Scotch and soda

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Magnus Carlsen
Lindores Abbey Chess Stars Tournament (25+10); Newburgh, Fife, May 26, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Declined D30

And thus, since in vino veritas, although he was not feeling good due to the cold, in the end 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen won also the rapid quadrangular tournament held at the Lindores Abbey Distillery — which claims to be the “Spiritual Home of Scotch Whisky” — in Newburgh, Fife, Scotland. As Leonard Barden rhetorically asks (and answers) in his column for The Guardian of Friday, May 24, “Why Lindores Abbey distillery? The majority shareholders in the firm are Russian and are friends of the RCF president, Andrey Filatov, who has a significant record as a chess sponsor”. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Bxe7 Qxe7 6. Nbd2 Nf6 7. g3 0-0 8. Bg2 b6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. 0-0 Bb7 11. Rc1 a5 12. Re1 c5 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. e4! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) finally breaks up Black’s centre, provoking a brief skirmish which eventually leads him to win a not-so-easily-queenable Pawn. 14. ... Nxe4 15. Nh4 Qf6 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Rxc5. If 17. Qb3 Black can give back his Pawn by 17. ... e3! so as to simplify the game and get closer to his goal. 17. ... Na6 18. Rxa5 Qxb2 19. Bxe4 Bxe4 20. Rxe4 Rad8 21. Rd5. 21. Qb3 would lead, sooner or later, to the same ending as in the game. 21. ... Rxd5 22. Qxd5 Nb4 23. Qb3 Qxb3 24. axb3 Rb8 25. Nf3 Kf8 26. Kf1 Nd5 27. Nd2 g6 28. Rd4 Nb4 29. Ke2 Ke7 30. Re4+ Kd7 31. Ke3 Rb5! 32. Kd4 Rd5+ 33. Kc3 Rd3+. Trusting Tartakower’s aphorism that “all Rook endgames are drawn”, Black does not miss his opportunity to exchange Knights. 34. Kxb4 Rxd2 35. Rf4 f5 36. Kc5 Kc7 37. b4 Kb7

38. h4. After this move, Black will manage to draw without too difficulties. In any event, 38. Rd4! Rc2+ (not 38. ... Rxf2? on account of 39. Rd7+ Kc8 40. Rxh7+−) 39. Kb5 would appear to offer much more chance of success. 38. ... h5 39. Rf3 Rc2+ 40. Kd5 Re2 41. Kc5 Rc2+ 42. Kd4 Re2 43. Kd5 Kb6 44. Rf4 Kb5 45. Kd6 Kb6 46. f3 Kb5 47. Kd5 Rg2 48. Ke5 Rxg3 49. Kf6 Ka4 50. Kg7 Kb5 51. Kh6 Ka4 52. Rd4 Kb5 53. Rd6 Kxb4 54. Rxg6 Rxf3 55. Kxh5 Kc5 56. Rf6 Kd5 57. Kg6 Ke5 58. h5 Rg3+ 59. Kf7 f4 60. h6 Rh3 61. Kg7 f3 62. Rf8 Rg3+ 63. Kh8 Ke4 64. h7 Ke3 65. Rxf3+ Kxf3 ½ : ½.

It’s like Magnus Carlsen is going to win everything. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Reuters/NTB Scanpix.