Bid for a Bride

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Anish Giri
7th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 21, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

With a fine strategic win over Anish Giri, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) from China has decidedly put his claim — both financial and non-financial — to both the 7th Sinquefield Cup and Magnus Carlsen’s reign, thus indirectly rivaling the American “challengeship” carried on by Fabiano Caruana. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. e3 0-0 9. Rc1 Rd8 10. Be2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Bxc3+!? Giri tries in vain to change the story: 11. ... Bd7 12. Qc2 Bd6 13. 0-0 a6 14. Rfd1 Qe7 15. a3 Rac8 16. Ba2 Nb8 17. e4 Bf4 18. Ra1 Bc6 19. h4 h5 20. Ne2 Bh6 21. Ng3 g6 22. d5 exd5 23. exd5 Be8 24. Re1 Qf8 25. Ng5 Kh8 26. Rad1 Nd7 27. Qb3 Nb6 28. Qf3 Kg8 29. N3e4 Nd7 30. d6 Bg7 31. Nxf7 Bxf7 32. Qxf7+ Qxf7 33. Bxf7+ Kxf7 34. Ng5+ Kf6 35. Re7 Ne5 36. Rd5 Kf5 37. Rxg7 Rxd6 38. Rf7+ Rf6 39. Re7 1 : 0 Navara – Lékó, 50th Biel Grandmaster Chess Tournament, Biel/Bienne 2017. 12. bxc3 Bd7 13. Be2 e5 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Qb2 e4 16. Nd2 Na5 17. 0-0 c5 18. Rfd1 Rac8 19. Nf1 Bg6 20. Ng3 Qg5 21. Qb1 f5 22. dxc5 Rxc5 23. Rd4 Bf7 24. Rcd1 Rdc8 25. Bb5 g6. Only deep analysis can actually show when and where Giri went wrong (for it being anything but obvious), but perhaps here 25. ... R8c7 was a sounder way to both prevent White’s “threat” of Bb5-d7 and at the same time consolidate the position. 26. Ne2 Qf6 27. Ba4 Qe5 28. Bb3 Nxb3 29. axb3 R5c7 30. c4 a6 31. Nf4 b5 32. Nd5 Rc6 33. c5! The elegant key to the final breakthrough: the Pawn is obviously taboo due to 34. Nb6 winning the Exchange. 33. ... a5

34. b4! axb4 35. Qxb4 Rb8 36. Nb6 Be6 37. Nd7! Bxd7 38. Rd5 Qe7 39. Rxd7 Qxc5 40. Qb3+ Qc4 41. Qb2 Qc3 42. Qa2+ Rc4 43. g3 Rc8 44. R1d6 Kf8 45. Rxg6 b4 46. Rxh6 f4 47. gxf4 1 : 0.

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) gave an impressive display of his own understanding of the position as well as exhibiting his technical elegance. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Grand Chess Tour.