World Team Championship

The young team from Uzbekistan, who took gold medals at the Olympiad in Chennai, came close to repeating that achievement at the World Team Championship in Jerusalem last month. They cruised through the group stage, quarters and semis, and met China in the final, who got there despite fielding none of their elite players, such as world No. 2 Ding Liren. The match promised to be close, and it was China who triumphed. Their star player was Jinshi Bai, who scored 8.5/11, including this crucial win from the final.

Bai Jinshi-Shamsiddin Vokhidov

World Team Championship, Jerusalem, Nov 22

In the diagram position, 34 Qa7 Rc8 is balanced, but Bai found a clever counterblow. 34 f4! The point is that 34…Rxb6 35 fxe5 Rxc6 36 exf6+ Kh6 37 Rd7 wins. But 35…Ng4! (instead of 35…Rxc6) improves on this. 36 hxg4 Rxc6 37 Rd7 Kh6 38 Rfxf7 Rc5! Black’s king will make a cosy nest on g5, with reasonable drawing chances thanks to White’s weak pawns. Qxf4 A clever desperado sacrifice, but it backfires. 35 Qa7 Qe5 36 Rxf6! Now 36…Qxf6 37 Qxb8 wins, so the king is drawn forward. Kxf6 37 Rf1+ Kg5 37…Kg7 was a better try, but after 38 Qxf7+ Kh8 39 Qe7 Rg8 40 Kh1 Black is still in trouble. 38 Rxf7 Rh8 39 Qe7+ Kh6 40 Qh4+ Qh5 41 Qf6 Rg8 42 Bf3 Black resigns in view of 42…Qg5 43 Rxh7+ or 42…Qf5 43 Qh4+

Bai also cooked up a stunning idea which helped China win their semi-final match against Spain.

Bai Jinshi-Alexei Shirov

World Team Championship, Jerusalem, Nov 22

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Qc2 g6 5 Bf4 Na6 6 e3 Bf5 7 Qb3 Nb4 This exotic sacrifice was first tried by the late Viktor Kupreichik in 1989. 8 Qxb4 e5 9 Qxb7 Rb8 10 Qxc6+ Bd7 11 Qa6 Players have also ventured 11 Qxf6 Qxf6 12 Bxe5 Qb6 and in this messy position 13 b3! is best.