The King of Kong

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
6th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Baku, September 21, 2015
8/4r1k1/3R4/1p1P1P2/1P6/6pK/8/8 b - - 0 57

The endgame looks very drawish. 57. ... Re4. Also 57. ... Re5 58. f6+ Kf7 59. Kxg3 Re4 is alright. 58. Rg6+ Kf7 59. Rxg3 Rxb4. 59. ... Rd4! was simpler way to draw. 60. Rd3 Rc4. Grandmaster Dejan Bojkov recommends 60. ... Rf4! 61. d6 Ke8 62. Rd5 Kd7 63. Kg3 Rc4 leading to an easy draw. 61. d6 Rc8? 61. ... Ke8! was the correct way to draw. 62. Kg4 Kf6 63. Kf4 b4 64. Ke4 Rb8 65. Kd5? Here 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) misses the winning line: 65. Rb3! Rb5 66. d7 Ke7 67. Rd3 Kd8 68. f6 Rh5 69. f7 Rh8 70. Ke5 b3 71. Rxb3 Kxd7 72. Kf6+- (Bojkov’s analysis). 65. ... b3 66. d7! b2 67. Rb3 Rxb3 68. d8=Q+ Kxf5. Notwithstanding any appearance to the contrary, it’s only a draw according to tablebases. 69. Qd7+ Kg5 70. Qe7+ Kg4 71. Qe4+ Kg3 72. Qg6+ Kh4? The crisis. Correct was 72. ... Kf3! bringing the King closer to its Rook, e.g. 73. Qb1 Kf4 74. Kc4 Rb7 75. Qf1+ Ke5 76. Qe2+ Kd6 with a draw in sight (Bojkov’s analysis). 73. Qb1 Kg5 74. Kc4! Now the Rook is doomed. 74. ... Rb8 75. Qg1+ Kf5 76. Qc5+ Kg4 77. Qd4+ Kf3 78. Qf6+ Ke4 79. Qe6+ Kf3 80. Qf5+ 1 : 0.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili