "Wei Yi"]
[Black "Bu Xiangzhi"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C92"]
[WhiteElo "2737"]
[BlackElo "2710"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2015.11.24"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Nbd2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nd7 15.
Nf1 Na5 16. Bc2 Bf6 17. N1h2 c5 18. d5 Nc4 19. Rb1 Nde5 20. Nxe5 Bxe5 21. b3
Nb6 22. Ng4 Bd4 23. Be3 Bc3 24. Re2 b4 25. Bf4 a5 26. Re3 Bc8 27. Rg3 Bxg4 28.
hxg4 a4 29. g5 axb3 30. axb3 g6 31. Be3 c4 32. Rh3 Ra2 33. g3 Qc7 34. Kg2 Rea8
35. Rc1 Rb2 36. Bd4 f6 37. gxf6 Bxd4 38. Qxd4 Raa2 39. Rxh7 Qxh7 40. Qxb6 Qf7
41. Rh1 Ra8 42. Bd1 Qxf6 43. Bg4 Re8 44. Qa7 Qe5 45. Rh7 Rxf2+ 46. Kxf2 Rf8+
47. Kg2 Qxe4+ 48. Kh2 Rf2+ 49. Qxf2 Kxh7 50. Qf7+ Kh8 51. Qf4 Qc2+ 52. Kh3 Kg7
53. Qd4+ Kh7 54. Qxc4 Qf2 55. Qf4 Qg1 56. Qf3 1-0[/pgn]

In the women's section, the top-rated Hou Yifan didn’t participate, but every other top player did. In the end, Tan Zhongyi, Chinese Women's Champion, came out ahead of the field. Here is her excellent attacking victory against Tingjie Lei in the Grunfeld Defense.

[pgn]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Tan Zhongyi"]
[Black "Tingjie Lei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D81"]
[WhiteElo "2492"]
[BlackElo "2431"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2015.11.24"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qb3 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Be6 6. Qb5+ Bd7 7. Qb3 c5 8.
d5 b5 9. Nxb5 Na6 10. Nc3 Bg7 11. e4 Rb8 12. Qd1 Qa5 13. Bd2 Rxb2 14. Qc1 Rb8
15. Nf3 O-O 16. Bc4 Rb4 17. Be2 Bg4 18. O-O Nd7 19. d6 e6 20. a3 Rbb8 21. Nd5
Qa4 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23. Bc3 Bxf3 24. gxf3 Rb6 25. Rd1 Bd4 26. Rd2 Ndb8 27. Bd1 Qd7
28. Rxd4 cxd4 29. Qh6 Qd8 30. Bxd4+ e5 31. Bxe5+ f6 32. Nxg6+ Kg8 33. Ne7+ Kf7
34. Qxh7+ Ke8 35. Ba4+ Nd7 36. Qh5+ Rf7 37. Nf5 1-0[/pgn]