AMAZING 11 YEAR OLD AT THE BARCELONA SANTS OPEN

Most 11 year old junior chess players get crushed by Grandmasters in simultaneous exhibitions. However, young Leon Luke Mendonca is not just any 11 year old junior player. He is asserting himself as the next big star to come from India.

After just 6 of the 10 rounds completed at the Barcelona Sants International Open Luke is well on his way to securing his first IM norm.

In round 2 he faced off against the number 3 seed of the tournament, GM Simen Agdestein of Norway. Far from being intimidated by the prospect of facing such a strong player at his tender age, Luke rose to the occasion - showing an accuracy of play that bodes very well for the future.

Let's take a look at that round 2 game:

Mendonca,Leon Luke (2286) - Agdestein,Simen (2604)

XIX Sants Open 2017 Cotxeres de Sants (2), 19.08.2017

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 Re8 6.a3 Bf8 7.d5 h5N E46: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein: 4 e3 0–0 5 Ne2 without early Bd3 [Predecessor: 7...a5 8.Ng3 Na6 9.Bd3 Nc5 10.Bc2 exd5 11.cxd5 b5 12.0–0 Bb7 13.Qd4 b4 14.axb4 axb4 15.Rxa8 Qxa8 16.Qxb4 Nxd5 1–0 (57) Ipatov, A (2613)-Eljanov,P (2723) Dubai 2014] 

8.g3 exd5 9.cxd5 c5 [9...h4=] 

10.Bg2 d6 11.0–0 h4 12.e4 hxg3 

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[12...h3!? 13.Bf3 Nbd7²] 

13.hxg3 Na6 14.Rb1 Bd7 15.b4 cxb4 16.axb4 Ng4 17.f3 Qb6+ 18.Qd4 Qxd4+ 19.Nxd4 Ne5 20.Ncb5 Rec8 21.Rd1 Rc4 22.Bd2 Nc7 23.Nxc7 Rxc7 24.Bf1 Nc4 25.Rdc1 Rac8 26.Bxc4 Rxc4 27.Rxc4 [27.Nb3 looks sharper. 27...f5 28.Na5 Rc2 29.Bf4 fxe4 30.fxe4 b6 31.Nc6] 

27...Rxc4 28.Nb3 Rc2 29.Bf4 Rc3 30.Kf2 Be7 31.Nd4 Rc4 32.Nf5 Bxf5 33.exf5= Endgame KRB-KRB 

33...a6 34.Ke3 Rc3+ 35.Kf2 Bf6 36.Rd1 Be7 37.Re1 Kf8 38.Rh1 Ke8 39.Rc1 Rb3 40.Rc4 Kd7 41.Ke2 Bf6 42.Bd2 Ra3 43.g4 Bd8 44.g5 Ra2 45.Kd3 a5 46.bxa5 Bxa5 47.Bxa5 [47.Bc1 seems wilder. 47...Rf2 48.Ra4 Bb6 49.Rb4 Rxf3+ 50.Ke4] 

47...Rxa5 48.Ke4 Rc5 49.Rd4 b5 50.f6 gxf6 51.gxf6 Kc7 52.Ke3 Rc3+ 53.Ke2 Rc4 54.Rg4! Kb6 55.Kd3 Rc7 

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[55...Rc5!? 56.Rg7 Rc7³] 

56.Re4 Rc5 [56...Kc5!?] 

57.Re7 Rxd5+? [57...Rc7!= and Black has nothing to worry.] 

58.Ke4+- Re5+ 

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59.Kd4? [59.Kf4+-] 59...b4= The position is equal. 

60.Rxf7 b3 61.Kc3 Re3+ 62.Kb2 White wants to play f4. 

62...Rxf3 63.Rf8 Kc5 64.f7 Kd5 65.Rc8 Rxf7 And now ...Rf3 would win. 

66.Kxb3 Kd4 67.Rc4+! Kd3 [#] Strongly threatening ...Rb7+. 

68.Rc3+! Kd2 ...Rb7+ is the strong threat. 

69.Rc2+ Kd1 ( -> ...Rb7+) [69...Ke3!? 70.Rc3+ Ke2 71.Rc2+ Kd3 72.Rc3+ Kd2 73.Rc2+ Kd3 74.Rc3+³] 

70.Rc6 d5 aiming for ...Rf3+. 

71.Rd6 Precision: White = 71%, Black = 65%. ½–½