Game Of the Week

Just weeks after the instant classic by Wei Yi, we have another game so striking that it will likely be remembered for a long time. But for opposite reasons; the game Navara-Wojtaszek from Biel featured not a king hunt but an audacious king march - all the way to h8! The surprisingly rapid rate of play by Navara indicates that he was still in his home preparation for a long way. A remarkably deep and bold discovery, to be sure, but beyond a spirit of adventure, one has to wonder... why? The risk is of course obvious, but in addition Wojtaszek had several opportunities to more or less equalize. It takes two to tango, and the Polish number one has to be equally commended, as he seemed just as determined as Navara to win this game. Unfortunately, he got the rook ending all wrong. If the other player had messed it up, we might find Navara's play to be a bit crazy... and not like a fox. The game was understandably full of mistakes, with so many difficult decisions to make. But the weirdness factor makes it one of the most interesting games I have had the opportunity to present in this forum.

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