A Kick for a Bite

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 14, 2018
Semi-Slav Defence D44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. 0-0 Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxf7. Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov’s move, which was awarded Novelty of the Year 2008 by the Šahovski Informator 102. 12. ... Kxf7 13. e5 Nd5 14. Ne4 Qb6 15. Nd6+ Ke7 16. a4? Grischuk’s first new move is much worse than Topalov’s 16. Bg4(!) Raf8 (but 16. ... h5 might be Black’s best option: 17.Bxh5 Raf8 18.Qg4 Bh6 19.h4 Rhg8 20.hxg5 Bxg5 21.Ne4 Ne3 22.Qxg5+ Rxg5 23.Bh4 Kd8 24.fxe3 Rh8 25.Bxg5+ Kc7 26.Bg4 c5 27.dxc5 Nxc5 28.Rf7+ Kb8 29.Nd6 Rg8 30.Raf1 Rxg5 31.Rf8+ Kc7 32.R1f7+ Nd7 33.Rxd7+ Kxd7 34.Rf7+ Kd8 35.Rf8+ Kd7 36.Rf7+ ½ : ½ Shirov – Karjakin, 3rd Aerosvit Chess Tournament, Foros 2008) 17. Qc2 Qxd4 18. Qg6 Qxg4 19. Qxg7+ Kd8 20. Nxb7+ Kc8 21. a4 b4 22. Rac1 c3 23. bxc3 b3 24. c4 Rfg8 25. Nd6+ Kc7 26. Qf7 (White has a slight edge in a tremendously complicated position) 26. ... Rf8 27. cxd5 Rxf7 28. Rxc6+ Kb8 29. Nxf7 Re8 30. Nd6 Rh8 31. Rc4 Qe2 32. dxe6 Nb6 33. Rb4 Ka8 34. e7 Nd5 35. Rxb3 Nxe7 36. Rfb1 Nd5 37. h3 h5 38. Nf7 Rc8 39. e6 a6 40. Nxg5 h4 41. Bd6!! Rg8 42. R3b2+− Qd3 43. e7 Nf6 44. Be5 Nd7 45. Ne6 1 : 0 Topalov – Kramnik, 70th Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2008. 16. ... Raf8 17. Bf3 a6 18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. axb5 axb5 20. Kh1 Bc6 21. f4 gxf4?? It’s hard for me to understand this monstrous mistake. 21. ... h5! eventually followed by ... h5-h4 and ... b5-b4 seemed perfectly playable.

22. Rxf4?? And this is even harder than the previous one. “I feel sorry for Sasha, but if one doesn’t see 22. Bh4+, one cannot win such a tournament”, Spanish Grandmaster Miguel Illescas Córdoba commented. Indeed, after 22. Bh4+! Bf6 (idem to say 22. ... Nf6 23. Qg4!+−) 23. Qg4!+− Black could well have resigned. 22. ... Rxf4 23. Bxf4 Kd8. 23. ... Rf8! followed by ... Ke7-d8 seems stronger, as White cannot transpose into the game by 24. Qg4 (due to 24. ... Qxd4). 24. Qg4. Maybe Grischuk should have tried his luck with 24. Nf7+ Kc8 25. Nxh8 Bxh8 26. Bxh6 with very unclear play, but possibly promising for White. 24. ... Rf8 25. Bd2 Kc7 26. h3. Since neither 26. Ba5?? Qxa5! nor 26. Qxg7? Qxd4 were yet conceivable, White makes a hole for the King. Finally, there’s no use in winning the Queen by 26. Ne8+ Rxe8 27. Ba5 as after 27. ... Qxa5 28. Rxa5 Kb6 Black’s three extra pieces would more than compensate for it (her). 26. ... b4 27. Qxg7 Qxd4 28. Bxb4 Qxb2 29. Ba5+ Kb8 30. Rg1 c3 31. Qe7 c2 32. Bd2 Qxe5 33. Bxh6. If 33. Nf7 then 33. ... Rxf7! 34. Qxf7 Qe4 and only Black can think about winning. 33. ... Rg8 34. Nf7 Qc3 35. Qd6+ Kb7 36. Qxe6 d4 37. Nd6+ Kb6 38. Ne4 Nc5 39. Qxg8 Nxe4 40. Kh2 d3 41. Be3+ Kb5 42. Qb8+ Kc4 43. Qc7 Qf6. Everything would be alright, but – unfortunately for 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – White has a neat way to force a draw: 44. Rf1! Qd6+ 45. Qxd6 Nxd6 46. Rf6 Kd5 47. Rxd6+! Sic et simpliciter. The Bishop of opposite colour ending is obviously drawn. 47. ... Kxd6 48. Kg3 Kd5 49. Kf2 Kc4 50. Bd2 Kb3 51. Ke3 Bxg2 ½ : ½.

Artwork © Willum Morsch (@WillumTM)