Untouchable number

Magnus Carlsen – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Champions Showdown; match game 15 (10 minutes); Saint Louis, November 13, 2017
Spanish Game C90

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. Re1 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. Nbd2 Re8 12. Nf1 Nc6 13. Ne3 Bf8 14. a4 b4 15. Nd5 h6 16. a5!? Mighty Magnus improvises a Pawn sacrifice. The old try was 16. h3 bxc3 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. bxc3 Rb8 19. a5 Rd8 20. Nh2 Ne7 21. Ng4 Bxg4 22. hxg4 d5 23. g5 hxg5 24. Qg4 Qg6 25. Qxg5 Qxg5 26. Bxg5 f6 27. Bc1 d4 28. cxd4 cxd4 29. Bb1 Nc6 30. Ba2+ Kh7 31. Bc4 Bb4 32. Rf1 Bc3 33. Ra2 Nxa5 34. Bd5 Rb1 35. f4 Rc8?? (Reshevsky falls into one of his time’s mightmares; 35. ... Nb3 was called for) 36. g3! exf4 37. Rh2+ Kg6 38. gxf4 f5 39. Rg2+ Kh7 40. exf5 Rb6 41. Be6 Rxe6 1 : 0 Bisguier – Reshevsky, New York 1957, match game 2. 16. ... Nxd5 17. exd5 Nxa5 18. Ba4 Re7 19. Nd2 Rb8 20. c4 Nb7 21. Ne4 f5 22. Ng3 f4 23. Ne4 Rf7 24. Bd2. I was just thinking that White apparently obtained nothing special for the Pawn, when here comes 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) to disprove me: 24. ... Qb6?

25. Be8! Re7 26. Qh5. The situation changed drastically in the last few moves, and now all White’s pieces are eager to show its teeth. 26. ... Bf5 27. Qxf5 Rbxe8 28. Qg6 Kh8 29. g3! Na5? And Black’s story goes from bad to worst. 30. Nxd6. With the threat of Nd6-f7+ winning the Queen. 30. ... Kg8 31. Rxa5! 31. Rxe5! was possibly even stronger. 31. ... Rd8 32. Rea1 Rxd6 33. Qe4 Qb7 34. Rxc5 Rf7 35. Rc6! Carlsen concludes with an impressive display of power. 35. ... Rxc6 36. dxc6 Qb6 37. gxf4 Bc5 38. Kh1 Bd4 39. fxe5 Rxf2 40. Bf4 Bxb2. If 40. ... Rxf4 41. Qxf4 Bxb2 then 42. Rf1! Qxc6+ 43. Qf3 Qxf3+ 44. Rxf3 Bxe5 45. Rf5 and White’s Rook goes to a5 with a won ending (Stockfish’s analysis). 41. Be3 Qb8 42. Rg1! Rf8 43. d4 1 : 0.