Game of the Week: Espinoza Aranda, Salgado Lopez

22-year-old Ivan Salgado Lopez won the Spanish Championship with a 7 ½- 1 ½ score. It was a Swiss system event, and some of his opponents were not very strong. Still, he showed a technical mastery of his stronger opponents, too. He beat Miguel Illescas in a rook and bishop ending with four pawns versus three, all on the same side. I would have thought it to be a draw, until I saw how Salgado won it. In this week’s featured game, he wins a smooth game without any fireworks against an international master of about the same age, Angel Espinosa Aranda. I quite like this game because its shows how the player with the better understanding of the strategy of the Open Sicilian will emerge on top. Let’s watch and learn.