Jingle Bells

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Wesley So
7th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Tbilisi, September 20, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E17

Today, it was 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s turn to not cash in on his luck. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. b3 b6 7. 0-0 Bb7 8. Nc3 Nbd7 9. Bb2 c5 10. Ne1!? An interesting novelty. 10. cxd5 may well transpose into 10. ... Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Qd2 Rc8 13. dxc5 ½ : ½ T. V. Petrossiàn – Spassky, 3rd International Chess Tournament, Bugojno 1982. 10. ... cxd4. 10. ... Ne4 was worth considering. 11. Qxd4 Bc5 12. Qf4 Bb4 13. Nd3 Bxc3 14. Bxc3. Black succeeded in simplifying the position, but at the cost of moving his Bishop three times, thus conceding White a slight but enduring edge that might have its influence in the ensuing ending. 14. ... Qc8 15. Rfc1 dxc4 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. Rxc4 Qb8 18. Qxb8 Rfxb8 19. Ne5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Ne8 21. Nc6 Rb7 22. Rd1 Kf8 23. e4 Nf6 24. f4 b5 25. Rcd4 g6 26. Ne5 h6 27. Rc1 Ke8 28. Kf3 Nd7 29. Nd3. White isn’t interested in changing pieces, of course. 29. ... a5 30. Rc6 Ke7 31. a3 Raa7 32. Ke3 Nb8 33. Rc8 Nd7 34. Rc6 Nb8 35. Rc8 Nd7 36. Nc5 Nb6. This could be the only mistake Black actually made, and it might have been fatal. 36. ... Rc7(!) would have led to a liquidation to a Rook ending in which the drawing prospects were quite high.

37. Rc6. With only a few minutes to the time control, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) does not appreciate duly the strength of the enveloping maneuver 37. Rh8! Rc7 38. Rdd8! Rxc5 39. e5! (Δ Rh8-e8 mate) 39. ... f5 40. Rb8 (Δ Rh8-h7 mate) 40. ... Rc8 41. Rbxc8 Nxc8 42. Rxc8 which would have ensured White a very favourable endgame. 37. ... Rc7 38. Rxb6 Rxc5 39. e5 g5! 40. Rd3 gxf4+ 41. gxf4 Rc2 42. h3 Ra2 43. b4 axb4 44. axb4 Rh2 45. Ke4 Rc7 46. Rxb5 Rc4+ 47. Rd4 Rc7 48. Rc5 Rxc5 49. bxc5 Rc2 50. f5 exf5+ 51. Kxf5 Rxc5 52. Rd6 Rc1 53. Rxh6 Rf1+ 54. Ke4 f6 55. exf6+ Rxf6 56. Rxf6 Kxf6 57. h4 Kg6 58. h5+ Kxh5 ½ : ½.