Thunder Ice

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Magnus Carlsen
Champions Showdown; match game 28 (5 minutes); Saint Louis, November 14, 2017
King’s Indian Defence E70

1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nge2 0-0 7. Ng3 a6 8. a4 h5 9. Be2 e5 10. Bg5 Qe8 11. Qd2 Nbd7. The original matrix was 11. ... Nh7 12. Bh6 Nd7 13. Bxh5 gxh5 14. Nf5 Bf6 15. Qe2 Nb6 16. Nxd6 Qd8 17. Nxc8 Nxc8 18. Bxf8 Qxf8 19. Qxh5 Nd6 20. b3 Qg7 21. 0-0 Bg5 22. Rad1 Nf6 23. Qe2 Qg6 24. Rfe1 Kg7 25. g3 Rh8 26. Rd3 Bf4 27. Qf3 Rh5 28. Qg2 Bh6 29. Kf1 Rg5 30. Qf3 Ng4 31. Kg2 Nf5 32. h3 Nge3+ 33. Kh2 Nd4 34. Qxe3 Rh5 35. f4 Qg4 36. h4 Bxf4 37. gxf4 Rxh4+ 38. Qh3 Rxh3+ 39. Rxh3 Nf3+ 40. Rxf3 Qxf3 41. Nd1 exf4 42. Kg1 Qxb3 43. e5 Kf8 44. d6 Ke8 45. a5 Qg3+ 46. Kf1 f3 47. Ne3 f2 0 : 1 Serper – Shabalov, 46th U.S. Chess Championship, Seattle 2000. 12. a5 Nh7 13. Bh6 Rb8. Blitz’s law: Black chooses to enter the storm.

14. Bxh5! Bxh6. Not 14. ... gxh5? because of 15. Nf5 Bf6 16. Qe2 with a terrific attack, similarly to the abovementioned game Serper – Shabalov. 15. Qxh6 b6 16. Bd1 bxa5 17. b3 Qd8 18. h4. Black seems helpless against the White assault, but in blitz chess there’s nothing impossible. 18. ... Ndf6 19. Qd2 Bd7 20. Nf1. This appears too slow for causing any worries to Black. The coherent 20. h5 deserved consideration. 20. ... a4! Carlsen doesn’t miss his chance to get counterplay through the b-file, even at the cost of a Pawn. 21. bxa4 Rb4 22. Ne3 Qa5 23. f3 Qb6 24. a5 Qb7 25. Ra2 Nh5 26. Ne2 Rb8 27. g4 Nf4 28. Nxf4 exf4 29. Ng2 Rxc4. Black has overcome any problems, and his position appears even easier. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s obstinacy in retaining his extra Pawn won’t prove to be lucky for him. 30. Nxf4 Rd4 31. Qc2 Qb4+ 32. Kf2 c4! 33. Ne2 Rd3 34. Nf4 Rb3! 35. Be2 c3! 36. Kg3? By now White’s position was certainly not easy to play, but the text leads to a very quick collapse. 36. ... Qd4 37. Nd3. 37. Bxa6 Qe5! is no better at all. 37. ... Nf6. The threat ... Bd7xg4 is overwhelming. 38. Rd1 Bxg4! 39. fxg4 Nxe4+ 40. Kg2 Rb2 41. Ra4 Qe3 0 : 1. So Carlsen crushed one of his potential challengers by the impressive score of 22–8. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), however, has no reason to feel afflicted, since he learned something valuable without losing anything invaluable.