Too Little, Too Much, Just Right

余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)

"读特杯" (“Dú Tè Cup”) 龙岗 (Lónggǎng) Chess Masters; 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), March 23, 2017

4k3/1p2ppbp/p5p1/2n5/5P2/P3PN2/1P3P1P/3N1K2 w - - 0 31

Position after 30. ... Ne6xc5

余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) played a bit too passively, and 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) took his chance to question his own volatile initiative: 31. Ke2 Kd7! 32. Ng5 f6 33. Nf3. Of course, after 33. Nxh7 Ke6 the White Knight would end up being trapped in its corner grave. Curiously enough, within a few moves, the Black Knight will be faced by the same dilemma – but under more favourable conditions. 33. ... f5 34. b4 Ne4 35. Kd3 Bf6 36. a4 Kd6 37. Nd4 Bxd4 38. Kxd4 Nd2 39. Kd3! On the verge of serious trouble, 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) defends with inspired precision. 39. ... Nf3 40. Ke2 Nxh2! The only practical try for a win. Black sacrifices his Knight for a (temporary) couple of Pawns, hoping for a speedy march of the a-Pawn. 41. f3! Kd5 42. Nb2 b6 43. Kf2 a5 44. bxa5 bxa5 45. Kg2 Kc5 46. Nd3+ Kc4 47. Ne5+ Kb4 48. Kxh2 Kxa4 49. Nc6 Kb5 50. Nxe7 a4 51. Nd5 a3 52. Nc3+ Kc4 53. Na2 Kb3. Most likely 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) was now expecting something like 54. Nc1+? Kb2 55. Nd3+ Kc3 56. Nc1 Kd2 57. Na2 Kxe3 with quite an easy win, instead... 54. e4! This extreme countermeasure actually transforms the endgame in the most radical way. The e-Pawn also aims at a crown, as the ensuing Queen ending will not be winnable – even though 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) took quite a little time for persuading himself. It should be noted that 54. e4! would have worked even if Black had played 53. ... Kd3 (instead of 53. ... Kb3). 56. ... Kxa2 55. e5 Kb1 56. e6 a2 57. e7 a1=Q 58. e8=Q Qd4 59. Kg3 h5 60. Qe1+ Kc2 61. Qe2+ Qd2 62. Qc4+ Kd1 63. Qb3+ Ke1 64. Qb1+ Qd1 65. Qb6 h4+ 66. Kxh4 Qxf3 67. Qg1+ Ke2 68. Kg5 Qh5+ 69. Kf6 Kf3 70. Qf1+ Kg3 71. Qc1 Qg4 72. Ke5 Qf3 73. Qg1+ Qg2 74. Qe1+ Qf2 75. Qc1 Kg4 76. Qd1+ Kh3 77. Qh1+ Kg3 78. Qc1 Qb6 79. Qe1+ Kg2 80. Qc1 Kh2 81. Qd2+ Kh3 82. Qc1 Qb5+ 83. Kf6 Kg4 84. Kxg6 Qb6+ 85. Kf7 Qd4 86. Ke6 Qxf4 87. Qg1+ Kh4 88. Qg6 ½ : ½.

余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) (R.) vs. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Photo: cca.imsa.cn