Guang Rong YE doesn’t have all the skills needed to win Xiangqi games. But when
the chips are down, that doesn’t stop him. Former Hanoi champion, Ban LO, shows
how YE bluffed his way to a prize in the Shanghai World Cup.
YE finished high in the Shenyang and Shanghai tournaments, not by over-powering
his opponents, but by facing down difficulties. He was vulnerable, but very
tenacious.
Entering the seventh round of the 1999 World Cup, YE had three wins, one loss,
and was in the middle of the pack. Against Canada’s Shing Kin HO, he came out
swinging with Black, and piled on the pressure. In a complex position, HO lost
the thread of the game, and soon after, a chariot (rook). But as Ban LO,
explains, YE was close to defeat. He finished the tournament with two careful
draws against strong opposition.
In a few weeks, look for Yu Ying HUANG’s analysis of another one of YE’s games.
| RED |
Shing Kin HO |
Vancouver |
| BLACK |
Rong Guang YE |
Holland |
| DATE |
1 November 1999 |
|
| PLACE |
Shanghai |
|
Analysis by Ban LO, with help from Bill Brydon
See the game in a
java viewer,
or in a text file in
algebraic or WXF
notation.
1. C2=5 H8+7
2. H2+3 R9=8
3. R1=2 H2+3
4. P7+1 P7+1
5. H8+9 C2+4
6. P5+1 C8+4
7. R9+1 A4+5
8. C8=7 E3+5
9. R9=6 P1+1
Before, in Vietnam, I played games like this. I liked to play Black.
10. R6+5
Wrong. Red loses one move, and the game becomes very complicated.
Correct is 10. P3+1, and Red can keep the advantage of the first move. Black
must play either 10... C8=5+ or 10... C8=1. For example (see the variation in a
Java
viewer), 10... C8=5+ 11. A6+5
R8+9 12. H3-2 R1=4 (12... C5=1 13. P3+1 E5+7 14. P7+1 puts Black in trouble)
13. R6+8 H3-4 14. P3+1 E5+7 15. C7+4 and Red has a better ending.
10. .... P1+1
11. P3+1 P1+1
12. R6-3
The Red chariot (rook) has wasted a move, and Black's pawn can cause
trouble.
12. .... C8-3
13. P3+1 E5+7
14. P7+1 H3+1
15. P7=6 R1=4
16. H9-7 H1+3
17. C7+2 C2+1
18. H3+4 C8+2
Black is playing aggressively, and taking chances. This move looks like it
causes trouble by pinning the pieces on Red's pawn line.
19. C5=3?
Red loses the thread of the position. Moving the cannon away from the centre
is often weak. Red should play (see the variation in a
Java
viewer) 19. R2+3! Now 19... C8=5+? 20. A4+5 R8+6
21. H4-2! is not good for Black.
It looks like Black must play 19... H3-1, but after 20. R6=9 it is very hard for
him to move. Red answers 20... C8=5+ with 21. R2=5! And if 20... P3+1 21. R9+3
P3+1 22. H4+5, Red is winning.
Also, the sacrifice fails: 20... R4+4 21. R9+3 C2+2 22. R2=6! R4+2 (if
22... C8=5+ 23. A4+5?? R8+9 loses for Red, but 23. C5+4+! wins) 23. H7+6 C8=5+
24. A4+5 R8+9 25. H6-4! and Red wins.
If Red plays R2+3, Black's C8=5 fails in every variation, but without this move,
it wins.
19. .... E7-5
20. P6=7?
Another mistake, losing the chariot and the game. Red can still play 20. R2+3.
But now, after 20... H3-1 21. R6=9? R4+4! Red is in very bad trouble. The best
would be 21. C3=6 (correcting the previous mistake) with a complicated position.
20. .... R4+6
21. H7+6 C8=5!
The threat of checkmate wins the chariot. Red's cannon shouldn't be on his
third line.
22. H6-8 R8+9
23. H8+6 P3+1
24. H6+7
Black is winning. The chariot is much stronger than a minor piece. Red's
defensive position is too weak for passive defense. He launches an attack,
hoping to win with traps. Black defends carefully while using his material
advantage to destroy Red's defenses.
24. .... C5-1
25. H7+8 H7+8
26. H4-6 R8=7
27. C3=6 R7-2
28. H6+5 R7=4
29. H5+7 H8+6
30. H8+9 H6+8
31. A4+5 H8+7
32. K5=4 R4-3
33. C7=4 R4=3
34. H7+9 E5-3
35. H-+7 K5=4
36. C4-2 R3-2
37. K4+1 P5+1
38. C4=6 H7-6
39. C6-1 P5+1
40. A5+6 P5=4
41. A6-5 A5+4
42. A5+4 R3+6
43. K4=5 P4+1
44. H7-8 P4+1
45. H8+6 P4+1
46. K5-1 P4+1
(a diagram).
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