Olafsson,Helgi vs. Liu,Shilan - FIDE WSTC Open 50 2025 1-0
In the FIDE WSTC Open 50 2025 event on 2025.02.19, Helgi Olafsson played a decisive move e5 with white pieces against Shilan Liu's black pieces. This move directly challenges material possession by threatening to gain control over the center of the board.
The e5 move also offers a potential equalization through a pawn trade, which could lead to a more balanced position on the board.
By playing e5, Helgi Olafsson forces Shilan Liu to make a response that can potentially lead to a piece exchange or an opponent's piece being kicked out of the way.
However, by choosing to play e5, Helgi Olafsson misses the opportunity to escape the potential attack and instead puts his own pieces in the crosshairs.
Furthermore, this move also means that Liu is unable to protect an underdefended piece without creating further vulnerabilities on the board.
Despite its risks, the e5 move does develop a piece for active play, which could potentially lead to future attacking chances.
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[Date "2025.02.19"]