The Lawnmower Man

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
Match game 4; 温州 (Wēnzhōu), July 19, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. a3 h6 12. Rd1 a6 13. b4. For 13. e4 e5 14. h3 Qc7 see Bacrot – Giri, French Team Chess Championship, Belfort 2012. 13. ... a5 14. Rb1 axb4 15. axb4 Nd5 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Bh7+ Kh8 18. Bf5 Re8 19. Bd2 Nb6 20. Ne5! With this sharp Pawn sacrifice 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) enhances the strength of his Bishop pair. 20. ... Bxe5. Gelfand boldly accepts the gift. 21. dxe5 Rxe5 22. Bc3 Re8 23. Ra1 Qe7 24. Bd4 Nc4 25. Qc3 Qg5 26. Bc2 Kg8 27. Rxa8 Rxa8 28. Ra1 Rxa1+ 29. Qxa1 Qg4? The wrong plan at the wrong time. Boris Abramovich ought to play 29. ... Nd6! as after 30. h3 Ne8 Black succeeds, just in time, in consolidating his position. 30. h3 Qe2 31. Bf5 Nd6 32. Bg4 Qd2 33. Qa7 h5 34. Qb8+ Kh7

35. Bxh5! The most obvious solution is 35. Qf8 f6 36. Bxf6! with a crushing attack, e.g. 36. ... Qe1+ 37. Kh2 gxf6 38. Qe7+ Kg6 39. Bxh5+! Kh6 (39. ... Kxh5 40. Qh7+ Kg5 41. f4 mate) 40. Qxf6+ Kh7 41. Qg6+ Kh8 42. Qxd6 and wins. The text move, however, surprisingly (unsurprisingly!) produces a magnificent finale. 35. ... Ne4 36. Qf4 Qe1+ 37. Kh2 Qxf2 38. Bxf7 Qxf4+ 39. exf4 Nd6 40. Be6 Bc8 41. Bxc8 Nxc8 42. Bc5. That’s the point: White’s Bishop totally dominates Black’s Knight. 42. ... Kg6 43. g4 Kf7 44. f5 Kf6 45. h4 Ke5 46. h5 d4 47. Kg3 1 : 0.