Desert Wind

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Richárd Rapport
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 18, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E16

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Bf4 Be7 9. Nc3 Ne4 10. Qd3!? For 10. Qc2 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 d6 12. Qc2 f5 13. Rad1 Be4 14. Qc1 Qe8 15. Qe3 Bf6 16. c5 bxc5 17. dxc5 e5 see Giri – Rapport, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 10. ... Nxc3 11. bxc3!? Quite unorthodox. 11. ... Qc8 12. e4 d6 13. Rfe1 Nd7 14. Rad1. Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão also considers 14. a4!? to close the last route for Black’s counterplay. 14. ... a4!? 15. h4 Ra5. In his way of developing strategy, Rapport shows his well-known originality. 16. Bc1 Re8 17. Nh2! Qa8 18. Nf1 Nf6 19. d5 Bf8 20. Ne3 a3!? Repetita iuvant. 21. f4 Ra4 22. e5 Nd7 23. h5 Nc5 24. Qf1 h6 25. Rd4 Qa5. 25. ... exd5 (Leitão) might have been safer. 26. Bd2. Also deserving consideration is 26. dxe6 Rxe6 27. Nd5 (Leitão’s analysis). 26. ... exd5 27. Nxd5 c6 28. Nb4 Qa8 29. exd6 Rd8 30. f5! Nd7. 30. ... Rxd6 31. Rxd6 Bxd6 32. f6 was all but attractive, leaving Black in a quite uncomfortable position, but it might have been the best available option for Rapport.

31. Rd3. Grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, while commenting the game for ChessBase.com, spotted a fantastic idea: 31. Re7!! c5? (31. ... Bxe7?? 32. dxe7 loses at once) 32. Bxb7 Qxb7 33. Rg4 cxb4 34. Bxh6 with a devastating attack. The text, indeed, does not make any damage, but let slip the golden opportunity of closing the “payperview adventure” quickly and brilliantly. 31. ... Nf6 32. Bf4 Ra5 33. Qf3? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) starts losing the thread. Both 33. Be3 and 33. Qf2! (Leitão) would have retained an advantage for White. 33. ... Rxf5 34. Nxc6?? A grave mistake, hard to understand at first and second sight. Best was 34. Re5! (Leitão) 34. ... Rxf4! 35. gxf4 Rxd6 with an unbalanced game, a bit roughly even, but certainly easier to play on Black’s part. 34. ... Rxd6! 35. Rxd6 Bxd6 36. Ne7+ Bxe7 37. Qxb7 Bc5+ 38. Kf1. It would be very strange if 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) previously did not notice that his King could not move on the h-file because of mate. 38. ... Qxb7 39. Bxb7 Nxh5 40. Re8+ Bf8 0 : 1.

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Photo: eoaaeiai.36789.net