A game analysis of 9th WXC Options

[zcj]

Hi,

The 9th World Xiangqi Championships was held in Paris from 31st July to 6th August, 2005. The following is a game analysis of a round one game, which was played between Gert Greeuw of Holland (Red) and Chen Fa Zuo of UK (Black). In this game, black used an inferior opening and gave red an overwhelming victory. Please enjoy.



1. c2=5 h2+3 2. h2+3 p7+1
3. p7+1

Here red can play r1=2 to move out his right rook first. After r1=2, he will still be able to play p7+1, since black already pushed up the 7th pawn, it is unlikely that he will also push up its 3rd pawn soon. According to the opening theory, major pieces should be brought out first as fast as possible. Rook is the most powerful piece and should be brought out first.

3. c8=7

A questionable move. Although this move can prevent red from playing h8+7, slowing down red's opening speed, it also blocks black's left horse to move h8+7. Later on the horse can only move h8+9. This "edge horse", far from the center, is usually considered having low momentum and weak for black's central defense.

4. r1=2 a4+5

Another questionable move. Black's a4+5 may somewhat violate the opening theory that says move the major pieces first and do not connect defensive pieces too early. Black should try to activate its left rook and horse first, say play h8+9 and then r9+1. The goal of opening is to bring out the major forces as fast as possible to put them into good positions for mid-game.

5. c8=6 e3+5
6. h8+7 r1=4 7. a4+5

There is a suttle difference as which advisor to move. If red plays 7.a6+5, then c2+4 8.r9=8 c2=7. The black cannon is targetting red's elephant on the 3rd file, not in favor of red.

7. h8+9 8. r9=8

Until now, the opening of the game becomes central cannon vs Dan Ti Ma (meaning black has one horse pretecting the central pawn, and one horse on the edge). Let's analyse this position. For red, all of its major pieces are set out and in good position, well inter connected and balanced. For black, on the left side, its rook is not out and the horse is on the edge, far from the central battle field. On the right side, its cannon is under the attack. So, over all we see that red has a much better formation than black. Black's opening variation is weak, purely defensive. This variation is obsolete, not being used in high level contests any more.

8. c2- 9. r2+4

Red intents to play h7+6 in the next move to attack black's 4th filed rook, and furthermore to capture the central pawn. Now, the game is about to leave the opening and enter the mid-game.

9. r9=8

When one side's rook moves up to the "river bank", the other side sets out the rook to trade. This is a typical move seen very often.

10. r2=4

Red should not trade the rook, because he should keep the posture for attacking black's right rook.

10. r4+6 11. h7+6

Red's attacks begin here.

11. c2=3 12. h6+5 c7=8

A serious mistake. This move gives red the chance to play r4+4, thus to break up black's defense system. Black does not want to trade the horse (by h3+5) so he tries to move away the cannon. He is right in this regard (because if he plays h3+5, red will reply by c5+4,having a powerful cannon in front). But he is wrong in where the cannon should go. Until move 11, black is already down in the opening facing a serious situation. He cannot afford making any more mistakes. Maybe black does not realize that or maybe he overlooks red's r4+4. Anyway, black's c7=8 trying to conter-attack(by c8+7) is a strategic mistake. Black's urgent task is to reinforce his defense instead of pulling out troops for offense. Thus, black should play c7=6.

13. r4+4

Red seizes the chance, planning to move h5+7 next and then c5+5 capturing the middle elephant.

13. h3+5

Black is forced to trade the horse in order to avoid losing the elephant. But the price to pay is to let red have the "fired" central cannon in front, which is a great danger. If black does not want to trade the horse, there are four other moves he can make, but none is good:

(1).13... c3+1 14.r8+9 r4-6 15.r8=6 k54 16.h5-6 c3=4 17.c6+6 k4+1 18.c5=6 mate.

(2).13... h3-4 14.r8+8 c8=6 15.h5+3 r8+2 16.r8=6 r4-5 17.c5+5 a5+4 18.c6+6 h9-8 19.h3+2 r8-2 20.c5-3 r8+2 21.c6=8, red having a big offensive.

(3).13... r4-3(or r4-4) 14.h5-6 r4+3(or r4+4) 15.c5+5 a5+6 16.c5-3 r4=5 17.p5+1, red having a big edge.

14. c5+4

The red central cannon becomes active. In all attacking forms, central cannon is the most powerful and effective one. Once the cannon is mounted, great danger is created. There will be a lot of killing moves or checkmate threats that follow.

14. r4-3
Black tries to remove the cannon. Once the central cannon is mounted, the defensive side should be very alert and try all means to remove it.

15. c5-2 c8+3

Black tries to trade the cannon (by p7+1 next), another attempt to remove the red cannon. But unfortunately he won't have the time to do so as the game shows later on.

16. c6=8

Red is one step ahead to launch the decisive attack before black can trade the cannon. However, 16.c6=8 is sound but a little "soft". A much stronger move is r8+9. Let's see what the possible variations are if red plays r8+9:

(1). 16.r8+9 c3=4 17.r8=6 r4-3 18.k5=4, mate.

(2). 16.r8+9 r4-3 17.k5=4 mate.

(3). 16.r8+9 r4=5 17.c5+3 r5-1 18.r8=7 a5-4 19.r4=6 a6+5 20.c6+7 k5=6 21.c6=5 r5=6 22.r6=5 e7+5 c5-2, mate.

16. c3+1 17. r4-3 c3=2
18. c8=9 c8-4 19. c9+4 r4-1
20. c9+3 c8=7 21. k5=4 k5=4
22. c9=4 r8+2 23. r4=9 r8=6
24. k4=5 a5-6 25. r8+ e5-3
26. p7+1 p3+1 27. r9=7 e7+5
28. r7+1 r6+2 29. c5=9 r6=1
30. r7=4 k4=5 31. c9=5 r1=5
32. r8-3 r5+1 33. p5+1

From move 16, red launched an intensive attack, which now ends up with gaining a rook of black. This gain is decisive, victory is not far from red. Now the game enters the end-game stage.

33. p7+1 34. h3+5 p7+1
35. h5+3 c7=3 36. r4=1 e5-7
37. h3+5 r4=7 38. r8=7

Black resigns. In the short end game, there is little that black can do to save himself from losing. Now if black plays:

(1).38... r7-1 39.h5+4 r7=6 40.r7+3 r6+1 41.r7+1 k5+1.Black has no way to defend.

(2).38... c3+1 39.e7+5 a6+5 40.p1+1. Black has no moves to make, will lose eventually.

(3).38... c3=4 39.r7+4. Red capturing an elephant, black will lose eventually.

In this game, black used an inferior opening, an obsolete variation of Dan Ti Ma, against red's central cannon. As a result, black's position was so passive and vulnerable to attack in the beginning stage of the game. In the early mid-game, black made another bad mistake(12 c7=8). Since then, black was losing all the way until he resigned. The major drawback of black's opening is that its left side rook and horse were stationed too far from the center (violating the opening theory that says major pieces should be out in good position as early as possible), so they could not join the battles for the most part of the game. That made red outnumbered in the actual fighting and won the game . On the other hand, this is a well done game for red.

[zcj]

13. h3+5

Black is forced to trade the horse in order to avoid losing the elephant. But the price to pay is to let red have the "fired" central cannon in front, which is a great danger. If black does not want to trade the horse, there are four other moves he can make, but none is good:

(1).13... c3+1 14.r8+9 r4-6 15.r8=6 k54 16.h5-6 c3=4 17.c6+6 k4+1 18.c5=6 mate.

(2).13... h3-4 14.r8+8 c8=6 15.h5+3 r8+2 16.r8=6 r4-5 17.c5+5 a5+4 18.c6+6 h9-8 19.h3+2 r8-2 20.c5-3 r8+2 21.c6=8, red having a big offensive.

(3).13... r4-3(or r4-4) 14.h5-6 r4+3(or r4+4) 15.c5+5 a5+6 16.c5-3 r4=5 17.p5+1, red having a big edge.

[zcj]

16. c6=8

Red is one step ahead to launch the decisive attack before black can trade the cannon. However, 16.c6=8 is sound but a little "soft". A much stronger move is r8+9. Let's see what the possible variations are if red plays r8+9:

(1). 16.r8+9 c3=4 17.r8=6 r4-3 18.k5=4, mate.

(2). 16.r8+9 r4-3 17.k5=4 mate.

(3). 16.r8+9 r4=5 17.c5+3 r5-1 18.r8=7 a5-4 19.r4=6 a6+5 20.c6+7 k5=6 21.c6=5 r5=6 22.r6=5 e7+5 c5-2, mate.

[zcj]

Black resigns. In the short end game, there is little that black can do to save himself from losing. Now if black plays:

(1).38... r7-1 39.h5+4 r7=6 40.r7+3 r6+1 41.r7+1 k5+1.Black has no way to defend.

(2).38... c3+1 39.e7+5 a6+5 40.p1+1. Black has no moves to make, will lose eventually.

(3).38... c3=4 39.r7+4. Red capturing an elephant, black will lose eventually.

[kochet]

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