Houdini’s Box

Magnus Carlsen – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 17, 2018
Four Knights Game C47

Will Magnus Carlsen preserve the No. 1 world ranking spot? And will 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) break the invincibility record of Mikhail Nechemevich Tal? 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 0-0 9. 0-0 cxd5 10. Bg5 c6 11. Qf3 Bd6 12. h3 h6 13. Bf4 Rb8 14. b3 Rb4 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Rfe1 a5!? An interesting novelty. 16. ... Be6 17. Rad1 Re8 18. Ne2 Rb7 is what Black usually does to stay in balance, Can – Atalik, 46th Turkish Chess Championship, Ankara 2007. 17. Rad1 Bd7 18. Qe3 Rc8 19. Qa7. Super engines agree, but there can be but little doubt that this Queen penetration is at least a bit too materialistic. 19. ... Rh4! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) replies with deeply human inspiration, powerfully threatening ... Bd7xh3, so White’s next move is almost mandatory. 20. Re3 Qc7 21. Qxc7 Rxc7 22. Na4 c5

23. g4? An encrypted wake-up call for the Ghost of the Rock (even though at a very high cost!). After 23. Nb6 Bc6 (or also 23. ... Be6) the game appears to be quite even. 23. ... d4 24. Rf3 Nxg4! 25. Re1. Some commentators guessed that Carlsen might have thought about setting up a trap by 25. hxg4 Bxg4? 25. Re1! for suddenly realising, perhaps, that 25. ... Bc6! would have broken any illusion. 25. ... Nf6 26. Nb6 Bc6 27. Rg3 g5. White must have felt himself stuck in quite a tremendous situation, but nevertheless... 28. Re5 Nh5 29. Bf5! Brilliant defence. Now, after 29. ... Nxg3? 30. fxg3 the Black Rook gets trapped. 29. ... Rf4 30. Rg4 Bf3 31. Rxf4 Nxf4 32. Nd7 c4 33. bxc4 Rxc4 34. Rxa5 Rb4 35. Kh2 Rb1 36. Ne5 Rh1+ 37. Kg3 Bd5 38. f3 Re1 39. Nd3 Rg1+ 40. Kf2? As shown by Stockfish, the cool 40. Kh2! Rg2+ 41. Kh1 Bxf3 42. Ne1 d3 43. Nxf3 Rf2 44. Bxd3 Rxf3 45. Bf5 Kg7 was the best way of claiming a draw. 40. ... Rg2+ 41. Ke1 Re2+ 42. Kf1 Bc4 43. Kg1 Rg2+ 44. Kh1 Bxd3? Obviously, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) should have gone for 44. ... Rxc2 45. Nxf4 Rc1+ 46. Kg2 gxf4, contenting himself with a very favourable (although not necessarily won) Rook and Bishop ending a Pawn up — he can only be grateful that Carlsen was not walking in his shoes. 45. Bxd3 Rg3 46. h4 Rh3+ 47. Kg1 Rxh4 48. Bf1 Kg7 49. a4. The Black Rook being cut off from the Queenside, White can even dream of another Queen! 49. ... Ng6 50. Rc5 d3 51. a5 dxc2 52. Rxc2 Ra4 53. a6 h5 54. Rc5 Kf6 55. Rc6+ Kg7 56. Rc5 Kf6 57. Rc6+ Kg7 ½ : ½.

Magnus Carlsen vs. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén). Photo © Niki Riga.