Will and Work

Fabiano Caruana – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 20, 2018
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Qb3 b6 9. Nc3 Ba6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Ne5. If 11. Bf4 there might follow 11. ... Nc6 12. Rfc1 Rc8 13. Qa4 Bb7 14. Ne5 a6 15. Qd1 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 h6 17. Rc2 Nd7 18. Bf4 b5 19. Rac1 Qa5 20. a3 Rc4 21. Nb1 Rfc8 22. Nd2 Rxc2 23. Rxc2 Qd8 24. Qc1 Rxc2 25. Qxc2 Nb6 26. Nf3 Nc4 27. Ne5 Qb6 28. Nxc4 bxc4 29. Qc3 Bf6 30. Be3 Qb5 31. f4 Qa4 32. Bf3 Bd8 33. Bd2 Bb6 34. e3 f6 35. Bg4 Kf7 36. Bh5+ g6 37. Bf3 Qc6 38. Qc1 Qc7 39. Bc3 Kg7 40. h4 h5 41. Kg2 Qd7 42. Kh2 Qc7 43. Kg2 Qd7 44. Kh2 Qc7 ½ : ½ Lê Thanh Tú – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd Asian Indoor Games, Halong City 2009. 11. ... Bb7 12. Rfc1 Nc6 13. Nxd5 Nxd4 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. Qc4 Bxg2 16. Qxd4 Rfd8 17. Qf4! A sensible novelty with respect to 17. Qb4 which led to a very quick draw after 17. ... Qxb4 18. Bxb4 Bb7 19. Rc7 Ba6 20. Nxf7 Nd5 21. Nxd8 Nxc7 22. Nc6 ½ : ½ Gleizerov – I. Faragó, 18th Internationale Schach-Open, Oberwart 1996. The text, instead, ensures White a slight but lasting positional edge, requiring Black to play very carefully not to fall into a difficult position. 17. ... Bb7 18. Bb4 Qe8 19. Rc7 Nd5 20. Qxf7+ Qxf7 21. Rxf7 Ba6 22. Ba3. 22. Be7 Rd7 doesn’t seem to cause Black any discomfort. 22. ... Bxe2 23. Rc1 Bh5. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) sets himself in defensive array maybe a little too early, thus allowing his opponent to significantly improve his command of the board. Therefore, 23. ... a5 at once was deserving consideration, so as to answer 24. Rb7 by 24. ... Ba6, while on other neutral moves, Black might even consider playing ... Be2-d3. 24. Rb7 Be8 25. Kg2 a5 26. h4 Rdb8 27. Rxb8 Rxb8 28. g4 b5 29. b3 b4 30. Bb2 a4 31. h5 Ra8 32. Kg3 Kf8 33. Nf3 Bd7 34. Rc4 Kg8 35. Ne5 Bb5 36. Rc5 Be8 37. Nc4 Bd7 38. Ne5 Be8 39. Bd4 Kf8 40. f3 Ke7 41. Kh4 Kf8 42. Kg5 h6+ 43. Kh4 Kg8 44. Kg3 Kh7 45. Nd3 Kg8 46. Rc1 axb3 47. axb3 Kh7 48. Nc5 Bf7 49. Re1. The e6-Pawn is doomed, but Black has clear ideas of what he’s doing.

49. ... Ne7! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s first active move proves to be timely right and should have guaranteed him a draw. 50. Bb2. If 50. Nxe6 then 50. ... Nc6 51. Bc5 Re8 52. Nf8+ Kg8 53. Rxe8 Bxe8 54. Ng6 Bf7 with a draw coming soon. 50. ... Nc6 51. f4 Ra2 52. Nd3 e5! 53. fxe5 Bxb3 54. e6 Ra7? The comedy of errors begins. Correct was 54. ... Ne7(!) and if 55. Rc1 then 55. ... Ra7 with equality. 55. Nc5! Bc4. 55. ... Bd5 56. Nd7! doesn’t make much difference. 56. Nd7! Bb5 57. Nf8+!? Even stronger seems 57. Re3! with the almost imparable threat of Re3-f3. 57. ... Kg8 58. Ng6 Ne7? 58. ... Ra8(!) eventually followed by ... Ra8-e8 would have offered a more robust defence. 59. Ra1! Nc6 60. Rd1! Threatening both Rd1-d2-f2 and Rd1-d5-f5. Black is dramatically helpless. 60. ... Kh7 61. Rd5 Ba4 62. Kf4? Caruana misses 62. Rd2! (Δ Rd2-f2) 62. ... Ne7 63. Nf8+ Kg8 64. Rd8 Nc6 65. Nd7+! Nxd8 66. e7 and finis. 62. ... Bc2! 63. Rc5 Ba4 64. g5! hxg5+? Another error that could be fatal! Stockfish’s 64. ... Ra8(!) 65. Rf5 hxg5+ 66. Rxg5 Bc2 67. e7 Kg8(!) 68. Rg2 b3 69. h6 Kf7 70. Ne5+ Nxe5 71. Rxg7+ Ke6 72. Bxe5 Re8 must end in a draw. 65. Rxg5 Nd8 66. Re5? It is Caruana who makes the last mistake! With 66. Nf8+! Kg8 67. h6! there was an elegant win. 66. ... Be8! 67. e7 ½ : ½.