Originally, I had an article ready for readers about another young world super talent who, at the moment of writing this article after round 7, can boast a perfect score. However, while following this round of the Olympiad, my attention was caught by a game and especially a possible combination that I must share. After all, dear readers, you will surely encounter it soon in all sorts of media…
So,Wesley (2773) - Melkumjan,Hrant (2634) (7.2), 5 Aug 2022
19.?
If you, dear readers, manage to decipher what Wesley So had in mind after the last move 18...e4 and calculate all the important variations to the end, all credit to you. You can of course replay the solution and other interesting points below. I believe we have reached the pinnacle of all the splendid combinational strikes of this Olympiad; in earlier times the prize for beauty would surely have gone to White.
Filipino-American super grandmaster Wesley So has just played one of the moves of the 2022 Olympiad. Photo Lennart Ootes (FIDE)
