Breathless

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Match game 3; 温州 (Wēnzhōu), July 18, 2015
Catalan Opening E00

Notes by Chess-News.ru

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Nc3 0-0 7. Bg5 c6 8. Bg2 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. 0-0 Bc7 11. e3 Nd7 12. Qe2 Qe7 13. Rfd1 Nf6 14. e4 dxc4 15. e5 Nd5 16. Qxc4 Rd8 17. Ne4 a5 18. Rac1 Bd7 19. a3 Be8 20. Ne1 b6 21. Nd3 Rac8 22. Qc2 Qf8 23. Qe2 Ne7 24. Ne1 Nf5 25. Nf3 Qe7 26. Rc3 Qf8 27. h4 Ne7 28. Rcc1 Bb8 29. Qa6 Nd5 30. Nc3 Nxc3 31. Rxc3 Bc7 32. Rdc1 Rb8 33. Qe2 b5 34. Rd3 Bb6

In a long manoeuvering battle (looking at the diagram, it is hard to believe that 34 moves have already been played) Black has the upper hand. Now Gelfand should probably already have been thinking of how to equalize and exchange weak Pawns: 35. Nd2! Rxd4 (or 35. ... Bxd4 36. Nb3 Bb6 37. Rxd8 Rxd8 38. Bxc6; but not 35. ... c5?! 36. dxc5 Bxc5 37. Ne4, and White is better) 36. Bxc6 Rc8 37. Rdc3 with an equal position and a predictable result. 35. Rcd1?! Qe7 36. g4 c5 37. g5 c4 38. R3d2 h5 39. g6 f6 40. Ng5!? White’s moves are not the only ones, but Gelfand is at least consistent. 40. ... Bxg6 41. Be4? Even after the more tenacious 41. exf6 Qxf6 42. Be4 White is worse in a stable position. 41. ... Bxe4 42. Nxe4. Gelfand probably saw that after 42. exf6 gxf6 43. Nxe4 Rd5! he faces prospectless suffering, but also after 42. ... fxe5 43. Qxh5 Bxd4 44. Ng5 Qf6 45. Qh7+ Kf8 46. Qe4 Ke7 the Chinese had a decisive advantage, which he confidently realised on move 75. 47. Qc6 Qf5 48. Re1 Rdc8 49. Qg2 Rd8 50. Qc6 Rb6 51. Qg2 g6 52. Nf3 b4 53. axb4 axb4 54. Rde2 c3 55. bxc3 Bxc3 56. Nxe5 Bxe1 57. Rxe1 b3 58. Nc6+ Rxc6 59. Qxc6 Rd2 60. Qc7+ Kf8 61. Qc8+ Kf7 62. Qc7+ Kg8 63. Qb8+ Kg7 64. Qg3 Rc2 65. Qe3 b2 66. Qa7+ Kh6 67. Qe3+ Kh5 68. Kg2 e5 69. Qa7 Kh6 70. Qe3+ Qf4 71. Qxf4+ exf4 72. Rb1 Kh5 73. Kf3 Kxh4 74. Rh1+ Kg5 75. Rb1 Rd2 0 : 1. A great creative achievement by Dīng Lìrén, who played a complicated game, seemingly in one breath.

Boris Abramovich Gelfand vs. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Photo: sinochess (‏@sinachess)