c/o Max Vitek
In the 2017 Chinese Chess League, a tournament between top clubs in China, future world champion Ding Liren with the black pieces has been playing a magnificent game against young grandmaster Jinshi Bai. Featuring unrelenting aggression, beautiful strategic play, and a completely unexpected queen sacrifice, this entire game is a must-watch. In the following position, Ding Liren only needs a few more moves to checkmate the white king and seal his immortal game. (Black to move)
Last Puzzle’s Solution:
- Qxh7+! Kxh7 12. Nxf6+ Kh6 13. Neg4+ Kg5 14. h4+ Kf4 15. g3+ Kf3 16. Be2+ Kg2 17. Rh2+ Kg1 18.Kd2#
Starting with a queen sacrifice, Lasker’s attacking sequence forcefully drags the black king all the way to the other side of the board, where Lasker can end the game with a king move. Alternatively, Lasker could’ve also mated with long castles!
Max Vitek can be reached at mvitek@wesleyan.edu.